Lisa Shaw has supplied her sultry singing to countless house recordings since 1995, yet her identity has stayed relatively unknown. Frequently described as a house diva, she possesses a faceless voice that lifts over packed dance floors in the middle of the night, captivating crowds before vanishing moments later. Nearly every regular clubgoer has likely encountered her sound, often more than once. Shaw maintains a constant presence throughout the house world via partnerships with leading producers and frequent appearances on compilation albums. Only in 2001 did she begin moving deliberately toward greater visibility.
Her path opened unexpectedly in New York City. A native of Toronto, she traveled there for a brief visit and chose to stay indefinitely. The city’s underground electronic circles welcomed her immediately, resulting in the 1995 release of her debut single “Makin Love Makin Music,” composed by DJ Smash. Additional tracks followed, including several created with her husband, DJ Swingsett. Early releases came through modest imprints such as Ubiquity and New Breed Records, but RCA and Astralwerks soon expressed interest. The song “Always,” issued on Naked Music and co-written with Dave Warrin, earned international praise and prompted the label to offer her a solo deal. In 2002 she united with Warrin and Jay Denes to form Lovetronic, which scored success with the deep house cut “You Are Love.” After Naked Music merged with Astralwerks, Shaw reached the forefront of electronic music. Her first full-length album appeared in 2003 under the Astralwerks banner for both recording and promotion. Further collaborations with Naked Music associates, among them Miguel Migs and Jay Denes, are presently in development.
