Shock of Pleasure

Dallas-based Shock of Pleasure originated in 2004 when Robert Romano, the former singer and songwriter of Stranger Than Fiction, first mapped out the project shortly before meeting singer and leggy blonde model Kelley Christian. The pair shared a vision for a downtempo electronic recording venture in the vein of Portishead and Thievery Corporation, so they enlisted producer David Castell to build atmospheric textures and rhythms around the song foundations Romano had sketched on acoustic guitar. While Romano steered the bulk of the writing, Castell supplied the atmospheric details, and the lineup expanded with drummer Brent Irish and bassist Josh Curry. Over the ensuing two years the musicians tracked the material during off-hours at Castell’s studio, shaping the album It’s About Time. The record appeared as a self-release in 2007 and surfaced again on September 16 of the following year through EMG, now expanded by two covers—the Carpenters’ “Superstar” and Dennis Yost’s “Spooky.”