SHALEEN — Consolidation EP

There is propably no single event that has as potent of an effect on the german Techno- scene as the fall of the Berlin Wall. A city divided suddenly, in one single night, became uni¦ed, opening up both sides for the new experiences and ways to view life the other might have. Berlin’s eastside with it’s empty, unused warehouses proved to be a fertile breeding ground for free spirits and those carrying a newfound ¦re in their eyes. This was the zero hour. The Consolidation. And it is this mindset, spirit and ¦re of Consolidation that Shaleen conjures on her debut EP of the same name. The title track opens up by sampling John F. Kennedy’s legendary “Berlin” speech from 1964, before absolutely caving in the concrete with a beyond-heavy kickdrum and a very stripped down but effective 909-percussion section. Spursed in along the track’s runtime are droning sirens and JFK continuing to beckon you to lose yourself in the metropolitan bowels. This is the anthem of a past revolution. On Deconstruction, Shaleen goes down a slightly more basement oriented route. The Percussion shares the title track’s stripped down effectiveness, but the Groove is more rolling, the Vocal samples are more distorted and there are sharp synths cutting through the beats like shards of broken glass. Of course, a revolution wouldn’t be complete without a mob so both Cadency aka Hector Oaks and New Frames have put their spin on the EP’s title track. Mr. Cadeny is up ¦rst and, being no stranger to revolutionary anthems, has given Consolidation an almost contemplative mood in his Remix,by adding a very subtle melody. This doesn’t mean it hits any less hard, mind you, there is an incredibly strong drive to the track, paired with an almost constantly looping vocal and the sirens going into overdrive, this would be the track to drive crowds into a frenzy. Meanwhile New Frames’ track is the kind of thing you wouldn’t want to encounter alone in a dark alleyway. The sub-basses are heavy enough to terraform Mars, the Jungle-esque Synthlines roar and snarl at the listener and every drop feels like a right hook to the chin. The original’s vocal is cut in a way that it only adds to the stomping rhythm, putting you in a mood to throw bricks. So while this record showcases an aggressive sound and a mood for revolution, it is important to remember it’s title. Consolidation. It echoes a message of uni¦cation. Of standing together. Because together we are, have been and will always be stronger than by ourselves.