TuneLab
Ellen Allien
Boiler Room : Sydney
Ellen Allien walking into a Boiler Room Sydney and opening with 'Carol of the Bells' is a power move only a techno don could pull off, immediately signaling that conventions are out the window. The vibe is intense and focused, a sweltering box of sound where the only release is through faster, harder movement. This is a relentless, peak-time hard techno set, locked at a punishing 150 BPM and frequently using the driving, minor energy of key 12A to maintain a hypnotic, industrial pressure.
The energy is remarkably balanced between low and mid frequencies (0.48 and 0.49), creating a full-spectrum assault where acid lines and distorted kicks share equal weight in the sonic demolition. Allien's mixing is muscular and seamless, using long blends to merge tracks into a continuous, corrosive stream. For connoisseurs of the harder stuff, the selections are impeccable: Acid Division's 'Denkbild' is a snarling, 303-laced beast, Koeing Cylinders' '99.9' remix is a timeless slice of percussive techno, and NuroGL's 'Fallen' offers a moment of eerie, atmospheric respite.
The inclusion of her own remix of Rosa Anschütz's 'Their Blood' adds a personal, vocal-led layer to the fury. The set begins with the haunting, choral tease of Celtic Woman, builds to a blistering peak with the raw power of Laura Trance's 'witchblade' edit, and concludes with the alien, rhythmic chatter of Damz's 'Alien Birds'.