TuneLab
SHDW & Obscure Shape - Awakenings Easter Festival 2022
Awakenings Easter Festival 2022, and SHDW & Obscure Shape are here to remind us that resurrection in techno terms involves raising BPMs to near-vertical levels. This isn’t a set for the faint-hearted; it’s a peak-time, mainstage barrage for those who believe a kick drum should feel like a cardiac event. The vibe is pure festival enormity—flashing lights, a sea of raised fists, and the distinct smell of sweat and determination. Technically, this is hard techno at its most athletic, with an average BPM of 147 pushing into the 170s at times, and Camelot key 12A providing a stable, energetic base for the chaos.
The energy balance is heavily low-end, with thunderous kicks and sub-bass that shake the foundations, while mid-range stabs and high-end hats cut through the mix with surgical precision. Their blending is efficient and powerful, often layering tracks to create a wall of sound, with harmonic shifts primarily around 12A and 6A to maintain momentum. For crate diggers, this full tracklist is a treasure trove of peak-time weapons: Lars Huismann’s 'Echo' is a relentless, driving tool that sets the tone early. Simon Digby’s 'Fiesta Del Sol' offers an 11-minute journey of percussive tension, while Several Spirits’ 'Blue Coast (Red Eye Mix)' adds a melodic, albeit dark, flourish.
The curveball here is 2 Unlimited’s 'No Limit,' edited into submission for a moment of ironic, high-energy nostalgia, and Toni Alvarez’s 'We Are the People' edit serves as a tribal-inflected peak. The set opens with an unknown track, builds to a frenetic climax with 'Hertz - Julia,' and closes with Jiminy Hop’s 'Saturn - Mark Found Remix,' leaving us breathless and thoroughly pummeled.