Sam GreenwoodShannen Blessing has done a fantastic job at solidifying herself as one of Ireland’s best up and coming DJs and producers that we have to offer. She looks to continue this streak with another solid release as she looks to carve out her unique sound even further with her newest release, ‘Sensation’.
Shannen has garnered a strong reputation for herself within the Irish techno scene over the last few years. Stellar mixing skills and a mature ear beyond her years for spinning and selecting records have aided in Shannen’s success since her club debut in 2019. Shannen has shared the stage with techno heavyweights such as Lag, Introversion, Inhalt Der Nacht, Parallx, Sunil Sharpe, DVS1 and more. Not to mention a number of headline sell-out shows across the country and multiple festival appearances, most notably Life Festival and Outset.
When asked about her newest release ‘Sensation’, this is what she had to say; ‘This release sounds different to my last two releases. I want to show the diversity of my taste when it comes to techno. I don’t want to be categorised or pigeon holed into a genre or category because I have always listened to and played all styles of techno. Techno aesthetics feel a little detached and a little disconnected from each other with several new divergent schools emerging. While I have released two edits, I have always listened to and took my route through more purist and early techno styles.‘
Shannen then shares her thoughts on some current techno trends and some thoughts behind the track and how it was produced; ‘More recently, hard groove styles have been a reaction to the speeding up of bpms while rejecting some of the more ‘commercial’ elements associated with newer techno trends. This release is more focused on drum programming and textures with saturation and tonal balance establishing grooves and pockets which has been a staple of techno since its earliest days.
As a 21 year old its really hard to write and find my sound and I’m still learning a lot about myself as an artist and person continuously. I hope in contrast to my two previous releases this track stands to represent my more quintessential and pure techno roots. Sometimes the pressure to conform can be very heavy on a young artists shoulders and that is why so many young artists should focus on finding their voice instead of conscripting. I want to just make music that everyone can enjoy and spread love.’
You can download Sensation for free over on Shannen’s Soundcloud here.