Consolidated (band)

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Consolidated was an American radical activist recording and performing group, formed in 1988 and best known in the early 1990s as an alternative dance/industrial music band. They were distinguished by left-leaning political activism and radical lyrics, as well as their innovative sonic collages which blended industrial and hip-hop styles.

Between 1989 and 1994, their instrumental style evolved from industrial, to hip-hop, to hard rock and funk with mixtures of 'live' instruments and electronic instruments. Their music tended mostly to focus upon the following topics: vegetarianism, women's rights, animal rights, the unity of oppression, World War II and the Holocaust, the dangers of capitalism, and the evils of American Nationalism.

After 1994, the original line-up went their separate ways. Since that time, the project has been mainly under the direction of Adam Sherburne, with peripheral involvement by Mark Pistel (primarily mixing and engineering the albums). Following the split of the original line-up, Consolidated has continued to evolve musically through styles reminiscent of West Coast hip-hop, R&B, rock, and jazz similar to Miles Davis's early 1970s experimentation. Initially known for their strident, lyric-heavy albums, their most recent recordings have been almost entirely instrumental improvisations. An entry on a previous version of Consolidated's official website noted that all their albums have combined to sell over 500,000 copies.

Consolidated's original line-up consisted of Adam Sherburne (guitar and vocals), Mark Pistel (samples, sequencers and keyboards/synths), and Philip Steir (drums). Consolidated's subsequent line-ups have consisted of Adam Sherburne, Todd Bryerton (drums), Michael Dunne (bass), and Kevin Carnes (drums) with some mixing and engineering by Mark Pistel.

Co-founders Mark Pistel (programming/vocals) and Philip Steir (programming/vocals) continued to do many remix projects after leaving the band. Mark Pistel made one album under the name Pistel, and has also played with the live/touring incarnation of Meat Beat Manifesto as well as a group called Electronic Dub Collective. Philip Steir co-owns a recording studio called Toast.