seven

I have mixed feelings about this compilation. on one hand this is a superb, "best of" stuff in the rhythm & noise genre, truly "cream of the crop" from hands label. on the other hand, this is good old rhythm & noise - something I have been getting tired of lately when it comes in the pure, unaltered form.

every single track on this compilation is excellent – interesting and unusual mix of drum&bass and rhythmic noise with saturated basslines from 5F_55, a funky and quirky "clip" from proyecto mirage mixing bouncy addictive beats and all kinds of frequencies and atonal noises. astonishingly aggressive "bash'n'trash" from needle sharing – saturated waves of noise, feedback among crushing percussion rhythms. winterkalte with excellent hyperkinetic "pcbc". even xebec and squaremeter are present – both with their own interpretations of dark minimal ambient with rhythmic patterns – organic and corroded in case of xebec, and cold high-tech simplicity in case of squaremeter. both s.i.n.a. and ms gentur are excellent with their driving, unstoppable rhythmic assaults that never grow annoyingly repetitive.

all in all, this compilation could be a gem for anyone starting in the scene, or for any true obsessive collector. for those of you looking for something different, or short on cash, I would have a hard time recommending it.