- The two tracks on this split 12-inch between veteran producer DJ Stingray and newcomer Vin Sol complement each other rather well. Stingray's "Assassin" is a frenetic electro cut with a fine contrast between scuzzy and slick textures. A grainy bassline and the kind of distorted vocal Stingray's always utilised so well are pitted against chrome-plated percussion and smooth pads.
Vin Sol's "Edges Of A Vortex" has its share of oddness. Sax tones and bird sounds are—thankfully—uncommon in modern dance music, but used here to accent the serpentine bassline and stark drum clatter, they work. The track pushes and pulls: around the middle, the elements drop off to reveal just the percussive skeleton and that bird whistle, before the bassline returns. The groove is immersive but unstable, so although Vin Sol's track initially seems more predictable, it throws you just as much as Stingray's.
TracklistA1 DJ Stingray - Assassin
A2 Vin Sol - Edges Of A Vortex