- I love releases like Beta Sampler. These often sit at the back of DJs record boxes for years—or, in the case of this digital release, hard drives—providing that little surprise to break out when a crowd needs a few angles to reach for. Here we have a sampler of "tracks that fuse together the artists' own visions with the label's identity." And the artists seem to have taken SA's identity as their foundation; there is an inspired, anarchic edge to all of these tracks.
The UK's Ali Wells, AKA Perc, is first up with "Wooden Art." This is Perc on form, pulling at the confounds of dance floors with his kung-fu breaks. "Wooden Art" is explosive, but disciplined and tight, edges sharpened and splinters flying. Chevel's "Trevisun" is another raw cut. A funky bassline drives through while Chevel gets heavy-handed on the filters; it's a stripped down, solid groover which is occasionally cut wide open with a pounding drill that will have you gritting your teeth.
Frank Martiniq visits dub techno territory in "My Visor." It's no vintage analogue classic, but Martiniq builds a luscious melody of delayed pads, industrial touches and tough snares—which works as well in the bathtub as it does on the dance floor. The final track is from Sasse. His "Face2Face With Reality" is bubbling and reflective, its bouncy bass and dubbed-out pads punctuated with a tight clap and vocal stab—a jack to ignite any flagging dance floor. An exciting precursor to some EPs dropping soon on one of Berlin's most promising labels.
Tracklist 01. Perc - Wooden Art
02. Chevel - Trevisun
03. Frank Martiniq - My Visor
04. Sasse - Face2Face With Reality