- On his Hot Creations debut, Richy Ahmed stuck to the label's tried-and-tested formula for bumping house jams. Kicks and claps landed with brutal intensity, their ferociousness cranked up each with passing minute. But if you were hoping for the Newcastle producer to throw a curveball next, then "Sneaky Acid" quickly disabuses you of that notion. The problem is that each individual component is artlessly deployed. Every eight bars a new element is introduced, right on cue—there goes the freaky modulation, next an "acid" vocal sample, then a drum roll. As with anything that's been done so many times, it's a good old dose of unpredictability that will help you stand out; in both of its forms, "Sneaky Acid" telegraphs its every move.
"The Bells" (no prizes for guessing its primary feature) is a marginal improvement. With a nod to the Jeff Mills classic, Ahmed launches two thumping, techy depth charges. "Part One" sounds too much like a runout groove for most of its duration, crying out for a melody to offset its relentless rhythmic onslaught. The faint aroma of acid returns on "Part Two," a simple two-note bassline and regular doses of reverb helping ensure that it's the most likeable of the quartet on show.
トラックリストA1 Sneaky Acid
A2 Sneaky Acid (Dub)
B1 The Bells (Part 1)
B2 The Bells (Part 2)