- Functional techno with just the right amount of cheek.
- "Sirens" as a title is instructive—you'd never guess, but this highlight from Minneapolis-born, Berlin-based Jon Hester's new EP on Rekids is based around a wailing siren. But it's not the usual sample: the sound here is distant and undulating, a welcome facsimile and not the piercing whine that can strike fear into ravers' hearts at the worst time in the wee hours of the morning. It's just one of many excellent touches on "Sirens," like the skippy hi-hats that add just a little bounce, the grinding bassline or the funky shakers. Sounding both monolithic and groovy, "Sirens" nails a certain kind of functional techno with just the right amount of playfulness.