Masada by Marcus Meinhardt
A familiar face on the Berlin techno scene, Marcus Meinhardt can frequently be found ripping it up at Kater Blau and many of Germany's other leading clubs. He is also no stranger to Exploited Ghetto with previous slammers like 'Hibiskuss' and 'House Of Beats' doing major damage.
'Masada' is another beast that builds imperceptibly to an intense throb through its perfectly balanced arrangement. A plump kick underpins shuffling tambourine rhythms and woodblock hits, while moody synth stabs give a sense of what's to come. Droning textures growl as hints of the bass tease into life. On-beat stabs filter up ever-so-slowly while rasping electro pulses thrust into the groove. A rapid-fire synth refrain adds more colour before swathes of white noises lift the track upwards.
As the synth interplay continues to intensify, snare rolls usher towards new levels of intensity. The succinct yet deadly potent main hook of the the track is brought into play, dragging a spine-tingling chord progression with it. The on-beat stabs brigthen in their intensity, creating a real sense of urgency. A big snare-roll filled breakdown teases us before the arrangement is stripped back to its tribal simplicity before the final crescendo of the track hits us. Fans of Innervisions and classic Bodzin and Huntemann material should lap this right up.
A la-la-land of quality dance-floor tunes; a psychedelic paradise of booty-funk, krunked-up disco, freaky house and foreign languages.