Review: Four Ports

Artist: Rudi Stakker, Curious George & The Agent
Release: Four Ports w/ Rmxs
Label: Mad Hatter Recordings
Release Date: 02.23.2009

Number nine from Mad Hatter is a brooding bit of the deeper side of techno – laden with the washes, builds, and hypnotic percussion that primes a floor for a proper wrecking, whether it be in the beginning or at the end of an evening. It’s a great set up. The break is a lengthy bit of sizzle and anticipation, and the payoff is a chugging groove that should find favour with those who dig on the darker side of the tech genres.

Lance Blaise & Rod B. keep their ‘Miami Underground Mix’ in a somewhat similar vein as the Original, thematically speaking, but rather than peaking things out, they dig deeper into the tone, delaying the blips over a simpler loop. Brian Taaffe rubs on a deep house progression, with a bouncy bass riff that keeps things rather lively, while Beatmode gets more removed with a thumper of a kick and a stripped down, almost indie dance approach. And the break on this one is a nice teardown into trippyness that moves fluidly to a slightly truncated sounding second half. Overall though, I gotta go with the Original, as its composition caters more to the techno grooves that I’m currently crushing on.

Four Ports - Original

Four Ports - Brian Taaffe Rmx