- After delivering dancefloor smashing releases on Re:Connect, including the wicked tear-out tune Holding On, Merka follows on from his awesome bass centered remix of B-Phreak's Chunk Style with a full platter for Fat Records.
Side A. Hug A Speaker
Merka certainly has a way of playing around with the beats, the opening drum break sounds like someone has played with the kick drum sounds and extended them with a reversal effect. It's an overall heavy breaks affair, I would say it has its tear-out leanings but it's definitely not on a tear-out tip. A big quake causing bassline is the main feature of the tune and is accompanied by funky guitar stabs, sci-fi samples and a very familiar and possibly over-used hip hop vocal sample - sped up to make us all think that we're lost in the technology of the early 90s.
Side B. I'll Be Here
The intro sounds like it would feel more at home on a Coldcut/DJ Food tune as it feels like it's been lifted off a soundtrack to an old black & white movie - this fact is strengthed by the moody trumpet sample and the female vocal sample. Merka drops a dubby electro bassline which continues until the first buildup, after which the tune's darkside bears its hairy Mr. Hide side. The bassline is tranformed into a grittier beast and is helped out by Mardi Gras style bells and a heavy breakbeat. The calm Dr. Jekyll side makes a short return in the middle as it brings back that calmer electro bassline and the warm female vocal sample. This doesn't last long as the darker side returns and towards the end and plays a game of tug-o-war. Quite interesting.
I really like both of these efforts both for their originality, if not for their heavy attitude on breakbeat.