steady-j, Mar 10, 2006
Sterac is one of those producers who can come up with real surprises - Across his many aliases there is a huge variety of sounds. When I bought this 12" I was satisfied that it had the right funky elements to put in one of my sets, but I did not appreciate the devastating effect that "Liteon" could have on the dancefloor until I played it. This tune has such a build up that it sends people wild. All Sterac's usual funkiness underpins it, and the drums have incredible drive, but what really does it is the layered filtered tweekn' synth riff that builds and builds to a massive climax, drops away, then bangs it out to the finish. Massive. "One With Hats" and "No Hats Required" are two variations on a similar theme, the latter featuring no hi-hats, hence the title. The synth sound here is similar, but the percussion is just not as pounding as Liteon. Spector is a slightly smoother take on the whole idea, still pacey but not as abrasive as the other tracks.
4.0/5 (