Nuclear Hyde – X-Tention EP

I'll admit, this sort of represents the turning point for Steinmeier and Nuclear Hyde---before this, most of their stuff was driving, acid-soaked hard trance, but starting with this record, their sound turned more toward the then-evolving hard-trance-meets-hard-house style.

And indeed, "Whorpe" here (the only track of the 3 not also available on the Noomraker album, which came out the same year) is essentially Nuclear Hyde's take on the Hoover (or, for older folks, "mentasm") sound that was already becoming a mainstay of hard trance/hard house production at the time. To wit, the track really is a Hoover-monster, especially after the main breakdown and release. Class tune, but admittedly different from their earlier acid-trance excursions. 4/5

Likewise, "X-Tension" is all well and good, and a bit more in their earlier hard-trance mode, but even saying that, I think I prefer the "Cyclone Mix" of the track (available on the Noomraker 2xLP album). Nothing wrong with the regular version on this record, mind you, but I just enjoy the structure and progression of the Cyclone Mix more. 4/5.

Lastly, "Tool" is a decent if admittedly austere hard-trancer. Nothing too special if I'm being honest, but a gritty, almost industrial-style vibe saturates the tune, so it's certainly not cheesy or "mainstream" in its production. Solid track, 3.5/5.