Richy Ahmed – Sneaky Acid [Hot Creations]
Richy Ahmed has dropped 3 tech house tracks on Hot Creations for the label’s 50th release, as well as 1 dub mix of an original. As you can tell from the title, this remix has a lot to do with the acid sound and the tracks themselves would most definitely be incredibly trippy while on acid. The release starts off with “Sneaky Acid”, and a dub mix of “Sneaky Acid” that has a lot of good elements to it, but is dragged down a bit by repetition. The synths themselves sound very retro, are mixed well, and add a nice funkiness to the track. I also liked how the bass-line interacted with the synth that mirrors it overtop. The bass is subtle, but it adds a lot of power through big speakers. The drum beat is tight, and the track grooves quite hard, but at a certain point it runs out of steam and one starts missing new musical ideas. The next series of tracks are a two part series titled “The Bells”. Part 1 is upbeat, tense, and features a pumping bass-line that keeps the energy up. The synths overtop add a nice touch and the tone is also well done, but certain instruments can be a bit painful to the ears at certain times. Part 2 is darker, the kick is much more prominent, and the bass-line once again drives a lot of the track. Ahmed also uses a few really cool percussive synths in the heart of the track that add a really cool and unique touch to it all. While these tracks tend to have similar styles, the progression from part 1 to part 2 is a nice touch and they compliment each other well. While this EP has trouble with repetition, it is still a great release and worth a listen for any tech house/acid house fans out there.
