Chop Shop Samples – Techno Area | £16

http://sounds.beatport.com If you’re looking to trap techno in a cage and study what makes its most modern incarnation tick, then this new series from Chop Shop Samples is the perfect place to start. As you pore over the 239 impressively crafted samples in this instalment you begin to see a pattern forming – it’s darker than ever. The 60 one-shots punish and pound, while the 139 beat loops, marching around the 125bpm mark, kick you mercilessly with the force of ten men. Sub basses plunge you into pits of low-end, while the sizzling FX files are laser sharp in their focus and function. The sound of now – catch it if you can.

VERDICT 7