‘Hotdog’ sees Bedrock welcome techno legend Darren Emerson to the fold, with his debut release on the label. Veteran producer Florian Meindl also makes his first appearance on the label, turning in the sole remix.
Darren Emerson’s own version of ‘Hotdog’ is an absolute beast. Sinister pads almost immediately give way to galloping, jacking percussion, which forms the backbone of the track as it picks up momentum with urgent bleeps, cool effects, and a surging bassline that doesn’t let up until the track is over. The short breakdown strips out everything but the bass, allowing it to pick up additional intensity and menace before the track explodes again, a filtered, stuttering vocal loop adding further to the bedlam.
Florian Meindl offers a peak-time tech-house take on ‘Hotdog’, working the original’s bleeps and distinctive vocal sample over bouncier percussion and a wonky, springy bass part. It’s a quality piece of work, and the added grooviness will definitely appeal to many DJs, though for my own part I prefer the raw power of Darren Emerson’s original.
This is a wicked release from Bedrock, as you’d expect, with Darren Emerson serving up one of the most exciting slices of techno I’ve heard in some time. You’re going to want this record in your life. 8.5/10
