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Catscan – Future is Now Review
Such luck we’re in. Right when we start this site, everyone’s favourite medical device is back with a new release on Masters of Hardcore! Catscan delivers a dark yet accessible four-tracker, sometimes bordering on but not quite entering the industrial domain.
After several Korsakoff releases, this is the first time Bart Kok releases on MOH as Catscan. It appears his own label, Cr8tiv Response, was short-lived, sporting only one release. But enough about the logistics, let’s get started.
The title track is also the first one on the record. After an intro that sets quite a scary atmosphere, Future is Now blasts off with some sluggish, heavy kicks and a couple clever industrial background sounds. A short break divides the track in two, followed by the climax, which is basically a harder variation on the intro. That may sound boring, but it certainly is not – it’s featured on MOH XXVI for a reason. Future is Now is a solid track that will fit in any set, be it mainstream or industrial – not a floorfiller, but a well-balanced ear filler.
50 Seconds of Fame is the second A-side track and picks up a lot of momentum with its rolling kicks and twisted mids. Interrupted only by some short breaks with samples, this track is beautifully progressive. The screeches start out quiet and sparse and build up very subtly into a powerful, yet slighty reserved climax. Again, not a hitmix party track, but a very solid production.
A more accessible, mainstream sound is heard on the B-side of the record. B1, Bad Beat, has already been featured on the MOH XXV compilation. It starts out simply deliciously with stuttering kicks interrupted by high-pitched screeches. The first vocal sample quickly makes clear that this is the party stomper that the A-side doesn’t deliver. A simple but effective melody and deep, round kicks finish the picture. Catscan also applies the clever double climax trick; the first climax ends and seems to be followed by an outro, only to come back again at double strength. Even though it’s not the most interesting track on the release, Bad Beat is very effective and will make you move.
Even though the first 3 tracks may be good, Catscan only really gets On Fire with that last track. An intro similar to Future is Now quickly bursts into an intro of pumping bass goodness backed by the familiar screeches. Less than 1 minute into the track, the melody already comes up. It’s a typical, oldschool Catscan melody – at first it will sound odd, off even, but allow it to sink in and you will never get enough of it anymore. Halfway through we land in a break and a few notes are removed from the melody to make it sound more ‘open’ and less busy. After a transaction from melody to outro that can only be described as genius, some more screechy goodness rounds up the song.
Future is Now is a solid release, but it’s not going to deliver any huge hits. The A-side is simply too calm, filler or home listening material rather than floorfillers. Bad Beat may be an effective party song, but it simply doesn’t have that X-factor that makes the big hits. On Fire, the best track of the release, is just going to be too ‘difficult’ for the hardcore masses. Our verdict, however, is quite positive: a well-produced, good release that brings back some oldschool memories.
Tracklist:
- A1. Future is Now
- A2. 50 Seconds of Fame
- B1. Bad Beat
- B2. On Fire
nice score CATSCAN _0_