Paul Woolford's pirate radio-inspired
Special Request project has produced dozens of heavy techno and jungle bangers, but it also has a more cerebral, conceptual side, surfacing on releases such as the cinematic double-album
Belief System.
Woolford's entry into the revered
DJ-Kicks series takes a slow-burning approach, starting off with rushing waves and astronaut transmissions before heading into steadily paced, soulful house rather than a big bang introduction. String-laden disco and
Kraftwerk-ian electro are intertwined with selections from
Harvey Sutherland and
Morgan Geist, and a speech excerpt about the unified field theory surfaces in the mix twice, the second time ending with a statement about reaching enlightenment. The mix continues in astral disco mode, first dipping into breakbeat techno with
Speedy J's 1991 cut "De-Orbit" and progressing with lush, IDM-leaning club tracks from
AceMo and 1995-era
µ-ziq. After segueing from more early-'90s
Plus 8 techno with another wash of waves, the mix kicks into higher gear with
Woolford's breakbeat-infused remix of a 2001 single by
FC Kahuna, transforming it from
Zero 7-ish downtempo into something a bit more tense and riveting. After some out-of-control, delay-scattered electro from
Galaxian, the mix finally ramps up into hardcore jungle, starting with a VIP edit of
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse's 1993 darkcore classic "Drowning in Her" (built around a haunting forward-and-reversed sample of
Robert Owens' vocals from
Frankie Knuckles and
Satoshi Tomiie's "Tears"). This then moves into an absolutely smashing VIP of a
Special Request track by London wunderkind
Tim Reaper, one of the absolute leaders of jungle's new school. It's clear that this is all music with deep personal significance to
Woolford, and it's filled with sublime moments. ~ Paul Simpson
