Circuit Breaker – Experiments In Sound

Around the time this track came out (late 91), I recall tekno (with a k) in continental Europe was getting faster and harder, and the more of it, the more 'k's you would add to the genre. Not the savviest naming convention, when you hit 3.

And If I correctly, in an interview around 92 RH was saying that in his mind the whole thing was getting out of hand and stupid. Hence the name of the track. In hindsight, this opinion was cute, bordering the naïve considering how bad techno would get with the whole progressive shite and corporate techno that would come out in the late 90's and 2000's.

My favorite one was always Open Your Mind. A dark, acidic mindfuck perfect for mixing it up with early UR or DHS.

Overkill is the classic of the classics. When Techno and Acid were still the same.

Just to completely contradict the previous reviewer. Yes, Overkill is a killer acid techno track. I'm in total agreement with that part. But apart from the TB-303, there's no similarity with the 'yawn' overplayed, overrated Hardtrance Aerience in my opinion. This record has true gusto. It's darker, it's fiercer, it's more futuristic sounding, it has relentless drive and in a paradoxical way is funkier, warmer and more original. And it was released (at least!) 6 to 8 months prior to the aforementioned. Above all that, I just love the way the acid is manipulated and develops throughout the track. The drums are also, in my opinion, perfectly programmed. The timbres, the groove, everything about it.

The other tracks are fabulous too. Darker, dirtier, sinister mind melters and there aren't any hints of any cold uplifting trance elements creeping in. I know I might be coming across as short-sighted but I believe this was Hawtin's most creative period.

Circuit Breaker, Side A plays at 45 rpm inside out. Overkill is a classic Acid Techno track which was very similar to Hardfloor's Hardtrance Aerience. The record states "When this song ends, so will your needle!" And this is truly what will happen if you leave the record unattended, as there is no locked groove at the end of the record. So the stylus will eventually fall off the end of the record if continued to play after the track has ended. I estimate the time from the end of the track to when the stylus will fall off the record at approximately 40 seconds. Side B plays at 33 rpm B1 plays forward. Frenz-E is a dark laden Acid track with a prominent synth bassline and tough jackin 909 rhythms. B2 plays inside out, Open Your Mind is another classic Acid Techno track with Richie's unmistakable 303 3 note pattern style. A few Open Your Mind samples from the film Total Recall, and layered reverb effects on the 303 towards the end and its soon over. Personally Open Your Mind is the strongest track on the EP, probably because it is less well known than the main track Overkill. It is certainly very imaginative to allow the stylus to fall off the record on side A, I wonder how many people have been caught out by that. I guess they will always playing the record for the first time, and ending with a very loud clatter when the stylus fell off the record.

Hawtin's best dancefloor work.

simply a beast of an acid chewn

This Record has 3 independent Tracks like mentioned above.

On "Overkill" Side was printed "when this song ends so will your needle", and it was true, on the end of the song the system jumps off the record... !!

This was the most impressive thing in my life since "the rings of saturn" from UR. A Record with truly 5! independent tracks (not 2 like normal records, one on the one side, one on the other)