Bleep

The immense strength of Special Request’s DJ-Kicks mix — rife with choice house cuts and cyberspace futurism from the likes of John Morales, Krystal Klear and µ-Ziq — is its equal emphasis on the emotive and the eminently groovy. The moniker of Leeds-based producer Paul Woolford has been a vehicle for his dancefloor astuteness throughout his output for Houndstooth and R&S, and this 12” singles out three brand new originals — as featured in the mix — for a much-obliged upfront release.

While keeping up with his astronomical amount of work has proven to be a challenge for even the most ardent follower, Compassion offers a neatly comprehensive overview of exactly where Woolford’s head is at. ‘Vellichor’ is a hyper-propelled trip through acid territory and out through the other end, as the fuzzy arps neatly showcase the Special Request melodic guarantee we’ve come to seek from Woolford. His 96 Back collaboration ‘Petrichor’ continues with the sensory fixation and crafts an amniotic synth world in which the rhythms submerge and resurface, while the disc’s 9-minute title track reiterates Woolford’s keen sense for electronic suspense, his steady beat morphing and multiplying through frosted glass pads.

Compassion is Special Request in a nutshell; a talented producer pouring his soul into every track.