Noah Pred

It's the return of unadulterated bang-bang and groove with the poster boy of intelligent techno. Noah Pred's third release, after his down-tempo excursion as Shen, returns to his traditional techno roots. The 4/4 bedrock of Blind Alignments benefits from tech house sensibilities and an inherent funk, which lighten the solid but never incessant drive. Pred stays true to form here. The production is crispy clean, sometimes a little too much so, and the kick drum from start to finish makes for the throbbing cornerstone of every track. In fact, Blind Alignments on a track-by-track basis is guaranteed to keep the club dance floor humming. But as a full-length it holds no real surprises, the inclusion of which could have given it a slightly more intriguing edge. Nonetheless, Pred continues to demonstrate his talent at producing reliably smart techno.