4 out of 5

Label: Worm Records

Produced by: Various

As with a lot of compilations – but I’d almost say specifically with electronic, where the music scales drastically between listen-at-home stuff versus things for a club – a listener’s take on Worm Records’ second release is going to be pretty subjective. Even if you’re going in knowing this is very house-centric, the flavors of that vary: from the slightly warmer, quirkier grooves of opener Boulderhead to the more rote body-moving beat of Wooka, to DMX Krew’s IDM-adjacent beat, and Jorg Kuning’s retro-sprinkled closer. Personally – and maybe you can tell by my use of adjectives – I found Wooka’s entry to be a bit repetitive, but bass fans might dig it, and the runtime of all of these tracks is such that nothing overstays its welcome. I am also partial to DMX (it’s why I bought this), and so that’s a standout here: it was interesting hearing Ed not in the retro spot, instead juggling a bit of his goofiness with some nice slipperiness in the beat; alongside Jorg’s upbeat offering ultimately made the B-side the repeat listen for me, but all of these tunes become more and more fun with repeat listens.