- Four years since the last Scuba record, Paul Rose returns with the weakest release of his career.
- Last year, Paul Rose took a break from touring. He seemed to be in an introspective place. He'd lined up several compilations, reminding us what his Scuba project was like at its peak while revisiting his groundbreaking SUB:STANCE dubstep and techno night in Berlin. He revived his SCB alias for a few leftfield records, but hasn't put a full release as Scuba since 2015. But instead of sounding refreshed, Rose delivers the weakest EP of his career.
Familiar Scuba sounds appear alongside some surprising new additions. He sings on "Voices," layering vocals into a jangly harmony that goes nicely with the classic Scuba synth lines (think Triangulation) but clashes with the bland acid house beat. "Burn Out" throws in electric guitar in a way that recalls 2012's big beat-influenced album Personality.
"Expectations," the lead cut, is unusually generic for Rose. The chintzy organs and tech house bassline push it into pastiche. It's as if Rose had Googled "house sample pack" in a quest to get a Beatport hit. "Expectations" even mines a sample source—Control's 1991 smash "Dance With Me"—that Rose already used for 2012's "Talk Torque," which was a much more interesting tune. Back then, Rose was at his peak. On Expectations he sounds like a fish out of water.
Tracklist01. Expectations
02. Voices
03. Burn Out