Boys Noize

Berlin producer Alex "Boys Noize" Ridha believes in the concept of the sweet spot. His music provides no duck and weave — there is only a percussion-heavy center. And once that center is located, Ridha unremittingly wails on it with stacked drums and sawtooth bass, making like a Dave Grohl of riff-anchored electro.

Spoken of alongside Justice, Digitalism, and others of the deliberately scuzzy, constraint-flaunting new wave, Ridha has been releasing unabashed bashers since 2000. His first synth-pop discs were more spastic than bombastic, though they made it into big clubs thanks to remixes. But with the resurgence of post–Daft Punk robot rawk, Ridha has found his calling, if you consider scorching the atmosphere with air-raid-siren synths a calling. Taking the flatulent, elephantine "Flat Beat" of Mr. Oizo to a distending extreme layered with arpeggiated analog splatter, Ridha has gained a reputation as an indie-rawk-friendly remixer. All of this is exhibited on the 14-track Oi Oi Oi, an album that certainly does not lack for consistency (almost to a fault). Luckily for Ridha, crust is a must on many a discerning dancefloor, so Boys Noize gives redlining ravers another opportunity to rejoice.