ITWT doesn't have too many tracks as hard-sounding as this one. Neither track is what you would call 'trance' per se, although Next Victim does have a catchy hook, but it remains a little too acidic-sounding and is an uneasy listen. Blind Date is unique in the ITWT back catalogue. It contains eerie sound effects and a repetitive hook all the way through (am I noticing a nod to DJ Tiesto's Flight 643 here?), with the odd female vocal effect for good measure. Some of the effects remind me of Rocker by Alter Ego, and Blind Date is similar in the regard that it is far removed from the traditional sounds usually found on this label. Much of Richard van Dongen's work (2003-2006) in the Sfinx and Impact guises are similarly hard-sounding, as is DJ Salez vs. DJ Cor Fijneman - Lattitude/Black Mamba (ITWT 338-5). If you're interested in researching the failed direction changes of the trance scene around 2002/2003, check them out.

This is probably the hardest and most minimalistic release on ITWT to date. "Next victim" is an evil-sounding hardtrancer, slightly reminiscent of L'age synthetique's positively malignant "Terminate". Good stuff for setting the mood on the dancefloor, no big breaks or takeoffs but still ballsy. "Blind date" is very very nearly a techno track. Very monotone, it relies almost solely on a hard groove and beat, repeated 'forever'; quite minor breaks. Guess it vould be more suited for the start of a techno set than any trance set. All in all, a very surprising release for the thus far more floaty-trancey Tangled Universe.