Boysnoize Records does not practice the kind of old-head protectionism that sees others decrying trends like “TikTok Techno.” But take one listen to industrial hip-hop act Ho99o9’s BNR release “Off the Meter,” and it is clear that the label doesn’t follow trends either. Instead, both label and artists find themselves cutting a singular path through dark, tangled, and previously unexplored territory.

“Off the Meter” blasts off around 160 bpm with sliced and diced amens and screams, but it is not a part of the “jungle revival.” Like the digital hardcore of 90’s Berlin, distortion-drenched kicks, breaks, and Ho99o9’s punk-rap hybrid are “Off the Meter’s” building blocks, but the track does not sound like this predecessor either. “Jersey Club Godflesh” might be an apt description, but this too falls apart during the verses, in which producer Boys Noize’s trap-titude (that snare!) and Ho99o9’s headbanging performances shine.

The shifts in kick patterns and vocal styles help “Off the Meter” evade comparison, yet this complexity is tempered by a DJ-ready arrangement that makes it the perfect “turn the rave into a mosh pit” record. Most impressive, however, is how the track’s deliberately spartan elements combine into an electrifyingly dense wall of sound. Distortion itself becomes an instrument, expanding and contracting throughout, while subtle but dynamic ad-libs strafe across the stereo spread.

“Off the Meter” is an aggressively exhilarating listen that, in the club, might be an unexpected one. But during a time of frictionless, online-incubated subcultures, Ho99o9’s adrenaline-charged delivery backed by Boys Noize’s dark arts rev the engine with enough torque to hit where TikTok trends cannot reach: your gut. You can close your eyes but you can’t close your ears, and with such visceral force propelling it, Ho99o9’s “Off the Meter” moves bodies beyond measure.