Review: It's always a good day when we see new music landing from the legendary 1985 Music team, who continue to push some of the most exciting and experimental electronic sounds out there right now. This latest four track collection kicks off with founder and sonic mastermind: Alix Perez unleashing a bulbous display of gnarly steppers energy on 'VTRN', jam-packed with sliding LFO's and intricate drum designs, followed by the stuttered rhythms and delicately designed percussive layers of 'Shush' from HIJINX, which also packs a seriously bassy punch to match. The don Ebb then touches down with another chilling creation in 'Ill Rest', maneuvering horrorcore soundscapes and luminescent bass sweeps, before the sizzling reesey tones and clunky drum work of Epoch's 'Beastmode' round the EP off with some serious finesse. Exceptional work as per!
Review: Alix Perez and DLR together, smashing out four massive slugs for our mixing and dancing pleasure... What a treat to ease us into 2022 with! It's instant brilliance as SP joins the fray on the opening track 'Keep Up', a roller laced with subtle but deadly energy and funk. Deeper into the EP, 'Blips' is reminiscent of early Virus material with its heads-down vibe and razor-like stabs, 'Snake Style' is all about those big subby wobbles while 'Crawlway' is just pure bassline treacle oozing out of your speakers uncontrollably. What a link-up!
Review: Time flies when you're meddling at the forefront of bass innovation... While the label still feels so new and fresh, it's already been five years of dark soul gold from 1985. To celebrate, bossman Alix Perez has curated these exceptional remixes from the gang that span from Sam Binga's slick and sexy UKG twist of 'Melodrama' to Skeptical's sub aquatic switch of 'Trinity' via Monty's cavernous space funk flip of 'ABR'. Complete with plenty more goodies from the likes of DLR, Visages and Break, this marks five years in 1985's signature high benchmark style. Here's to another five years.
Review: As always with the now infamous 1985 Music imprint, they have assembled the great and good to explore the darker realms of electronic dance music, primarily focussing on dubstep and neurotic drum and bass flavour through this fabulous new 'Atlas' compilation. The names involved are pretty mind-blowing with a roster including the likes of Alix Perez, Drone, Headland, Foreign Concept, Safire, DRS and many more heavyweight names. The entire project has a touch of finesse and musical class about it, from the beautifully processed drum clanks of 'Nibiru' from Visages to the stunning vocal processing of 'Do Me No Good' from Nymfo. There really isn't a low point to this project with the sweeping soundscapes and electronic destruction of Deft's 'Scars' original being a real high point for us!
Review: 1985 is undoubtedly one of the most exciting labels in drum & bass and never fails to push music that's fresh and exciting. The Folio/ series is coming to an end, but the third instalment is a worthy final chapter in Perez's four-track VA odyssey. He's roped in some of the scene's best with Halogenix, Workforce, Visages and Hyroglifics all joining Perez himself across the four tracks, and the results are futuristic, danceable and deeply satisfying. 'Unlustrous' is unique in its structure, with flowing, wobbly arrangement that builds and builds over the entire tune into something massively heavy. Hryglifics possibly has the most creative track with 'Day By Day', while Workforce's 'Simple, Positive Things' is relentlessly dark. Top class.
Review: One of the scene's most long-running liquid masters is back with a mini-LP, an eight-track exploration of his sound that is sure to be a future benchmark for just how perfect the lighter side of things can be. It's Alix Perez, of course, and Without End is a masterpiece in soulful soundscapes, a gentle, deft piece of music that rollicks and flows with touches of melancholic nonchalance. It's designed to be listened to as cohesive piece of music, and the first track - Wondering At A Loss - lays the tone perfectly; suble piano ripples, distant vocal shimmers and crisp, finger-click drums. The string-laden build-up of 'Someone Else' is unmissable, as are the funky steps of 'Moving On' featuring the utterly superb Liam Bailey. He also finishes up the EP on 'Lost & Proud', and the other features - Halogenix, Workforce - are similarly stunning. Spellbindingly good.
Review: Alix Perez's 1985 sets the bar again... Edition 3 is another instalment of their spotless V/A series which covers the label's broad range of shades. This one is a game of two halves as the first five tracks flex around the 140 region with crucial slabs from Halogenix's Lordel alias and dubstep men of the moment Ternion Sound. Meanwhile the second half flips to D&B with a whole clutch of impressive designs; Visages' "Memories" is a mournful stepper, Bredren get bad-ass with the thumpy, bumpy "Only One", Machinedrum brings some outstanding soul on "Braided Leaves" and Perez delivers three of his finest. Bring on Edition 4.
Review: So at this point in time, it's hard to imagine Alix Perez making a stale tune, as he lands here on the wonderful 1985 music for another twisted collection of heaters. We kick this one off with a look at the spooky overtones and warbling synthesizer growls of 'Ravana', before the shivering LFO designs and glitchy melodic plucks of 'Lifeline' stutter into play. Next, 'Post-Mortem' arrives with more lethal reese bass action driving the stripped back drumwork forward in a blaze of system energy, before rounding off with the catchy arpeggiator flexes of 'Ends' alongside Headland. What a project this is!
Review: Sometimes the road gets too rough. Sometimes you just have to slap a senior member in your family due to the high levels of gully coming into your ears. Whatever you do when things get too stinky, however you deal with the body-blowing pressure of absolutely foul tracks, we know you're going to do it to this new EP from Perez who is on such a roll right now it's crazy. Following his dubstep EP "Last Rites" comes this awesome back-to-dnb-grit session. "Trinity" is just utter high voltage darkness, "Phantonym" takes things even deeper with some proper gruesome bass bubbles while "SWRV" takes us back to Alix's soulful side and "Vibrations" plays the perfect game of contrasts and shade. What an EP.
Review: Alix Perez's mighty 1985 imprint has been taking the D&B world by storm for the past couple of years and it's thanks in part to a series of wicked compilations, some big and some small. This is the second outing in the mini VA series Folio/ and they've pulled out all the stops, roping in a who's-who of forward-thinking music that includes Perez himself, SubMarine, Hyroglifics and others. Perez's contribution is classic Perez: moody, murky basslines and soothing, haunting samples that balance each other out into an equilibrium of pure satisfaction. SubMarine's 'Grunge' is more pure energy, a rippling number that's as fluid as it is devastating - perfect for the dancefloor. Tracks 3 and 4 don't mess around as well, but we're not really very surprised because Scepticz, Lavance, Hyroglifics and Visages are all just so damn good. Pick this one up.
Review: We are absolutely loving the direction that the legendary Alix Perez has been taking recently, driving his uniquely techy production style into the dubstep scene with fantastic results. This latest project on 1985 music is the perfect showcase of just how good it can be, kicking off with the eerie atmospheric sweeps and gnarly bass excursions of the title track 'Last Rites'. Next, the engulfing subs and classic vocal fx sampling of 'Deep Six' burst onto the scene before the stripped back bass tones and impactful reverberations of 'Spooked' touch down. The project is rounded off with a dive into 'Melodrama', a track teetering with emotive energy and rolling sub tones, driven by it's unique, Burial-like lead vocal line.
Alix Perez & Monty - "Good To Me" - (4:54) 174 BPM
Bredren - "Swayed" - (5:56) 174 BPM
Monty - "Decisions" - (4:53) 174 BPM
Razat - "Simplicity" - (5:01) 172 BPM
Review: 1985 Music was founded by Alix Perez a year or two ago and, since then, has rapidly become one of the premier destinations for forward-thinking sonics that inhabit the 85-170bpm spectrum. With a fresh roster including Monty, Submarine and Perez himself, Edition 2 is a showcase of both the producers and sounds that Alix has in his orbit. There are too many outstanding tracks to recount here, but 'Drones' by Cesco stands out as one of the most creative: a subby, stepping halftime cut with an ingenious drum pattern. There's weighty rollers, too, including 'Swayed' by Bredren and 'Good To Me' by Perez and Monty, both of which are sublime examples in minimal construction. A truly sick collection of tracks.
Review: Perez has always been ahead of the game but he is doing some serious bits right now. Following his Shades album (with Eprom), the bruising "Haunted" plus the consistent future shocks his label 1985 have been giving us comes this breath taking four tracker; "BXL" opens with high voltage textures that sizzle at 1.21 gigawatts while "Slink" closes on a subdued emotional tip with introspective vocals and a purring bassline. In between we have two absurd collaborations; Monty helps Alix turn bass into toxic treacle on "Caligo" while Icy joins the fray for a heavyweight droning roller laced with classic ravey vocal stab on "Live With It". Deal with it.
Review: Alix Perez's 1985 continues to build its own unique lane with the first V/A release of the year. Following Monty's "Hypnotise" comes this sleek, stark four-piece featuring a range of innovative kindred spirits. Perez takes the lead with "Haunted", a powerful techno-influenced slab of darkness while Cologne-based next-genner SubMarine follows with a 20,000 league deep sea wriggle fest on "Malibu 1973". Deeper into the Folio we forage to find barbed soul and heavy emotion on "Rollcage" (with Halogenix) and fly-by-night finger-clicking funk and subversive soulful vocals on "The Glow" (with Monty and singer Benabu)
Review: What a trip it's been for Alix Perez and his 1985 imprint. Continuously pushing new concepts, sounds and artists, it's swiftly become one of the most exciting and crucially stylised imprints in the beat game, no question. Here Alix treats us to an early taster of his label's next big release with this one track treat. Returning to his soulful roller signature, it's black velvet number that purrs and slinks in such an understated yet mean way. Timeless Perez.
Alix Perez - "Down The Line" (feat MC Fats) - (6:27) 172 BPM
JO - "R-Type" - (5:51) 174 BPM
Subwave - "Think" - (5:58) 175 BPM
Shogun Audio Presents: The Classics (2004-2017) (continuous DJ mix) - (57:08) 174 BPM
Review: When a label as consistent and as well rounded as Shogun Audio announce a 'Classics' release it obviously sends shivers around the drum & bass community. It's hard to imagine condensing thirteen years of dominance into a minimized box of thirty classics, but just looking at the tracklisting is awe-inspiring. We see classic reappearances from the likes of Friction, Spor, Break, Icicle, Rockwell, Spectrasoul, Alix Perez, Camo & Krooked and that's not even half of the names involved. To break it down simply, this compilation summarizes why Shogun hold such a legendary status within the scene, through incredible consistency and magnificent diversity of sound.
Review: Yes, yes! London's Alix Perez calls upon Fracture to land this latest collaboration on his own 1985 Music which, in our eyes, is one of the only last remaining meccas for true-school d&b with a forward-leaning edge. "Archetype" unleashes its sharp bass lasers over a slow-shifting, broken nu-jungle groove that sits somewhere in the vast landscape between dubstep and d&b. The tune will work like a charm for all those jungle heads looking to add a little flavor and pace to their DJ sets. Master-blaster type gear!
Review: Hot on the heels of Monty's EP comes another barbed and bulging EP from 1985 bossman Perez. Tapping into his darker, heavier machine funk tendencies, this is Alix in 3am drum & bass dance mode: "Lucky Charm" is a purring subby low-rider, "Blips" is straight back to 2009 with its angular two-step, sinewy sound design and badman bass and "Nighthawks" is a dark soul roller with subtle samplecraft and pranged out basses. "Missing Pieces" brings us back down to earth safe and sound with a much dreamier atmosphere wrapped lavishly around Perez's light-footed beats and Javeon's distinctive soulful tones. 1985 out of 10.
Review: Six months deep and already onto his third 1985 release, Perez takes us back to his roots with a sublime selection of subtle work-outs; "The Raven" persists with a rattling percussive riff and droning bassline, "Drifting" swishes and sways with a slinky two-step, yearning atmospheres and lingering keys while "Inside Your Love" is a pneumatic funk trip into two-step soul. Finally "Numbers" turns the lights down with purring, naked soul. Beautiful.
Review: Drum&Bass Arena: The longest-standing, and one of the most respected, platforms for all things jungle D&B celebrates an impressive 20 years in the game with this ridiculously hefty document that pays respect to the genre's every twist and turn. From scene-shattering megahits ("Tarantula", "Feel The Love", "Rock It", "Afterglow") to unarguable historical underground scene-smashing megabangers ("Machete", "Aztec", "Nasty Ways", "The View", "Champion Sound", "Turbulence", "Up All Night", "Deadline", Ram Trilogy's remix of "Pacman") by way of tracks that may have slipped under the radar ("Defcom 69", "What's Wrong", "Song For Lovers") the whole album is loaded to the lips with some of the most important records the genre's enjoyed in the last 20 years. Time to get nostalgic, time to fill those holes in your collection, time to educate your dancefloor. Here's to another 20 years!
Review: We love the way Alix Perez has branched out in recent years. While we used to associate him to the minimal d&b wave that spawned in the late 00s, he's begun to venture onto into more diverse territories, as of late. He's up on his own 1985 Music here, and "Ghosts" is exactly the sort of glitchy, pseudo hip hop sketch that we now expect from the guy, but the real heat comes from "Hack & Slash", a total hybrid tune that goes from juke to dubstep, and back to something we're not really sure how to label. But, this is exactly how experimentation works and how new genres are created, something which is also very audible from his collaboration tune with Taso, "'Andromeda". "Tempest" is perhaps the weirdest and most daring of the lot, and the tune where Perez's d&b roots really come out, whereas "Crush" is a swinging, London bullet rhythm, for the heads. All in all, a much recommended affair.
DBridge/Skeptical - "No Discipline" - (6:24) 174 BPM
DBridge/Alix Perez - "Through My Eyes" - (6:17) 170 BPM
Review: Darren White aka Dbridge has been carrying out some wicked experiments in what circles have described as the 'grey area' between deconstructed/post Autonomic drum and bass and techno/house. The outsider journeys kind of continue (though don't get too outlandish, rest assured) on VS004, with White teaming up with Metalheadz' Skeptical for "No Discipline" featuring a dark sub bass pulse carrying its dystopian atmosphere; the subtlety works wonders on this effort. Next up the label head honcho teams up with Shogun Audio's Alix Perez on "Through My Eyes" a lush and liquid deep drum and bass journey with a nod to legends of the craft like Marcus Intalex or LTJ Bukem.
Review: Belgian producer Alex Perez steps aside from his long-standing association with Shogun Audio to launch his own label, 1985 Records. Described by the man himself as a "platform rooted primarily in the 85 / 170 BPM bracket but also going beyond with no rules applied," the label sets a high bar in the quality stakes with this Elephant Dreams 12" from Perez himself. Taut moody rolling ruffage is the order of the day on the title cut, one of two collaborations with Skeptical, whilst "Had I Known" offers a more hopeful vibe before a dank mood descends on "STNKR". This broken slab of bass science is the highlight here, though the closing brittle jungle of Skeptical co-production "Room 667" isn't far behind!
