TuneLab
Alix Perez | Dubstep, DnB | London
Keep Hush Live: 1985 Music Takeover 2
When Alix Perez takes the decks for a Keep Hush takeover, we brace ourselves for a masterclass in bass-weight physics and genre-fluid darkness. This isn't a set; it's an autopsy of sound system culture, performed in the shadows of a London warehouse. The vibe is intense, heads-down concentration, punctuated by the communal roar when a sub-bass pattern hits just right. Perez expertly navigates the twin poles of dubstep's cavernous swagger and drum & bass's frenetic energy, with a BPM average of 158.5 telling the latter's tale.
The harmonic through-line is the ominous, minor-key pull of 12A, providing a consistent dread that anchors wild tempo shifts from 91 to 176 BPM. His mixing is surgical, using double-drops and atmospheric layers to build unbearable tension before the release. The track selection is a tour through his 1985 Music empire: the collaboration with Shades and Eprom, 'Deceitful Ways', is a glitchy, industrial monstrosity. His own 'Ends' and 'Post-Mortem' are textbook examples of modern, minimalist drum & bass terror.
HIJINX's 'Venom' injects a shot of pure aggression, and J:Kenzo's 'Hoodwinked' is a deep, rolling dubstep classic that slows the pace to a menacing crawl. He opens with an unknown, unsettling ambient piece, builds to a blistering peak with his own neurofunk weaponry, and closes on the melancholic, half-time introspection of his original 'Lost & Proud', leaving the room in a state of blissful wreckage.