Alix Perez | Dubstep, DnB | London
Keep Hush Live: 1985 Music Takeover 2
The 1985 Music massive has arrived, entirely clad in black streetwear and possessing a PhD in bassface mechanics. They don't dance so much as they lean aggressively towards the speakers, dissecting the sub-bass frequencies while looking like they’re trying to solve a particularly difficult maths equation. Low ceilings, red lights, and a soundsystem that threatens to liquify your internal organs with pure, unadulterated low-end pressure. Inspecting the Alix Perez Keep Hush Live tracklist, the 1985 label boss tears through a 158 BPM average, swinging from half-time sludge to full-throttle rollers.
Heavily rooted in the dark 12A Camelot key, the energy arc is a masterclass in tension and dread. His mixing in this Drum & Bass live set is surgical, utilizing quick blends and double drops to devastating effect. The selection is a goldmine of dubplates and face-melting bass music. Unleashing the monstrous "Deceitful Ways" alongside Eprom as Shades is pure evil, while dropping J:Kenzo's "Hoodwinked" brings a proper deep, dubstep weight to the dance.
The takeover initiates with a menacing, sub-heavy Unknown opening track. The room gets battered with deep 140 cuts and technical liquid rollers, finally landing gracefully with the soulful, liquid gold of the closing track, "Lost & Proud (Original Mix)" by Alix Perez himself. Sorted.