- Alix Depauw plays an important, if undervalued, role in the world of uptempo dance music. His debut album, 1984, was one of drum & bass's great late-period full-lengths, showing the depth and relevance the genre could still have. His second, Chroma Chords, looked to R&B and hip-hop for inspiration. Then he teamed up with EPROM for the genre-demolishing Shades, and most recently, he's emerged as part of the Richie Brains collective, who are pushing high tempos in all kinds of directions. Now he's back to making orthodox, floor-focused drum & bass on Elephant Dreams, the first EP on his new label that marks a break from long-time home Shogun Audio.
The EP is a self-proclaimed look back to Depauw's roots, and sure enough, the title track is like a portal to 2007. "Elephant Dreams," a collaboration with Skeptical, is a solid roller with some melancholy R&B vocals. The real attraction, though, is the growling basslines that hug the track's corners without ever ripping into full-on tearout mode. EP highlight "Had I Known" is the opposite: a delicate ditty with piano notes that spill over the rhythm like a gentle rainfall. Vintage in a different way, it highlights Depauw's knack for melody even in the tightest of arrangements.
Things get darker on the B-side. "STNKR" is tense and, with its scuttling drums, has a touch of modernity. "Room 667" has a low-slung bassline and scatted vocals that give it a forward thrust. The trippy, flanged breakdown is worth the price of admission itself. None of these tracks will surprise any fans of Depauw (except maybe latecomers who are used to his more open-ended sound). But for any longtime follower, or just any drum & bass head, there's plenty to like here—four tracks of bedrock drum & bass delivered with authority.
TracklistA1 Elephant Dreams feat. Skeptical
A2 Had I Known
B1 STNKR
B2 Room 667 feat. Skeptical