Hailing from Charleroi, Belgium and now based in North London, twentysomething drum ‘n’ bass DJ/producer Alix Perez is blazing new trails on the liquid funk scene. A bevy of choice singles since 2005 has led to 1984, a phenomenal debut album on DJ Friction’s Shogun Audio label.

Alix Perez has been tipped as the one to watch for the future of drum ‘n’ bass for some time now. Undoubtedly one of the scene’s strongest young producers to emerge in recent years, Perez has a trademark smooth, soulful style, oozing with influences from across the musical spectrum, and he has captured the imagination of thousands of bass ‘heads across the world. Renowned in the industry, revered by many, and regarded as having successfully “put the soul back into d’n’b” with his mellow, melodic productions, Perez has recently unveiled his debut artist album, 1984, on Shogun Audio. Taking inspiration from hip-hop, funk, soul and downtempo, the album marks a movement toward a darker, more minimal sound than Perez’s more sample-based early productions.

“First of all, there’s kind of a nod to all my influences and all the music I was into, which I’ve transposed into my album,” Perez explains. “It’s quite eclectic. Obviously, it’s d’n’b primarily but I’ve worked with other people such as Foreign Beggars, SpectraSoul, Ursula Rucker, Yungun, Peven Everett. It’s quite experimental. I spent a lot of time compiling it together and making sure everything was flowing in the right direction throughout the album so people can listen to it from start to finish. I hope everyone enjoys it,” he adds humbly.

“I’m going to be focusing on other genres of music and breaking out of the d’n’b thing. I just want to write music at the moment, and have a little break from d’n’b, do something different for a bit and come back to it later.”

Does Perez have a favorite track on 1984? “‘Intersections’” featuring Ursula Rucker is the track I’m most proud of from the album,” Perez says. “Plus I love Ursula Rucker; working with her was quite a big deal for me. I’ve also done on a track on the album with Foreign Beggars, which was a different experience. We literally made a track in one day; we worked together, they wrote the lyrics there and then, and I was writing around some verses and lyrics, and we based the track around that, so that was quite interesting.”

With a 1984 showcase tour planned across Europe over the coming months (no U.S. dates are on the horizon, unfortunately), Perez’s hectic schedule includes a number of exciting destinations, from the d’n’b hotspots in Bristol and Brighton, to Belgium, and beyond. “I’m most definitely looking forward to Sun & Bass, which is a festival in Sardinia, that happens every September, and I’m doing that again this year. I’m playing there at one of the club nights and then at the end I’m doing an album showcase,” he says, with an almost tangible enthusiasm in his voice. “It’s one of the gigs I look forward to every year because the vibe’s amazing out there, the people are truly into the music, and the location’s amazing.”

When asked about his new exclusive deal with Shogun Audio, Perez is keen to expound on the label, his friendship with label owner Friction and close-working relationship with the other Shogun artists. “I just love the label, the ethics behind the label; it’s quite a big, established label but they still remain credible and put out good music. I’m friends with, and have collaborated with, all the other artists—SpectraSoul, Sabre, etc.—I guess it’s like a little family and that’s what it’s all about really, a little camp.”

Within the Shogun family, Perez has worked closely with Sabre—the artist who initially brought him to the attention of Friction after they made “Solitary Native” together back in 2006. “I’d say working with Sabre was the biggest collaborative effort and also the most beneficial, and I think it worked both ways,” Perez explains. “He had a very different approach to working than I did, and we learned a lot from each other; the result of our collaboration was that both us came up with something we wouldn’t have made on our own. Sabre, especially in the early stages, was a big influence.”

Looking to the future, Perez is planning on branching out and exploring new musical pathways. “I’m going to be focusing on other genres of music and breaking out of the d’n’b thing. I just want to write music at the moment, and have a little break from d’n’b, do something different for a bit and come back to it later,” he says. It looks like Alix Perez no longer wants to be watched.

Words: Belinda Rowse

as featured in Issue 29