All hail electronic emperor Alex Metric!
The made-to-measure machine funk missives of Alex Metric
THE made-to-measure machine funk missives of Alex Metric are set to decimate the rest of this year. With the release of his brand new three-tracker 'In Your Machine' - out now on Marine Parade - he's set to become one of this year's major stars.
Containing a trio of shredded, cut 'n' paste, intensely fresh electro blasts, the EP combines Metric's already distinctive trademark influences - Prince, Ed Banger and breaks in new and exhilarating ways.
With releases on Lot49, Burrito and his current home Marine Parade, the producer formally known as Alex Drury has developed his own form of eviscerating future boogie, and has reached his creative zenith with 'In Your Machine'.
Running the gamut from the title track's buzz-sawing, synthetic, hyper-soul rhythms to the flabbergasting digital disco crunch of 'Deadly on a Mission', via the strobe-blurred 'Pins', the man Metric is unafraid to blend tough, ultra-processed electronics with his own vocals to create idiosyncratic real songs. He's pulled off that tricky juxtaposition between accessibility and pure dancefloor beats that his heroes Daft Punk and Zoot Woman have managed so well.
"They make great, credible vocal records. People in electronic music are scared of vocals, but why be afraid that people might actually sing along to one of your tunes? I wanna touch as many people as possible and vocals allow you to do that," Metric asserted.
A singer before he was a producer, Alex latterly decided to blend his two talents in defiant DiY fashion, with a little additional songwriting input from The Infadels' Bnann.
"The reason I got into production is that I used to just be purely a singer," he outlined. "Having to rely on flaky producers wasn't much fun so I decided to take it upon myself to do it all, and as I got into production I stopped singing for four years. But now I feel that I've come to a point where I'm happy with the style I've got so it made sense to get back on the mic again."
Creating indefinable electronic hybrids led by his soulful croon, Metric's production style favours the glitched-up, ultra-processed Ed Banger vision but offers his own distinctive twist that's been getting us all very excited indeed.
"My love has always been chucking everything in the pot, I love going out and not knowing what you're gonna hear next, you're never sure which direction it's gonna go in. That's the exciting thing about going out, the music that surprises," Metric opined.
No-one knows quite where to place the young maverick - which is part of his unique appeal but his records are regularly rinsed by all kinds of DJs, from the breaks brigade to the electro crew.
Currently working in LA on Adam Freeland's new record, one thing's for sure: when the Alex Metric album drops this September, the impact will be immeasurable.