Stop by Kelayx
Here at OTW, we’re no stranger to Russian don Kelayx’s body of work. Highly adept across a plethora of sounds within the Drum & Bass makeup, the Citate Forms boss has had a cracking 2020 thus far, building up a strong, defined roster on his own imprint, and also making waves outside of that with his own ultra-impressive, always-improving production skillset. We’ve most recently seen him excel on a 2-tracker via Triple Vision NL offshoot Citrus Recordings, as well has top-quality drops on the likes of Liquid Flow, SINE Audio, Blendits, Fokuz, Celsius, Subplate Recordings and many more, yet more strong evidence of Kelayx’s pinpoint mindset and technical knowhow.
Onto this release, and it’s yet another slick outing for Kelayx, this time on one of the scene’s leading upcoming imprints - Drum Army. We’ve hosted a number of tracks for the exciting Swiss imprint as of late, and there’s definitely more incoming - keep it locked for that. ‘Stop’ is perhaps Kelayx at his finest, and he gets the ‘less is more’ approach absolutely spot on here. You’re stopped in your tracks, marvelling that a track as stripped-back as this can have such a devastating impact but it’s simple - the more you listen, the more vital, key elements you hear coming into play. Whether it’s the subtle, blinking background elements, that deep, rupturing, partnered sub and bassline combo, or the equally dangerous breakdown and musical elements - everything is showcase in its deep, minimal glory here. This is another top-notch workout from Kelayx.
In fact, it’s quite the battle of the label founders here, as we see Lost Recordings co-founder Draize step up to the plate on the equally-impressive ‘Ivy’, which features Kat James’ stunning vocals. This offering wholly completes this 2-track showcase from Drum Army, taking a different path from ‘Stop’, instead plumping for a vintage, breaksy approach that still retains that stripped back mindset, but this time etched in a well-rounded summer warmth, incorporating a subtle touch of Draize’s signature ethereal depth. This is another producer who just keeps upping it from release to release. Expect plenty, plenty more from all parties.
Tracklist
| 1. | Stop | 5:20 |
