Quantax- Temporal Perception

After a couple of 140 releases, Rich Quantax just made his d&b debut, the seventh release on recently founded UK label Retraflex. In keeping with the label’s aim of showcasing sounds from right across the spectrum of the genre, this release goes down the deep, atmospheric and at times relaxing road, allowing Quantax to really show off his talent for creating intricate beats full of depth, layers and texture.

However, it’s not all about closing your eyes and drifting off, with the first track of the EP, Rotations, being bass heavy and one of the darkest of the bunch, progressing seemingly endlessly through fluttering hats, skips and clicks with the feel of a pneumatic piston ready to blow. Following on from that, The Warning alongside Shookz, takes things faster with filthy synths under a skittering break that’s got a Rockwell/Hybris/Stray feel to it. What really pulls this track up for me is the melody that comes in on the second drop. Progression throughout the tunes is a running theme throughout the EP and something that Quantax really excels in.

Untold, my personal favourite, sets the tone for a more melodic, laid back last three tracks. Pianos and pattering atmospherics help a beautiful female intro vocal suck you in before it drops into a deep, long bass pad and stripped back drums. With a preference for the more laid back side of d&b, this was when I really got into the EP, just in time for the vocals to come back in, accompanied by a selection of dark, swooping synths and a piano melody to add the cherry onto an already incredible track.

Time & Place starts in a similair vein with warm keys and an echoing break before building up, pausing and releasing all the tension from that brief bar of almost silence into bass wobbles and percussion that fits together like a jigsaw. It follows on perfectly from Untold before leading into the final track, Relapse, a lullaby-esque beat alongside S. Williams where twinkling pianos and a soft male vocal round things off nicely.

As a debut release, it’s not only already pristine and an absolute pleasure to listen to, but also shows a lot of potential. Top quality d&b that actually flows together as a release rather than simply as individual tracks is, in my opinion, one direction the genre should be moving towards and the intricate detail and incredible amount of elements that define this EP really helps to create that feeling. Each track draws you right in and had me seemingly sinking further into it the longer they lasted. Lovely!

Check out Quantax on Soundcloud as well as a really good interview with him over on Redeye Records, then go listen and purchase the release on the Flexout Website.