Making his DARKMTTR debut, respected producer Trex brings us a phenomenal four track EP delving deep into glitchy, minimal, atmospheric drum and bass. A true player in the scene, Trex has really made his mark with his experimental flavour of drum and bass, always creating something new, always keeping it fresh, and his new release on DARKMTTR ‘Nice It Up’ is no different. Exploring the far reaching corners of sound design, ‘Nice It Up’ is absolutely packed full of rollers, steppers, and bass heavy industrial soundscapes.
Launching the EP is the title track ‘Nice It Up’, a melodic stepper with hints to the modern jump up sound. With an ethereal, atmospheric dub laced intro, overlayed with a deep vibing vocal, the intensity gradually builds until the bass heavy drop, rolling the track out into a melodic, minimal tune. Glitches and wobbles create a truly unique sound palette and the subtle energy just continues to build. Vibe into this track and feel its heavy bass take you over.
Following on from ‘Nice It Up’, we flow into ‘Upright’, a collaboration between Trex and Lavance, a darker switch with sinister, haunting vocals. Another bass heavy tune, there is a gradual build up before you’re hit with a sudden drop into the meanest, wobbly, growly bassline. A minimal roller with a dark, industrial flavour, ‘Upright’ takes the EP in a deeper direction with Trex and Lavance creating something really special.
Emerging out of the deepness of ‘Upright’, Trex drops ‘Hollow Holler’, maintaining the heaviness of the release, but interwoven with a dystopian, industrial, brutalist soundscape. Showcasing his unique mastery of sound development and selection, Trex has created a masterpiece of hectic layers of sound and a call and response bassline. Reminiscent of two alien robots having a dialogue, ‘Hollow Holler’ transports you to a sci-fi landscape, pulling you into a foreign, other world.
Rounding out the release is ‘Escargot’, building on the sci-fi inspired soundscape of the previous tracks, ‘Escargot’ gets bouncy straight away, creating a warm, wavy vibe. Trex uses hollow, metallic and shutter sounds and warped effects to create an atmospheric, cinematic and deeply experimental tune. The track weaves through a cyborg exploration, before switching to half tempo to roll out a funky end to the EP.
Trex’s ‘Nice It Up’ is like no other release on DARKMTTR so far and is testament to why Trex is so respected for his unwavering creative expression and unique uses of experimental sounds. Whether you’re listening to the EP start to finish, or dropping one of the tracks into your set, ‘Nice It Up’ is guaranteed to punctuate through and make its mark.
