Marcus Intalex

Marcus Intalex, formerly of Da Intalex, has always flown low on the drum & bass radar with peers such as Mist:ical and Calibre, who feature prominently on the mix. The jazzier, more liquid and "intellectual” sound has always remained closer to its origins than subgenres like darkstep and jump-up that moved into the new wave rock fusion perpetrated these days by Subfocus and Pendulum, which, although extremely enjoyable, is far more cluttered and draining than the sounds of "Circles” and "Brown Paper Bag” from yesteryear. That’s not to say the classier sub-sounds of the genre haven’t progressed; the orchestration and texture are more refined, the bass is warmer and better produced and the breakdown of beats in the middle of the mix to percussive rhythms and fluttering breaks are a far cry from the standard but they maintain the essence from where it all emerged. The use of vocals on "Apocalypse” is a welcome surprise and the VIP edit of "Smash” characterises the up-to-date sound, but Mist:ical’s anthem "Time To Fly” steels the album with everything that is entrancing about soulful drum & bass.