Eprom
Before you read, go ahead and hit play on this:
Hailing from San Francisco, Sander Dennis bka Eprom’s style is not easily defined in terms of genre, but rather in timbre and texture of each song’s constituent parts. With tempos running the gamut from ultra slow, screwed up hip hop beats for which the West Coast is so well known (Eprom - Prototype) to the frenetic, smash-your-head-against-the-wall intensity of Chicago Juke / Footwork (Notorious BIG - Going Back To Cali (Eprom Remix)), the red thread tying Eprom productions together is undoubtedly his raw, aggressive approach to analogue sound design. EPROM (Erasable Programmable Random Access Memory) chips are present in most analogue synths; it’s this chip which allows presets to be saved after the synthesizer is turned off. In that sense, an EPROM chip is the heart and brain of the machine - the thing that allows it to mature with age and recall prior experiences. Through iteration, Eprom has become more than just a bank of sounds; he’s pushed the boundaries of what sounds are acceptable in a given “type” of tune in every direction. His most recent solo productions have featured enormous undulating walls of controlled chaos backed by slow, off-kilter drums laid atop melancholy melodies, which almost conveys the vibe of a gritty 80’s anime (Akira with an Eprom soundtrack would blow my mind). So far, his remix of Amon Tobin’s “In Your Own Time” is the closest we have to that. He’s recently begun making techno-inspired music with Dean Grenier (aka DJG) and Hej Fund under the moniker Sister City. Pure, raw, chest-thumpin’ beats and sounds abound (Sister City - Suprematizm).
The first time I saw Eprom (my first show in Denver) was just about one year to the day before the upcoming Final Friday - August 1, 2014 at Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom. This was right around the time Center of the Sun VIP was released, and let it be known that, although I prefer the original for its make-you-wait approach and garGANTUAN sound design, that VIP wrecked the place. Cerv’s wooden floors shook, drinks in plastic cups rattled off of tables onto the floor, and everyone left in a confused daze wondering who they were and whom they came with.
Alix Perez
Learn the rules. Master the rules. Forget the rules. Alix Perez is a man who knows the rules of Drum and Bass. He knows them so well that his productions frequently disregard the conventions of the genre, which makes him a favorite on labels like Shogun Audio and Metalheadz. Perez hails from Belgium and, similar to Eprom, frequently finds himself wedged between genres, so it comes as no surprise to see forward-thinking artists in the vein of Calibre, Icicle, and Om Unit supporting his work. In his recent productions, halftime has been the name of the game. Take a DNB beat, remove half of the snares, chop it up, screw it up, sprinkle in some deliciously melodic synth overlays, and you’ve got something that approaches the soul of an Alix Perez tune. He also produces under the name ARP.101, a name which might be familiar to fans of 808-centric future beats music à la G Jones, Saturate Records, or even older Eprom. Here’s a mix from the man to tithe everyone over until the the 31st. UKF Music Podcast 65 - Alix Perez
Some other tracks from Perez -
https://soundcloud.com/alixperez/daffodilla-thank-you-jay-dee
https://soundcloud.com/alixperez/alix-perez-ft-d-ablo-playing-5
Eprom and Perez recently collaborated on an EP, check out this track. It is an absolute monster.
https://soundcloud.com/alphapup/alix-perez-eprom-chiron-1
Incidentally, the EP drops the DAY of the show at Fusion Factory. Yeah. So get your tickets now... see you guys there.
-Written by Jordan Hoskins