2005 Moving Shadow
Drum 'n Bass


4.5 out of 5

An album that caught my attention recently in electronic dance music is No Turning Back by the London based Drum and Bass artist, Calyx. Calyx has produced multiple vinyl singles in the past on different labels but this album is his first artist album, showcasing 10 original and remixed tracks produced by him or in collaboration with other artists for the Moving Shadow record label. Showcasing the diversity of his sound, all the songs feature his trademark sound which is infused with dark, swirling atmospheric synthesizer work, jazz and fusion influences and tribal percussion. Featuring remixes and collaborations with both American and British artists, this album besides giving a good feel for Calyx’s work, also shows the sounds present in the work of other prominent current artists whose work resides in producing percussion driven, dark drum and bass tracks. The album as a whole has a dark, futuristic atmosphere that is also uplifting and spiritual.

The album starts with a melodic, dark atmosphere infused with Middle Eastern sounding vocals and hard bass stabs in the song “Illusions.” The mood then becomes a lot darker and heavier through the use of eerie string samples, minor chords and dark bass lines in the song “Follow the Leader,” a collaboration with fellow British artist Teebee and “Are You Ready,” remixed by American artists Hive and Gridlok. The mood picks up in Calyx and Gridloks , “Dead Ringer.” This song has almost a reggae or dub vibe present through the samples and percussion used in certain parts of the song. The atmospheric sections use a particularly haunting bell sample and beautiful sounding atmospheric chords which is the highlight of the track. The next song, Calyx “Killa,” featuring the Dom and Roland remix, has an evil gangsta rap vibe to it through the use of repeated rap vocals, making it much different than the other tracks on the album. “Tearing us Apart”, the next song, could possibly be the most dance friendly song on the album. The songs emphasis is in its bass line, making people get up wherever it is played. “Through Your Eyes” has a similar feel as “Illusions”, minus the Eastern vocals. “Cyclone” has an infectious tribal beat; however it lacks much in song structure to be a memorable track. The last two tracks of the album finish the album off with a bang. “Chasing Shadows” has more eastern vocals, a lot of energy in its melody and bass line and an amazing atmosphere to match. “Get Myself to You,” the last song on the album, starts with horn melody reminiscent of something off of the Blade Runner soundtrack. This builds the atmosphere perfectly. This, dark distorted bass stabs and shouts of “Get Myself to You” build the tension up to the point where the bass line cuts in. Here the devastation is unleashed in one of the darkest and most danceable songs on the album.

Calyx, whose real name is Larry Cons, was a former jazz guitarist before coming a DJ and producer. The Jazz influence is present through out the album, from the sinister strings of “Follow the leader” and “Are you ready” to the bass lines and percussion of “Tearing us apart” and the trumpet intro of “Get my self to you.” Overall, the album had the dark emotions similar to that of Miles Davis’ “Bitches Brew”, the funkiness of Herbie Hancock's “Head Hunters” and the atmospherics and special effects of a Vangelis album.

Overall, I felt this album was a strong first album for Calyx. The only song that I didn’t like was the Dom and Roland remix of “Killa,” which detracted from the amazingly perfect vibe of the album. I’ve normally been a fan of Dom and Roland’s productions, however this was a let down in the fact that mood wise it didn’t sit well with the rest of the album. I also felt the repeated “East Coast, West Coast, Killa!” vocals were rather annoying and the song was too dissonant for my liking. However, most of the other songs were phenomenal in evoking distinct moods through the interaction between the melody, harmony and percussion, resulting in dark, deep yet danceable tracks. This album as a whole shows a new direction for jungle and possibly dance music as a whole. Calyx comes to show that electronic dance music can show darker, more subtle emotions yet still be away from pretentiousness and remain danceable.

Point of reference: Noisia, Hive, Dom and Roland, Skynet, Teebee, Ed Rush and Optical
Standout track(s): Are You Ready, Get Myself to You, Illusions
Best moment: The horn intro to Get Myself to You

— Nathan Schofield, 2006