Dreamscape Artist Spotlight: Metrik
–Written by Kevin Madert
Dreamscape is fast approaching, and we can’t wait to join Badvss Raves and all of you at Camp Ramblewood May 8-10. In the days leading up to the festival, we’re hoping to get you better acquainted with some of the artists playing the festival; if you read about them here on the AltFreq page, you should definitely catch their performances at Dreamscape.
Liquid drum ‘n’ bass is a big deal here at AltFreq. Existing on a wide spectrum – from those upbeat ragged bouncers to more soothing minimal turns – it’s a genre that has the power to both move you and make you move. Today’s spotlight features one of liquid’s most prevelant and prolific acts in recent memory: Metrik.
It only took one tune to convince me this hard-charging Englishman was the realest of deals, and it happened to be his first official release. “Your World,” sports roiling synths, massive breakdowns, and a mess of drums, all existing within a taut sonic space. It’s an ambitious offering with dangerous live potential and a high replay value – commendable feats for a budding producer.
It’s been eight years since the debut of that tune. The EDM landscape has morphed and molted and evolved to the point where Steve Aoki is the world’s #10 DJ and millions of people consider this music. By all counts, Metrik could have faded into obscurity before reigniting his career as a crowd-pleasing big room or trap DJ (Metrvk?) and no one would have faulted him for joining the mainstream cash-in party.
Instead he doubled down on his drum ‘n’ bass grind, and people took notice. On the strength of his debut single, he scored a spot on the roster of influential Liverpool-based drum ‘n’ bass label Viper Recordings. The next several years of his career were spent here, releasing a string of singles & a pair of EPs (The Departure and Between Worlds) that helped push his name and his unadulterated sound to a wider audience.
In 2013 Metrik made the biggest move of his career, signing with legendary UK label Hospitality Records and dropping his eponymous third EP. A year later, he released his long-awaited debut album Universal Language to critical acclaim and a #13 spot on the UK Dance Albums chart. Even as his stock has continued to rise, Metrik never wavers from his tested formula: crafting multi-faceted liquid tracks with serious bite and unleashing them on unsuspecting dancefloors worldwide to devastating effect. His 1:30AM Friday timeslot in the City Of Dreams is sure to be more of the same.
Connect with Metrik: (Facebook / Twitter / Soundcloud / Official Site)