Alex Reece
Encyclopedia
Alex Reece was an influence of the jazzstep sound, a mix of drum and bass
and jazz
, and one of the musician
s under the Metalheadz
collective, who also works under the pseudonym
of Fallen Angels.
and early Detroit techno
, Reece came to prominence in the mid 1990s as a jungle
star
. Reece began DJing
in the late 1980s. In 1992 Jack Smooth
offered Reece a trainee studio engineer
job, and Reece went on to engineer for Smooth on many of the early Basement Records releases. Reece first tried house
(recording
with his brother
, Oscar, under the name of Exodus), but graduated to drum and bass.
His initial releases appeared on the Sinister, Creative Wax, and Moving Shadow
record label
s, but Reece made his name with Goldie
's Metalheadz Records. Single
releases "Basic Principles" and "Pulp Fiction" became jungle standards. The latter is originally called "Pulp Friction" as on Alex Reece's debut album So Far. Supposedly there are two different songs out - "Pulp Friction" and "Pulp Fiction". But even when the album version is used in a set it is incorrectly referred to as "Pulp Fiction".
Reece cemented his reputation with additional recordings as Jazz Juice (for Precious Materials), Lunar Funk (for Mo'Wax), and the Original Playboy (for R&S). In early 1996, Reece secured a recording contract
with Island Records
recruited him for their Quango subsidiary. His debut album
, So Far was released in September 1996, but whilst the issue was well received in most circles, the jungle underground - led by Goldie - had practically disowned Reece by that time. His 1996 singles "Feel the Sunshine", "Candles" and "Acid Lab" were released under the Fourth & Broadway banner without real commercial success.
Drum and bass
Drum and bass is a type of electronic music which emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy bass and sub-bass lines...
and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, and one of the musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
s under the Metalheadz
Metalheadz
Metalheadz is a pioneering drum and bass record label based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1994 by Kemistry & Storm and Goldie, it has been home to some of the drum and bass scene's brightest talent and is notable for the high quality of its back catalogue....
collective, who also works under the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
of Fallen Angels.
Career
Although he was most interested in acid houseAcid house
Acid house is a sub-genre of house music that emphasizes a repetitive, hypnotic and trance-like style, often with samples or spoken lines rather than sung lyrics. Acid house's core electronic squelch sounds were developed around the mid-1980s, particularly by DJs from Chicago who experimented with...
and early Detroit techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
, Reece came to prominence in the mid 1990s as a jungle
Oldschool jungle
Jungle is a genre of electronic music that incorporates influences from genres including breakbeat hardcore, and reggae/dub/dancehall. There is debate as to whether jungle is a separate genre from drum and bass as many use the terms interchangeably...
star
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
. Reece began DJing
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
in the late 1980s. In 1992 Jack Smooth
Jack Smooth
Jack Smooth, real name Ron Wells, born in London 1970.Ron is often credited as the pioneer of Jungle techno. During his career Ron has produced over 200 dance music records, spanning many genres....
offered Reece a trainee studio engineer
Audio engineering
An audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
job, and Reece went on to engineer for Smooth on many of the early Basement Records releases. Reece first tried house
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
(recording
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
with his brother
Sibling
Siblings are people who share at least one parent. A male sibling is called a brother; and a female sibling is called a sister. In most societies throughout the world, siblings usually grow up together and spend a good deal of their childhood socializing with one another...
, Oscar, under the name of Exodus), but graduated to drum and bass.
His initial releases appeared on the Sinister, Creative Wax, and Moving Shadow
Moving Shadow
Moving Shadow was a UK-based jungle/drum and bass record label that was started in 1990 by Rob Playford. Alongside such labels as Suburban Base, Formation Records, D-Zone, Reinforced, and Metalheadz, Moving Shadow grew to become one of the best-regarded and longest-lived labels in its genre,...
record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
s, but Reece made his name with Goldie
Goldie
Clifford Joseph Price, better known as Goldie is an English electronic music artist, disc jockey, visual artist and actor. He is well known for his innovations in the jungle and drum and bass music genres, having previously gained exposure for his work as a graffiti artist...
's Metalheadz Records. Single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
releases "Basic Principles" and "Pulp Fiction" became jungle standards. The latter is originally called "Pulp Friction" as on Alex Reece's debut album So Far. Supposedly there are two different songs out - "Pulp Friction" and "Pulp Fiction". But even when the album version is used in a set it is incorrectly referred to as "Pulp Fiction".
Reece cemented his reputation with additional recordings as Jazz Juice (for Precious Materials), Lunar Funk (for Mo'Wax), and the Original Playboy (for R&S). In early 1996, Reece secured a recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
with Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
recruited him for their Quango subsidiary. His debut album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, So Far was released in September 1996, but whilst the issue was well received in most circles, the jungle underground - led by Goldie - had practically disowned Reece by that time. His 1996 singles "Feel the Sunshine", "Candles" and "Acid Lab" were released under the Fourth & Broadway banner without real commercial success.