Mastered by Mastering Engineer Saif Bari
Unbeknownst to the world at large, there is a huge pool of young creatives in China. Beijing-based Yang Bowen aka Radiax is a contemporary DNB and Bass Music producer from Jilin - a remote town situated deep in the north of China bordering on North Korea and Russia. Whilst his origin is, geographically, incredibly far from the global centres of 'cultural influence', his musical output is most certainly not.
His Beijing Banger EP delivers six incredibly diverse and impeccably produced dance floor tracks including remixes by prolific Russian producer Black Barrel (yes he is still f*cking warm) and Italy’s edge-driven man of the moment, Was A Be.
The title track, Beijing Banger, having been tested across many major cities in China and at festival’s in Europe, is one of those tunes that fall into the “no fail” category for a DJ, attracting the moniker "banger of the month" by Danny Byrd on BBC 1Xtra earlier this year. Dark yet vibrant, gritty yet clean, the tune is the epitome of raw powerful Drum & Bass that sends crowds, large or small, into rapture. On the remix, Was A Be stepped up beyond our wildest expectations, hitting a mark that only a small camp of producers in the scene are capable of doing - seamlessly bringing together the roller, stepper and halftime ethos into a single banger.
The track "The Centre” follows close behind. Combining peak time energy with layers of rich melodic atmosphere, it gives the EP a healthy dose of liquid diversity. Black Barrel’s remix is unique. Carrying on his dark roller tradition he threads the track with intricate doses of dirt in all the right places.
Whilst the above four tracks are on vinyl and digital, the EP is also complemented by two additional digital tracks: Quiver, a wonky Shield-esque club track, and Detached, a dark smooth roller. Both quality standalone tunes in their own right.