The Metalheadz: Where Are They Now?

We know, we know; we drop an infographic recounting the producers who helped lay the foundation for the Metalheadz imprint, and you're immediately say

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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We know, we know; we drop an infographic recounting the producers who helped lay the foundation for the Metalheadz imprint, and you're immediately saying things like, "I've not heard an Alex Reece track in years!" or "Whatever happened to Source Direct?" You know your good old dad has you covered.

We've taken note on where these artists have ended up, which isn't really hard: A number of these producers went on to have very big careers within the drum & bass scene. Others? We're not sure. Walk with us as we look at where the Metalheadz are now.

Asylum

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"Da Bass II Dark" was L Double's biggest hit as Asylum; he had a string of releases as L Double throughout the mid-1990s on S.O.U.R., Reinforced, Labello Blanco, Suburban Base, and others. He also ran Flex Records, which started out in 1994 and had a number of huge releases, including Sappo's "Ding Dong Bass." Flex was also the place where artists like Paul Reset & Pyro, Stranjah, Phobia, and Visionary grew.

In the 2000s, L Double enjoyed a sting at BBC Radio 1Xtra, producing a drum & bass radio show when their dnb crew also featured DJ Flight. Both Flight and L Double were let go in 2007, and not much has been heard from L Double (release-wise) since.

Doc Scott

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Doc Scott started 31 Records in 1995, with his seminal tune "Shadow Boxing" dropped on the second 31 Records release. 31 has played host to a number of progressive dnb producers, from Deep Blue and Total Science to Commix, Eveson, Klute, and Sam KDC.

Doc Scott has been a part of the dance music scene since 1991, and he's still pushing future music, as exhibited by his "Future Beats" series of mixes, which he gives away free to the Internets.

Peshay

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After a serious run in the 1990s, Peshay's release schedule was pretty sporadic during the 2000s, although he did set up Cubik and released his Fuzion album in 2002. He's stayed affiliated with V Recordings, which put out his Liquid V EP in 2004, followed up by the recently-released Funkster EP. Word is Peshay's back!

Wax Doctor

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Wax Doctor (real name: Paul Saunders) was pretty steady in terms of releases in the early 1990s. Aside from Metalheadz, labels like Moving Shadow, R&S, Talkin' Loud, and Mo' Wax put out Wax Doctor tracks, but his post-1996 output was very sporadic. He's even dropped tunes on Utah Jazz in 2002, but it's been a while since new material has come from the Wax Doctor.

Alex Reece

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The rumor has always been that, while many will never forget Alex for his classics (like "Pulp Fiction"), heads were disappointed in the more "commercial" flavor of his subsequent works, especially after signing with Island (who put out his So Far album). Reece was credited with a new tune, "Everything is Everything," with Utah Jazz on Utah Jazz's Groove Therapy LP in 2012.

Dillinja

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Dillinja's never stopped working, although much of his output has been held tight. Whether it's as Capone, Trinity, or any of his other AKAs, Dillinja is guaranteed to drop at least one single a year, letting people know he's still around. Many fans have criticized Dillinja for not making more tracks like "The Angels Fell," but his experimentation in bass has had him focusing on punishing subwoofers, not making deep, amen-fueled tunes.

As late as 2009, Dillinja was to be working on a new album with Lemon D (then known as Lemonde, now known as K-AZE), experimenting with almost a fusion of his older styles and his sound now, but no concrete information has come to light since.

J Majik

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J Majik's been on a constant roll, producing a string of hits since his Metalheadz days. He also started Infrared, which released the critically-acclaimed Accidental Heroes album in 2002, as well as a string of releases from J Majik, including his more recent works with Wickaman, with whom he's been collaborating with for the last decade.

Photek

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Released his fifth album, KU:PALM, in 2012. He was also featured on a Lana Del Rey single, having remixed "Ride." Photek's sound has definitely not been strictly drum & bass, but you could tell he'd shift, with all of he jazz and ambient tones he had buried in his as early work.

Hidden Agenda

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Post-1997, this duo of brothers pretty much just vanished. There's not much info on them to begin with, but they did create some important tunes in their time. 2000 saw a release, the tongue-in-cheek titled Whatever Happened To, but there's no new content (or word of new material) coming from this pair currently.

Lemon D

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Lemon D has stuck with Dillinja, with the two of them collaborating on the Valve Recordings imprint, producing albums, an immense sound system, and putting out artists who share their love of bass. Over the last few years, Lemon D changed his name to Lemonde (an homage to how he originally was billed) to K-AZE (an homage to his real name, Kevin King), and has been dabbling in bass music, r&b, and other sounds. There was talk of an album project that involved animation and other things, but as of the last year, not much has been revealed.

Source Direct

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The duo known as Source Direct split in the early 2000s, with Kutta putting out releases on the Demonic imprint, while Phil Source started up Vampire, helping showcase the new breed of producers.

Digital

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Digital is one of the undisputed dons of the dubby side of drum & bass. Along with Spirit, Digital put out classics like "Phantom Force," and has a stable of his own classic tracks, including "Waterhouse Dub." Recently, Digital set up a new label, Mor'Manik, to focus on his non-drum & bass productions.

Adam F

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Adam F's been doing a number of things, from acting in films to producing "G.O.A.T." for LL Cool J (yes, that happened. He's been featured on Redman albums (not even as producer, just talking shit), and is co-owner of Breakbeat Kaos alongside DJ Fresh, helping establish acts like Pendulum and the Brookers Brothers. Adam's also delved into the more electro sound, and has an album that should be on the way in the near future.

Ed Rush

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Ed Rush, along with Optical, helped push the techstep and neurofunk sounds of drum & bass in the late 1990s, and their (15-year-old) Virus Recordings label is cited by many as one of the most important labels within the dnb spectrum. He's still an active DJ, has dabbled in dubstep a bit, and is affiliated with the Piranha Pool label in some facet.

Optical

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Optical is seen as one of the best producers and engineers within the drum & bass scene, helping bring the darkness to the forefront, but also not being afraid to explore deeper sounds. His solo work is legendary, but his work with Ed Rush is what really carved his name in stone. Optical still runs Virus, helping bring forth his vision of what the label should be about going forward.

Codename John

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After a stint on Kiss, Grooverider and his longtime associate Fabio ran the BBC Radio 1 D&B show from 1998 to 2012, highlighting the biggest and brightest in the world of drum & bass. Grooverider is still one of the absolute pioneers within drum & bass, and after a 2007 prison stint in Dubai, he returned to the scene, with rumors of picking up his production, although as of right now he's stuck to murdering dancefloors with his dark grooves.

Sci-Clone

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Sci-Clone's A-Sides has always been around. Be it for his EastSide label (which released a tune that so inspired Irish producer Calibre that he took it for his production name), BassHead, or various other outlets, A-Sides' wide spectrum of sounds has won over fans from LA to Australia. He's a regular DJ, and one of the best to do it.

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