Having had 12" releases on a number of high profile labels, such as Metalheadz and Critical, it was only a matter of time before Alix Perez would get the chance to grace our ears with a full-length album. Released on Friction's Shogun Audio imprint, that album, 1984, is a serious contender for the best album of 2009. Including a number of slower excursions, the album is a diverse affair, catering for both club and home listening situations, often with the same tunes. That diversity however, never detracts from the coherency of the album as a whole.

A long-time lover of Hip-Hop, Alix Perez wears his influences on his sleeve, especially with respect to his use of sampling. In that regard, many of the tunes on 1984 owe more to Pete Rock and J Dilla than any Drum & Bass producers. Unsurprisingly, this is notable on the hip hop tempo track Cast of Calm with UK rapper Yungun. Where once the slower tracks were a token effort on Drum & Bass albums, an attempt by the producer to prove their worth outside the restrictions of 170bpm, the offerings here couldn't be further from that. Intersections with spoken word artist Ursula Rucker and No Grudge featuring Lynx and rising Kiwi Dubstep artists Truth, illustrate Alix Perez's ability to excel as the tempo drops.

The Drum & Bass presented here is no less spectacular. The Hip-Hop influence continues here with London MCs the Foreign Beggars laying down rhymes amongst the off-kilter beats and bass of The Cut Deepens, one of the highlights of the album. Elsewhere, House music legend Peven Everett provides smooth vocals over Forsaken, another collaboration this time with Shogun Audio labelmates, Spectrasoul. With all this talk of collaborators, it is easy to forget that some of the finest moments on the album come from Alix Perez on his own. Voices, Contradictions and 1984, the album's title track, all provide a varied taste of Alix Perez's signature style.

For the vinyl lovers, there are two tracks that are not available on the CD version of the album. Myriads and State 808 are among the best tunes on the album and pack enough low end to have bassbins rattling.

All in, 1984 is a great album that should stay in record boxes and CD players for a good time to come.

Available now on CD and vinyl.