Maztek & Optiv – Quarks

Maztek & Optiv – Quarks / Up & Down

A heavyweight 2012 drum & bass 12" from two major names in the European neurofunk scene, Maztek and Optiv, released on Subculture Music as SCULT006. Originally released in April 2012, Quarks / Up & Down captures the dark, futuristic and highly technical sound that was driving the harder end of drum & bass at the time.

The A-side, Quarks, is the collaboration between Italian producer Maztek and Optiv, delivering a precision-built neurofunk workout of intricate drum programming, weighty bass pressure and aggressive electronic textures. The track was already circulating in the drum & bass scene ahead of release, appearing in DJ mixes during the spring of 2012 and demonstrating its appeal as a serious club-focused cut.

On the flip, Maztek goes solo for Up & Down, another dark and technically engineered piece of modern drum & bass. The production sits comfortably alongside the era's rolling neurofunk and techstep, with the kind of detailed bass design and relentless rhythmic energy associated with Subculture's tougher catalogue. The track was also circulating in DJ mixes around the time of release, further establishing it as a DJ-oriented heavyweight.

Subculture Music had become an important home for forward-thinking drum & bass, and this release sits neatly alongside productions from artists such as Phace, Noisia, Mefjus and other producers pushing the genre towards increasingly complex sound design. Maztek's wider catalogue would also connect him with labels including Renegade Hardware, Icarus Audio and Eatbrain, cementing his reputation as one of the prominent producers within the European neurofunk movement.

For collectors of neurofunk, techstep and heavyweight drum & bass vinyl, Quarks / Up & Down is a strong example of the early-2010s European sound: dark, futuristic, highly detailed and designed with the dancefloor in mind. A solid Subculture 12" for DJs and collectors of the label's influential catalogue.

Tracklist

Side A

1. Maztek & Optiv – Quarks — 6:14

Side B

1. Maztek – Up & Down — 6:19