Though he's most interested in acid house and early Detroit techno, Alex Reece came to prominence in the mid-'90s as a jungle star. His interest in techno began in the late '80s, when acid house was popular. Reece gradually earned enough money to buy turntables and a decent vinyl collection. He then began DJing and worked for Basement Records in 1992, engineering for Wax Doctor. Quitting his job to concentrate on making his own music, Reece first tried his hand at house (recording with brother Oscar as Exodus), but found it too formulaic. He realized that there was much more to explore in jungle/drum'n'bass, so he began to experiment.
His initial releases appeared on the Sinister, Creative Wax, and Moving Shadow labels, but Reece made his name with Goldie's Metalheadz Records. Singles like "Basic Principles" and "Pulp Fiction" -- with its trademark lurching bass line -- became jungle standards, showcasing his minimalist style, a sound partly inspired by his fixation with acid house. In fact, the case might be made that Reece's music isn't jungle at all, since most of his beats are quite steady. It is only the occasional percussion break and offbeat rimshots that spin his work into jungle territory.
No matter if he's a junglist or a house maven, Reece cemented his reputation quite well with additional recordings as Jazz Juice (for Precious Materials), Lunar Funk (for Mo'Wax), and the Original Playboy (for R&S). In early 1996, he landed a major-label deal when Island recruited him for their Quango subsidiary. His debut album So Far was released in September 1996. While the album was received well in most circles, the jungle underground -- led by Goldie -- had practically disowned Reece by that time, disgusted with his "commercial" leanings. During this fallout Goldie renamed "Pulp Fiction" to "Pulp Friction."
A second album for Island was recorded and released as a promo tape to select people. However, Reece's music had taken what seemed to be a radical departure into old school electro and 80s techno pop territories. In retrospect the album would have been seen as an important development in the drum & bass sound, but the label dropped the album from their schedule when white labels of a lead off single received a very poor response from DJs.
In 1999 Reece once again teamed up with Wax Doctor to record an album for Sirkus. Called 'Part One' it revealed the duo to still be quite a force in the Detroit drum & bass arena.
Jazz Master
Alex Reece Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Whirligig
Alex Again
(John Faye/Mike Simpson)
Alex got her name because her father wished her born a son
A fancy name for a flighty girl
Now flight of fancy runs amok on everyone
He waited seven years with great expectations
And if they had a crown they'd hold a daily coronation
CHORUS
It's Alex again
Alex again
And every now and then
She looks like the girl I knew from way back when
Alex likes to taunt the men at work who can't grow facial hair
She tells them if they can't produce up there
They can't do jack down there
Alex keeps a book at home
Says she's got the souls of fifty men
Neatly filed for future use
If she ever needs to make an example of them
Another will to crus or spirit to tame
And up against the wall they all look the same
But Alex never met a mouth she couldn't make scream out her name
Just a few short days ago Daddy kicked quite short of breath
No one is quite sure if he had a stroke
Or had his ego stroked to death
Alex sits alone by the picture window
Looking more and more like the Mona Lisa
Never gives away everything she might know
But something sure has pleased her
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The lyrics to Alex Reece's song Jazz Master titled “Caulfields, Whirligig, Alex Again” describe the character of Alex, a woman who is full of whims and fancies. The first verse explains how Alex got her name - her father wished she was born a son and gave her a fancy name to make up for it, however, Alex has a flight of fancy and enjoys taunting the men at her workplace. The chorus mentions how Alex keeps reappearing in the singer’s life, but sometimes she takes on a different personality, and sometimes she looks like the girl he knew from way back when.
The second verse explains how Alex keeps a book of men's souls for future use, and how she can make anyone scream out her name. The bridge describes how Alex’s father recently passed, but no one is quite sure if it was a stroke or his ego stroked to death. Alex is depicted as a mysterious character who keeps her thoughts to herself and is always seeking something that pleases her. In essence, the song portrays an enigmatic, charismatic, and somewhat manipulative character in Alex, who keeps people interested and unbalanced.
Line by Line Meaning
Alex got her name because her father wished her born a son
Alex's name was given to her by her father because he wanted a son instead of a daughter
A fancy name for a flighty girl
Alex's name is quite grand for a girl who is impulsive and unpredictable
Now flight of fancy runs amok on everyone
Alex's tendency to be impulsive and unpredictable causes chaos for everyone around her
Daddy took advantage of the situation
Alex's father used the situation of having a daughter instead of a son to his advantage
He waited seven years with great expectations
Her father had high expectations of having a son and waited for seven years for that to happen
And if they had a crown they'd hold a daily coronation
If Alex's family had a crown, they would celebrate themselves daily because of their high opinion of themselves
It's Alex again
Alex has caused trouble before and everyone recognizes when she is up to her old tricks
And every now and then
Alex's behavior is unpredictable and sometimes she can surprise people with her actions
She looks like the girl I knew from way back when
Alex appears to be the same girl as she was in the past despite all of her wild behavior
Alex likes to taunt the men at work who can't grow facial hair
Alex takes pleasure in teasing men who cannot grow facial hair
She tells them if they can't produce up there
Alex implies that these men are not manly enough if they cannot grow facial hair
They can't do jack down there
Alex suggests that if these men are not manly enough to grow facial hair, they likely are not able to do much else as well
Alex keeps a book at home
Alex has a book where she keeps track of men's souls
Says she's got the souls of fifty men
Alex claims she has the souls of fifty men, which she keeps track of in her book
Neatly filed for future use
Alex's book is organized and categorized for later use, suggesting she has plans for these men
If she ever needs to make an example of them
Alex may use the information she has to make examples of these men
Another will to crus or spirit to tame
Alex may use this information to dominate or control these men
And up against the wall they all look the same
Alex sees men only as tools to be used, and so they are all replaceable and indistinguishable from each other
But Alex never met a mouth she couldn't make scream out her name
Alex is seductive and can make anyone desire her, even if they know the danger behind it
Just a few short days ago Daddy kicked quite short of breath
Alex's father recently passed away suddenly and unexpectedly
No one is quite sure if he had a stroke
It is not clear what caused Alex's father to pass away
Or had his ego stroked to death
It is possible that her father was so proud of himself that it contributed to his death
Alex sits alone by the picture window
Alex is alone after her father's passing
Looking more and more like the Mona Lisa
Alex looks more mysterious and enigmatic as time goes on, much like the famous picture of the Mona Lisa
Never gives away everything she might know
Alex keeps her thoughts and feelings private, and never reveals everything she knows
But something sure has pleased her
Despite the loss of her father, something in Alex's life has pleased her, which is evident by her demeanor
Writer(s): Alexander Charles Ernest Reece
Contributed by Lincoln B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ultimatesanction
one of the greatest, I couldn't agree more. these K&D classics give the vibe I want my life to be
@talkingmudcrab718
This song will give you a new hairdo if you have the appropriate soundsystem.
@beardization
One of the finest collections of music ever put to disc
@darrelswift6897
Why oh why is this track no longer available on Spotify? Couldn't agree more with these comments
@paulinka8kamilawp.p
❤️ ❤️ ❤️ !!! UWIELBIAMMM... 🥰😍😘
@scooby1235
this is a rare collection where they improved the tracks being mixed and didn't just make them different as so many remixes seem to do - Bug powder dust being a prime example, so much better than the BTB original.