You might know Bix as the hip hop producer from Toronto who’s worked with such emcees as Ghettosocks or Kool Krys. If so, you think of him as a producer who makes some really fun boom bap and utilizes some great soul samples. If that’s the case, you might not be prepared for the shift in tone on his latest instrumental album, The North. This dark and brooding album is certainly a change from the funky party numbers he’s made with others, but he pulls off the shift in style with ease. Throw any preconceptions out the window and listen to Bix with some new ears.

It’s difficult to describe The North without using the words “dark” and “ominous.” The album employs a lot of fuzzy and overdriven synthesizer sounds, ones that recall science fiction soundtracks of the early eighties (Videodrone immediately came to mind). The majority of the tracks are aural assaults, overpowering your ears with layers of fuzzed out bass and synthesizers over drums that split the difference between down tempo hip hop and sludge metal. It’s an incredibly ominous listening experience, and it never eases off. With song titles like “Grizzly,” “Bison,” “Wolverine,” “Orca,” and “Caribou,” I’m now scared to go outside in the winter, so if that was Bix’s intent, well done. All joking aside, Bix’s production work on this album is very well done. While the overall tone of the album is consistently dark, there are lots of subtle shifts and developments in melody and layers of sounds that unfold, and the drums sound incredible throughout. It’s not an easy album to make, and even harder to keep interesting, but Bix manages to do all of it well.

The North isn’t for everyone, but if you’re looking to escape the bright sounds of summer, look no further. Bix has shown us his dark side with The North, and it’s quite compelling.