Remembering the lives of Robert Miles and Marcus Intalex, two artists who shaped electronic for the good

Remembering the lives of Robert Miles and Marcus Intalex, two artists who shaped electronic for the good

This Memorial Day, Dancing Astronaut remembers two shining stars of the electronic music world whose lives came to sudden and tragic ends within the span of three weeks. Lovers of trance and progressive worldwide were shaken at the passing of Robert Miles from metastatic cancer on May 9, while Marcus Intalex’ loss due to unknown causes on May 28 has deeply impacted the techno and drum ‘n’ bass communities.

Both artists were highly skilled at their craft and pioneers in their own right, shaping their respective genres in their earlier days to what they are now while inspiring a whole generation of young ravers. In honor of their illustrious careers, which both began in the early 1990s, we take a look back at of their most iconic pieces.

Marcus Intalex, also known under his other alias Trevino, got his start in the Manchester rave scene. His roots were in house music, but he later became enamored with the then-burgeoning drum & bass sound. He soon came to be known as one of the first to completely embrace and proliferate the style within the UK, launching a radio show dedicated to the genre, Da Intalex, in 1993 alongside his colleague Mark XTC while also outputting singles that quickly put his name on the map, like his debut 1994 classic “What Ya Gonna Do.’

Soon, he found himself in the position of label owner with his imprint Soul:R, which was still active at the time of his passing.

Using the pseudonym Da Intalex, Intalex released his first single in 1994 titled ‘What Ya Gonna Do.’ Simple, yet well-constructed, the piece epitomizes the groundbreaking drum ‘n’ bass sound of that era.

His remix to his own piece ‘I Like It’ in 1995 also proved quite the hit among the drum ‘n’ bass circles, capturing the unmistakable, rave-friendly vibe present in mid-90s releases.

Italian native Robert Miles also began his career in the house & techno realm, releasing more below-surface under the moniker Roberto Milani before jumping fully into his identity as “Robert Miles” and writing the groundbreaking music he’s most well-known for. Aside from being primarily known as a shaper of modern trance and progressive, he was quite the formidable techno act as well. Early on, one could hear his proclivity for melodic arrangement and forging tracks that hypnotize the dance-floor.

“Ghost” laid the acid on heavy in 1994, fitting perfectly to any warehouse setting. Though widely minimal in nature, it’s evident that groundwork was already being laid here for the “dream” sound that came about shortly afterward.

“Warriors Of Mind” also played into the acid theme, albeit even more heads-down than “Ghost” in nature.

While still producing drum ‘n’ bass under Intalex, 2011 brought about a new milestone for the British producer, who created his Trevino alias and returned to his root world of house & techno. During this time he also released his debut studio album 21, which was naturally met with plenty of accolades. Now, the stalwart had become a bonafide influencer in both techno and drum ‘n’ bass – two very different sides which he mastered effortlessly, or so it seemed.

Trevino first majorcontemporary techno record came in the form of “Tactical Manoeuvre,” an appropriate title given the piece’s deep grooves and classic influences. It’s designed for a dark, dingy warehouse and fulfills its purpose in spades.

Trevino’s 2012 EP Forged made it onto Ben Klock’s Klockworks imprint, signalling his official entrance into the upper echeleons of dark, pumping techno. Its titular opening track exemplifies this notion, utilizing hair-raising synths and pounding percussion to elicit a carnal desire among listeners.

Robert Miles’ big break of course was “Children,” which was first released officially as a single in 1995 before being re-released as part of his famed debut LP, Dreamland. It would go on to climb global dance spots, reaching #1 in the United States, the UK, and more. “Children” would go on to serve as one of the most influential trance pieces to date, and a piece that helped usher in multitudes of young dance fans into the scene. Afterward, his overall success with his Dreamland album led to him becoming a household name just a few short years after bursting into the scene.

With its dreamy chords and ethereal samples, “Children” embodied Robert Miles’ new style to a T. He very much enjoyed using his classical training in music production, and his ability to expertly arrange a track was outlined in “Children’s” success.

“Fable” became another huge hit of Robert’s off of Dreamland, also utilizing chilling piano melodies to reach maximum impact. This piece is notably more melancholic than “Children,” but just as pretty nonetheless.

More recently, Marcus Intalex had been striking a fair balance between running his own label and producing both his loves of house, techno, and drum ‘n’ bass. He released on Birdie, Aus, and more during this time, in addition to returning to Klockworks in 2015. His final releases comprised of a four-tracker drum ‘n’ bass EP on Four:Fit which included the infectious and timeless piece, “Jupiter,” as well as a scintillating EP on Scuba’s Hotflush label. Both possess the same timeless quality that allowed Intalex’ career to flourish for this long, and that will see his music being played and happily reminisced upon for years to come.

“Jupiter” is a celestial offering from Intalex, making for a perfect modern drum ‘n’ bass tune. It’s both hauntingly beautiful and tantalizingly grimey, a trait that has remained unwavered with each production in this realm by the icon.

We end our time capsule on Intalex with one last Trevino song, his eponymous leading single from his Slide Away EP on Hotflush. The techno cut is highly catchy, using well-arranged percussion and a smooth synth hook to capture listener’s attention.

Ghost

“Ghost” laid the acid on heavy in 1994, fitting perfectly to any warehouse setting. Though widely minimal in nature, it’s evident that groundwork is already being laid here for the “dream” sound that came about shortly afterward.

Robert Miles ventured down a completely different path musically after his success in trance, focusing more on rock, jazz, and more left-field electronica and ambient. Wanting to give back to rising artists, he established his OpenLab radio to call attention to such talent and to nurture their overall growth in the industry. Less visible than Intalex publicly, Robert Miles is still a name that no one will be forgetting anytime soon.

Robert Miles had an ear for music regardless of style; “Deep End” showed off his aptitude in the rock department, where we see the producer using more of a live setup to create an instant classic with retro influences and jazzy guitar riffs.

Going off of “Deep End,” we have Miles’ hypnotronik re-work of it as well, which shows off his electronica side while also adding value to the original. It’s indeed a bit far removed from what he’s put out before dance music-wise, but stunning nonetheless.