Prolix
Chris McCarthy, known professionally as Prolix, is a London (Hackney)–based producer and DJ whose work sits squarely in drum and bass with strong neurofunk/tech D&B characteristics. His output and DJ sets also touch on jungle, liquid funk and wider bass music styles listed in his catalogue and press — he runs Trendkill Records, which he established in 2011.
Public detail about Prolix’s earliest years in the scene is limited, but his career is defined by releases on major D&B labels and high-profile collaborations. He launched Trendkill Records in 2011 as a vehicle for his own material and like-minded releases. Since then he has released music on RAM, Playaz, Ganja Tek, VISION, Blackout, Renegade Hardware, Metalheadz, Viper, Virus, OWSLA/MTA, Shogun Audio and Bassrush — a record of activity across the scene’s key imprints.
As a producer Prolix’s sound is recognisably neuro/tech-focused: tight, processed drums, sculpted mid-range basslines and heavily designed bass timbres rather than raw sampler bass. His arrangements favour engineered tension and release — staggered filter automation, precise transient shaping on snares and kicks, and layered break edits to keep the rhythmic drive forward. Signature elements include detailed bass modulation and aggressive mid-band presence that cut through a club mixdown, together with atmospheric beds or stabs to outline structure. Those choices underpin the “high-energy” and “tech” descriptors frequently applied to his releases.
On the DJ side Prolix is noted for “floor-filling” sets. His mixing style emphasizes energy management: tight transitions to preserve low-end clarity, spot selection of neuro and tech rollers for peak-time impact, and a focus on sequencing that builds towards heavy bass moments. He brings the same production sensibility to his track selection — favouring tracks with engineered bass movement and clear drum programming that read well on large systems.
Career highlights in factual terms are his role as founder of Trendkill Records (2011), the breadth of labels he has released on (RAM, Playaz, Ganja Tek, VISION, Blackout, Renegade Hardware, Metalheadz, Viper, Virus, OWSLA/MTA, Shogun Audio and Bassrush), and collaborations with Noisia, Gridlok, Black Sun Empire and DC Breaks. Those collaborations place him in direct creative contact with producers known for technical sound design and heavy club impact, and they appear alongside his solo output across the imprints listed above.
Prolix’s work should be read in concrete terms: production built around engineered bass design, precise drum layering and mix-ready arrangements; DJ sets geared to moving a crowd with neuro/tech D&B energy; and a label platform, Trendkill Records (est. 2011), that ties those activities together. His recorded catalogue across the labels named and his credited collaborations with Noisia, Gridlok, Black Sun Empire and DC Breaks are the primary public markers of his contribution to the modern D&B landscape.
