Jay Hurren and Alex Banks have been on the drum and bass scene since the early 1990s, and both had achieved some success even before the formation of EZ Rollers. Jay was one half of JMJ & Richie, whose first release, Case Closed, came out on Moving Shadow in 1993. The duo’s most successful release was Free La Funk, also released on Moving Shadow. Alex and Danny Demierre formed the duo Hyper On Experience (later Flytronix). Their old-school H.E. Anthem and Lord Of The Null Lines were given a second life in 2003 thanks to remixes by Aquasky and Total Science. Jay also worked with Danny; their track In Too Deep, released as JMJ & Flytronix, became one of the anthems of 1996. Around this time, EZ Rollers officially formed...
The first tracks by EZ Rollers appeared as part of the compilation Storm From The East, which featured work by producers mainly from Norfolk and East Anglia. Storm From The East was a collection of jazzy and soulful tracks popular on Britain’s dancefloors at the time. The compilation was a huge commercial success and opened the door for EZ Rollers to release new material throughout 1996 and 1997. At the same time, the balance of power on the UK drum and bass scene was shifting: Speed was among the best club nights, and Fabio’s label Creative Source was offering a warm, uplifting sound, which undoubtedly worked in the rollers’ favour.
Buoyed by the success of Storm From The East, EZ Rollers released their first album, Dimensions Of Sound, in 1996 on Moving Shadow. The rollers were accompanied by singer Kelly Richards, who has since become a full member of the group. The debut album by EZ Rollers was a collection of striking tracks with silky vocals, jazzy moods and funky drive. The release of Dimensions Of Sound was accompanied by several successful singles that further strengthened the rollers’ standing on the British drum and bass scene. Following the success of the album and the singles Retro and 25 Alpha, EZ Rollers began work on a live project that would incorporate all the elements of the rollers’ sound; to achieve this, Alex and Jay used both new technology and live instruments.
In 1997, Storm From The East 2 was released and was even more successful than its predecessor. In 1998, the rollers recorded Walk This Land, which featured in the acclaimed film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. In 1999, the track was reissued and entered the National Top 30.
In 1998, EZ Rollers released another dancefloor smasher — Tough At The Top, which appealed to several commercial radio stations. A remix of the track by Origin Unknown became a worldwide hit. That same year, the rollers’ second album, Weekend World, was released, surpassing Dimensions Of Sound in every respect. The album received the press’s highest praise and rose to number three on the National Dance Album Charts. Several tracks from the album were used in PlayStation games, including TOCA 2, Rollcage, Jet Ski Riders and Grand Theft Auto 2. In 1998, EZ Rollers launched their own label, Intercom, which went on to introduce Tommy Knocker, 60 Minute Man and Filibuster.
In 2003, EZ Rollers returned with their first album in five years. In February 2003 Moving Shadow released their long-awaited third album, Titles of the Unexpected. The album’s tracks were recorded in an unusual style for EZ Rollers and are equally suited to listening at home, behind the wheel, or on the dancefloor. The album boasts several interesting collaborations: with hip-hop legend Doug E Fresh, disco-soul diva Sharon Brown and dub-acoustic group Mango Seed.
Titles of the Unexpected is a contemporary soundtrack to life. Drum and bass music is moving forward, and EZ Rollers are growing and developing along with it. The album’s bold choice of guest artists shows that the rollers are not at all interested in commercial success for the album and do not intend to follow the latest fashion.
To promote Titles of the Unexpected, Jay and Alex simplified and adapted the live project: the lineup consisted of MC Jakes, Jay and Alex on three turntables, and Kelly Richards on vocals. “Now we can present our live set to any audience. With this lineup, we feel equally at home at a large festival and in a small club. We can present our music anywhere and can perform heavier material. The musicians we used previously did what they knew how to do and did not always feel what we wanted to say with our music. There is also the question of the technical requirements: we do not have the money or resources to use the full range of instruments in our performances.”
Today, the rollers look positively toward the future. “People seem to be absorbed in writing tracks again,” says Jay. “Producers such as Marky and XRS have shown what can be done. Bringing different styles and directions into drum and bass is the way forward.” Jay is also enthusiastic about the future of the label Intercom. “There are many good producers now. We listen to all the demos sent to our label, and we really want to repay the drum and bass scene, and that is our hope for Intercom.”
Text: Paul Khan, Lexicon magazine (lexiconmag.co.uk). Russian translation and editing: Yegor. This English version was translated from the Russian text.
