Alex Metric

Alex Metric, the London-based DJ and producer born Alex Drury in 1984, first built recognition via his productions alongside an array of remixes that spanned breaks and electro-house through to indie rock and pop's more club-oriented wing. Drawing equally from classic techno and house alongside disco and funk, his output frequently carried a choppy, distorted edge reminiscent of Ed Banger artists, though he later shifted toward crafting pop-leaning dance anthems while also handling remixes for major acts such as U2 and Depeche Mode. Early releases under the shortened name Metric consisted of nu breaks tracks in the vein of Meat Katie and Koma & Bones, appearing as 12" singles on Lot49 and Burrito Records. His 2006 single "Holding," issued on Four:Twenty Recordings, leaned into minimal tech-house and featured a remix from Dani König.

The 2007 Whatshewants EP on Marine Parade marked a turn toward crunchy, cut-up guitar riffs and occasional vocals, a direction Metric sustained across further singles and EPs on the same label that emphasized song-based structures. The 2011 track "It Starts" delivered uptempo pop/rock akin to Phoenix, the French band whose "Lisztomania" he had previously remixed; he also reworked material by Gorillaz, N*E*R*D, Ellie Goulding, and Bloc Party. That same year Positiva/Virgin released Open Your Eyes, a collection that gathered many such remixes together with collaborations issued as singles alongside Steve Angello, Stone Roses' Ian Brown, and Charli XCX.

Metric self-released the three-song EP Ammunition in 2012 before signing to Skrillex's OWSLA imprint, which put out Ammunition, Pt. 2 later that year and Pt. 3 in 2013. His 2013 single "Safe with You," a collaboration with Jacques Lu Cont, emerged on Ministry of Sound as his most anthemic release to date. The less vocal-centered EP Hope followed on OWSLA in 2014, while Warner issued the poppy single "Heart Weighs a Ton." OWSLA then released Ammunition, Pt. 4 in 2015, featuring contributions from the Knocks and the New Sins.