iX (who shyly tells me his first name is Lucas but doesn't want his full name exposed on the internet) is a new artist from Brooklyn, NY with a world-fusion sound informed by attentiveness to danceable rhythms and occasional moments of intense mid-bass sound design. iX is still quite a fresh face and About Thyme is his first foray into the formal release format. Longtime listeners of sacred or “Shanti” bass music will feel in familiar territory, though iX retains a more cerebral vibe with his sound design.

About Thyme further develops the sound that iX has been cultivating to date, but the EP is more intelligibly consumable and better organized than a Soundcloud stream. The EP opens with the title track "About Thyme" which serves as an intro into the assortment of sounds explored throughout the project. Next up is “Culture Shock” which drives the mood forward with its cello while using the vocals to create ambience, builds a vibe with natural drums and other familiar wood and metal percussion samples, but ends unexpectedly.

The third track “Såmsara” (a Sanskrit word in a Middle Eastern-themed track) turns the intensity up considerably. While this track has a familiar Shanti vibe that fits in neatly with the iX catalogue, it is vastly more uptempo with oodles of fast hand drums alongside bass both squishy and fuzzy, with a voice wailing high above it. This is followed by "Vishnu" and then the final track, “Whale Vision.” Compared to his other work, "Whale Vision" is a more sparse offering that grounds itself in the lute, tingsha, and bird calls. The melody is more Far Eastern than his usual South Asian or Middle Eastern thematics, which plays up a stately and clean vibe.

The gist one gets from Lucas' music is that he is clearly a product of his surroundings. There were some general Middle Eastern tones to his upbringing, but largely his sound seems informed by the more popular and well-exposed areas of underground bass music. Without formal musical training (he actually started making music recently after a devastating car accident), he still has an attentive ear and the potential to grow rapidly, having a well-established musical structure early in his career and a couple big shows under his belt already. At only 10 tracks and 360 followers, iX is clearly just beginning his journey, and About Thyme is a solid step forward.

He’s got a full slate of performances coming up fast including the Wook of Wall Street’s Disc Jam Pre Jawn in Westchester, PA tomorrow and two parties in his hometown; Beyond Dope’s huge heavy gathering on May 12, and a Psychedelic Sleepover Pre-Party on May 18 presented by The Rust Music.

FOLLOW iX: Soundcloud / Facebook / Bandcamp / Instagram