“Can you think of the 808 clap or the rubbery twang of Mantronix bass as the platonic solids of dance music? OK, that's a bit, if not a lot of a reach - but the electro/booty bass continuum over the decades does make it easy to imagine tones and patterns that are tightly wired to specific dances - and thus specific proportions and articulations of the human body - being as fundamental as geometrical axioms. Memphis DJ/producer Qemist certainly grasps the relationships between these elements and how they link branches of the family tree. His base here is straight down the line Chicago juke, with all its raw functionality and abrupt cuts, but even when he moves out into lush jungle breakbeats it's on the understanding that the Bristol sound of Smith & Mighty was only ever one degree of separation removed from Kurtis Mantronik.

Wicked mathematics indeed.”

- Joe Muggs; The Wire Magazine

“Juke and footwork were born in Chicago but they maintain a strong grip beyond the Midwest. Based out of Memphis, Tennessee, Qemist takes these genres and puts them into a blender, resulting in a high-BPM fusion of unwieldy, banging East Coast club, jungle and R&B.”

- Resident Advisor Reviews

“Memphis's Qemist and Marcella Simien team up for one of the most beautiful singles I've heard this year on "Daytime Dreams." Simien's soulful vocals are the prime complement to Qemist's opulent production. The tune sounds how memories feel, creating a nostalgic atmosphere to an otherwise fresh take on drum & bass.”

- Arielle Lana LeJarde; The Fader Magazine

“DJ and electronic music producer Michael Ivy performs under the name "Qemist" (or "Qemmy," for short), connecting his musical persona directly to the metaphorical link between science and art.

Utilizing numerous electronic tools for his compositions, his creative process looks a lot like scientific experimentation, too.”

- Jared Boyd; WYXR

“Michael Ivy, known by his stage name Qemist (pronounced “chemist”), is a multidisciplinary artist and producer from Memphis. In the last few years, he has risen to local prominence and has generated buzz on the national dance music stage.⁠ His synthy, dream-like melodies overlay 808 and 909 drums to produce a unique blend of acid house, techno, jungle and footwork, saluting Black subgenres of dance music incubated in the nightclubs of 1980s and ’90s Chicago, Detroit and London.”

- Joshua Carlucci; Daily Memphian