Photos: Joshua DeWane
UK electronic music culture publication Hyponik describes the tellingly titled “Risky” by New York City producer and DJ Kellen303, as “a killer EP of bendy grime and sluggish sub-low pressure…four icy, paranoid patterns intended for the club’s darkest hours.”
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From the kinetic, rolling thunder of “Vital Signs” to the sparse, gripping, sly and even funky “Destroyed My Memories,” to the chilling, spine-scaling punch of “Tulpa” and ultimately, the untethered dissonance of the title track in all its submerged, glimmering glory, “Risky” is your darkest dancefloor dream come true.
“I’m a big lover of horror movies and I try to input that and whatever darkness, paranoia I’m going through into my music. It’s a therapy,” says Kellen303. “As with horror movies, if I’ve created music that puts people in a space that makes them look over their shoulders while they walk home at night, or allows them to safely touch their darkness, I’ve done my job–which seems to not be the case, cause I played a couple of the track out and people where actually dancing lol. Time to go darker!”
Kellen303’s “Risky” is released September 23 on the revered Berlin-based electronic music imprint, SPE:C. It’s his second release, a follow-up to his breakout 4-track vinyl/5-track digital Kellen303 “WHB” EP on the influential U.K. label Keysound, which deejay.de reviewed as a “startling debut…A unique hybrid, the tracks are inspired by goth rock/industrial, footwork and vogue music.”
A creative cat to the core, Kellen303 is not only a music producer and DJ, but also a screenwriter and filmmaker. He is the founder of web station TransitFM and recently hosted and produced “Spectrum Audio,” an eclectic three-hour DJ show for WFMU-FM radio, featuring “early cold wave electronics and noise to disco, and modern underground bass music. ” For more about Kellen303, read his fascinating interview with Blackdown here.
SPE:C, run by Berlin DJ Darwin, has established itself as a label that champions fresh new talent, making an indisputable commitment to give up-and-coming producers a chance to release on its very well received platform. Artists on the label include Decka, Sepeher, Trans AM and Significant Other. •
Kellen303 “Risky” (SPE:C) September 23 Spotify | Bandcamp
Kellen303 Soundcloud | @kellen303ny | @spec_records
Photos: Joshua DeWane
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