Kx5 continue propulsive streak with ’Take Me High’
Kx5 is a narrative in development, but its subtext is already clear: indulging creative whims not for chart position or commercial accolades, but merely for the fun of it. It just so happens that Kaskade and deadmau5‘s alignment under the Kx5 alias has afforded them artistic license to make the music they feel like making while enjoying unequivocal success along the way. “Escape” featuring Hayla acquainted the dance/electronic audience with Kx5 in March. The debut single has since become the number one most-played song on US Dance Radio this year, racking up north of 55 million plays across digital streaming platforms (DSPs) in the process.
The question, “what comes next for Kx5?” was clarified by the multihyphenates’ announcement of their alias’ debut album, due sometime in 2023. The sound that will populate the long-form project remains nebulous, but if “Take Me High” is any indication, Kx5’s free-form nature means that listeners can and should expect the unexpected. Cue, “Take Me High,” a progressive number primed for peak-time play at a festival stage or a sweltering club. In fact, it’s already graced the former; Kx5’s sophomore output notably premiered during their set at EDC Las Vegas in May, turning circuitGROUNDS into a progressive raveland in the process.
“‘Take Me High’ was intended to be a bridge in our EDC set, a song that led from one moment to the next,” Kaskade told Dancing Astronaut. “That night, people really responded to it and suddenly, it started popping up on videos all over social media and different press outlets online started asking for its release. There are times in my career when the audience speaks up and changes the course of a song, and this was one of them. As [we] define our sound, our audience gets to come along and influence the ride. That collaboration between all of us makes the project even more fun for me.” Adds deadmau5, “We’re finding our sound.”
With audible ’90s influence, “Take Me High” hits DSPs with the strength of a trend in mainstream comeback mode—and the energetic charge produced when two of dance music’s most prolific acts put their minds together.
Featured image: Mark Owens
Categories: Music