Kelpe

Kelpe is the electronic music project of Kel McKeown, who is from Loughborough, England. He begins making music as a teenager, using a Commodore Amiga and sampler, and that early interest in sampling and sequencing shapes his later work.

Style and influences

His music draws on a wide range of influences, including the bleeps-and-bass sound associated with early Warp artists, the funk of Sly Stone, the minimalism of Steve Reich and Harmonia, and the percussive textures of Tortoise and Do Make Say Think. His output combines beat-driven electronics with changing, exploratory production.

Recordings and releases

Kelpe comes to DC Recordings in early 2003. His first release for the label is the 12-inch EP The People are Trying to Sleep. He follows this with the album Sea Inside Body, which appears in 2004 and is described by The Wire as one of the most engrossing listens in recent electronic music. In 2005 he releases the 12-inch Sunburnt Eyelids. His 2008 releases include the double LP Ex-Aquarium and the remix companion Extraquarium, which features contributions from Zombie Zombie, Fulgeance, Architeq and others. His third full-length album, Cambio Wechsel, arrives in 2009.

Live work and collaborations

To support Ex-Aquarium, Kelpe teams up with drummer Chris Walmsley, also known as All Traps Set, for a live setup that combines a traditional drum kit, MPC-style beat manipulation and laptop performance. The duo plays sold-out shows supporting acts including Holy Fuck and To Rococo Rot, and performs in places including Lithuania and California. Kelpe and Walmsley share stages with acts such as Aphex Twin, Jaki Liebezeit, Prefuse 73 and Daedelus. Walmsley also appears as a guest on Cambio Wechsel, providing percussion on the track Closed Cup Headroom.

Remixing

Kelpe also works as a remixer, reworking tracks by Red Snapper, Jean Jacques Perrey, The Oscillation, Eliot Lipp, Fulgeance and Architeq.