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Following on from his standout debut EP with Steel City Dance Discs back in 2021, Galway’s gold-toothed prince is now set to be crowned with the arrival of “Fallen Angel”, KETTAMA’s second EP via Steel City Dance Discs. Having gained colossal momentum during the Irishman’s unrelenting touring schedule, the anticipation surrounding this release is palpable, and is now finally imminent.

KETTAMA has reached a perfect crescendo with “Fallen Angel”; a potent six-track serving of intricately engineered sounds, as the producer bleeds notes of 90s trance and soul into pulsating, percussion ladened grooves and grueling bass, resulting in a deeply contagious melting pot of sound.

“1997” sets the wheels in motion for this project, as KETTAMA blends a soulful vocal sample with rising chords and an implacable drum pattern: a masterfully coordinated balance that remains consistent throughout the duration of this EP. Initially released as a single, title track “Fallen Angel” plays testimony to this remedy, with its delicate vocals and piano accompaniment, which are carefully woven into the fabric alongside a sonorous bassline.

“Fly Away XTC” is the diamond-plated lead-track from the EP, with anticipation for its release reaching new heights after a successful series of tests on the tour. The track blatantly showcases KETTAMA’s defining characteristics, as the producer bleeds ethereal vocals and masterful percussion into the fold, while the featured G-TOWN remix is driven by a series of piercing rave stabs and gut-hurdling bass. The otherworldly nature of Fly Away XTC is set to be further echoed on screen too, with a music video directed by Hugh Mulhern, who has previously worked for the likes of Fontaines DC and Hak Baker, set to explore themes of extraterrestrial beings and pagan practices within a rural setting in KETTAMA’s native Ireland.

Having been released as a single two months prior to the full EP, “Feeling Emotions” ignited the flame for "Fallen Angel", ultimately laying the foundations for the eagerly-anticipated project that would follow. The track again reinforces the unfailing relationship between entrancing vocal samples and a boundless drum pattern, something that is then echoed and mastered in the colossal closing track, “Found My Angel”.

“Fallen Angel” is a body of work that not only epitomizes the ever-evolving nature of KETTAMA’s sound, but also provides us with an insight into the potential trajectory and direction of one of Ireland’s most promising exports. It is an omnipotent powerhouse of sound, a perhaps generation-defining project that is fueled by nostalgia, and charged by a wildly forward-thinking personality, unveiling something undeniably timeless.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Techno's current poster boy continues to fire on all cylinders for what has become his spiritual home - Steel City Dance Discs. The Newcastle (Australia) label has also rightfully become somewhat of a flag bearer for the modern scene. With records like this it's easy to get the hype...

TRACK LISTING

A1. Fly Away XTC 
A2. Fly Away XTC (G-Town Mix) 
A3. 1997 
B1. Feeling Emotions 
B2. Found My Angel 
B3. Fallen Angel