Kamixlo's piledriving club music is making an Impact - Impact - Mixmag
Impact

Kamixlo's piledriving club music is making an Impact

The Londoner has broken ground as part of the Bala Club collective

  • Words: Seb Wheeler | Lead image: Mark Cole
  • 14 February 2017

Impact is a series that's dedicated to profiling new artists who are about to turn dance music on its head. Next up: Kamixlo

Kamixlo is one of the driving forces behind Bala Club, an artist collective that's ripping up the rules of underground club music. So far he's released two EPs of industrial-strength reggaeton – 'Demonico' in 2015 and 'Angélico' in 2016 – and his equally hefty track selection as a DJ has landed him gigs at OHM, Razzmatazz, Cakeshop, Unsound festival and, most brilliantly of all, Ministry Of Sound.

The Londoner's music has ruptured the scene in which he operates and in just two years Kamixlo has gone from upping tracks to SoundCloud to inspiring a new wave of club kids who are intent on bringing visceral new energy to dancefloors across Europe and North America. Hurtle through certain online rabbit holes and you'll find umpteen tracks that nod to the riotous production of the Bala Club stable.

Kamixlo's Impact mix reveals just why people are drawn to Bala Club: there are no boundaries, evidenced by rowdy nu metal remixes segueing into feisty rap tracks; nothing is sacred and everything is for the taking, which is why a thundering 'Bad And Boujee' edit and the best bit of 'Till I Come' are included; the booming lope of reggaeton is ever present, homage to his Chilean heritage and, of course, there are beats from other members of the collective, notably a new dub from his brother and Bala Club co-conspirator Uli-K. Fuck everything you've been taught, because new possibilities lie within.

Bala Club had an amazing year in 2016. How is the crew going to build on that?

2016 was a dream. The first party on NYD, lots of release, so many dream line-ups. We're gonna keep evolving what Bala Club is. We've got our record label up and running now and we have lots of events planned.

You put on a party in a wrestling gym recently – why is it important to throw parties in non club spaces?

As I mentioned we've got lots of events planned this year and hopefully most of them will be out of the club. Bala Club has always been about putting on live stuff, too. I feel like I've mentioned this somewhere before but I'll say it again: Me and Uli were never into clubbing and nightlife but it's the only place our stuff gets played and the only place where we get a chance to perform. Bala Club live 2k17 coming soon.

Can you expand on what Bala Club live will be like?

I don't wanna leak too much – it's gonna be only live performances with a Bala Club stage design and there'll be a few live debuts there too. That's all I should say for now, I guess. We've done quite a lot in the club but I feel like sometimes it's a bit restricting. In a proper concert venue we can build a huge stage set-up and put on any kind of performance.

You should take Bala Club on tour, right?

100 per cent – who out there wants to help us make this tour happen tho? Touring with fam would be a dream. It's already amazing getting booked around the world with my friends for one off shows, next step is a proper Bala Club tour for sure.

 
 
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