Kelpe

Kelpe serves as the performing moniker for Kel McKeown, an electronic musician and producer rooted in London. Raised in the academic enclave of Loughborough, England, he first toyed with sound during his teenage years in the early 1990s, crafting basic rave rhythms on a Commodore Amiga and sampler. Although he joined several adolescent groups, his musical pursuits lapsed temporarily, only resuming after college once a friend urged him to forward a demo to the capital’s DC Recordings imprint. Drawing from electronica practitioners such as Prefuse 73, Boards of Canada, and the broader Warp roster, he secured a deal with DC, which issued his inaugural 12-inch EP, People Are Trying to Sleep, in 2003. The following year brought his first full-length, Sea Inside Body, which earned enthusiastic notices in outlets including Wire. Refining a jagged blend of found sounds, samples, and hazy electronics, he delivered two further albums on the label—Ex-Aquarium in 2008 and Cambio Wechsel in 2009—alongside additional EPs. During this period he also supplied remixes for acts including the British instrumental outfit Red Snapper and French electronic trailblazer Jean-Jacques Perrey. Departing DC in 2010, he issued the Margins EP via Black Acre and the Chocolate Money EP via Fremdtunes; both sets gained exposure through prominent BBC broadcasters. Expanded live activity followed, encompassing solo performances and joint shows with longtime drummer Chris Walmsley (Psapp, Broadcast) across Europe, the U.K., and the United States. Establishing the DRUT imprint in 2013, he unveiled his fourth album, The Golden Eagle, the next year.