Out now: KAVARI – PLAGUE MUSIC

Liverpool-born, Glasgow-based electronic producer KAVARI unveils PLAGUE MUSIC, her debut EP for XL Recordings. Arriving today through the label’s legendary House Bag series, PLAGUE MUSIC represents KAVARI’s most concentrated and unrelenting work yet; a statement that refines her distinctive sound, expands her creative universe, and establishes her presence on XL with purpose and precision.The four-track EP evolved through repeated revisions, each iteration stripping back and rebuilding the sound to sharpen its focus and intent. Building on the foundations of her 2022 EP Suture – which garnered significant acclaim and received notable airplay from Aphex Twin during his performances – PLAGUE MUSIC ventures deeper into darker, more confrontational sonic landscapes.

Drawing from drum & bass, dubstep, and noise, the EP imagines a world in decay, reflecting a sense of global instability and emotional unease. KAVARI deliberately sidesteps EDM conventions, emphasising the genre’s intensity and impact while stripping away any sense of escapist lightness. Across the four tracks, sound design becomes a narrative tool: traces of human presence – breath, movement, and spatial textures – collide with abrasive electronic elements that blur the line between rhythm and experimental. Lead single ‘IRON VEINS’ was the first demo written for the project, establishing the project’s raw emotional core, and came alongside a video directed by long-time collaborator Game Nova. ‘PULSE’ incorporates a warped sample from Salad Fingers, while ‘SERPENT CHAMBER’ features snake recordings woven into its textures. These details give the EP a tangible, bodily presence, grounding its atmosphere in both the mind and the dancefloor.

Having earned early and enduring support from Aphex Twin, Ethel Cain, Ninajirachi, Flume, and Yeule, PLAGUE MUSIC positions KAVARI as a bold, visionary force in electronic music, pushing the boundaries of genre while creating work that is as emotionally gripping as it is physically powerful.

Purchase / stream PLAGUE MUSIC here.