While the current wave of European techno producers are in a frenzied race, flooring the accelerator and pushing the boundaries of BPMs into unforgiving, industrial territory, Canadian veteran Kash Khan, operating as DJ XXL, has done the opposite. His new two-track EP, ‘Ghetto Shht’, released on Deep Elite, is a calculated retreat from the rampant speed, offering a textbook example of deep, hypnotic rhythms that command attention without resorting to sonic violence.
For years, DJ XXL has been celebrated for his hybrid ‘ghettotech’ sound, a style that weaponises basslines and fuses raw hip-hop aesthetics with pounding four-to-the-floor momentum. It’s a style that has set the foundation for his new EP, creating a dominant, forceful presence, an uncompromising vision built around a calculated, undeniable groove. It refuses the gloss and glamour of typical club productions, maintaining a sense of weight and purpose that feels utterly vital on the dance floor. You can almost hear XXL addressing his peers in the scene with his personal philosophy, which has become the mantra for this release: “I don’t make beats like that… I make beats with grooves, beats with soul, beats with funk, beats that make me fucking move and grind.”
Where the original mix is a sharp, deliberate strike, the ‘Lo-The Edit’ feels like the visceral after-party. It strips away any remaining polish to deliver something animalistic, hitting like a victory lap carved from raw, gritty sound design. It never loses the core heat of the track but introduces an extra layer of grime and texture, cementing the idea that Khan’s approach is about feeling over finesse. The hypnotic repetitions work perfectly, drawing the listener in until they are locked into the rhythm, proving that you don't need deafening percussion or dizzying speed to achieve high-impact results.
In a scene where many tracks are becoming tragically indistinguishable, ‘Ghetto Shht’ provides a necessary corrective. It’s an infectious, soulful, and undeniably funky take on modern techno, a powerful reminder that the best dance music is built on foundations of groove, not just relentless pace.
You can stream the new EP today, and for more, catch DJ XXL on Instagram and YouTube.
