MM Exclusive: K Motionz

K Motionz has spent the last few years cementing himself as one of the most exciting young names in UK Drum and Bass. Breaking through early with a debut album at just 19, and now sitting on more than 130 million global Spotify streams, the producer has grown from an underground standout to a key figure in the genre’s new wave.

Around the release of his latest project Redline, he’s continuing to push boundaries — this time leaning heavily into the growing connection between Drum and Bass and UK rap, with features from the likes of Clavish, Songer, Capo Lee, and Arka. As his self-built live experience ‘Crowd Control’ reshapes how fans engage with DnB shows, K Motionz is stepping into 2026 with momentum and a clear vision for where his sound is heading next:

I saw you in 2019 at a venue in Bournemouth called Eden which is a 400-capacity venue, you would have been 19 back then. Looking back at a venue like that to what you’re doing now with crowd control, how surreal does that feel? 

Yeah, that’s mad! Sometimes you have to sit back and think about it and realise it is something to be proud of. I’m just trying to make tunes and then think about it in 20 years time but maybe I should do that more.

So, you’ve got Redline dropping on Friday and I really like the features you’ve got on there. Was it always the plan to have quite a few UK rappers on there? Or was it like you made the songs and you thought a specific person would sound good on it and made it happen?

Yeah that was always the plan, alongside some really talented singers. I was just making what I would listen to – essentially it was like delving into my brain – what would I listen to sat in my studio/in the rave? That’s what I was trying to go for.

I for sure had an idea on who I wanted to work with on this mixtape. I’d make ideas for specific rappers in mind. It was exciting working with new people from different genres like Clavish, Capo, Arka. It’s something for me to learn as well, working with other people in different worlds. It makes me a better producer!

What do you think people like Clavish and Capo bring to a D&B track that’s maybe like an MC, like an Eksman or like an Azza and Grima might bring? Is it slightly different working with those types of artists compared to a D&B MC in those different spaces? 

When I was working with Clavish and Capo who hadn’t made anything at DNB tempo before, I was basically showing demos that were at 80-90 BPM. Which is essentially half-time, so if you double it, it goes to 174/170/180. That’s what I said to Clavish when we were in the studio. I was playing him this drill sketch thing that I made with a friend of mine, Cam, which was at 90 BPM and then we double timed it when Clav had recorded.

Clavish was one of the more interesting features on the project, a lot of people would never have put him on a D&B tune but it works so well, right?

It’s one of those things where you need to jump outside the box a bit and try and have fun and work with people that you wouldn’t really expect to work with. It was a pleasure to work with everyone on the project. Working with Clavish, Arka, Capo really opened my eyes up to another world sonically that I’m grateful for.

The other track that I personally have been waiting for is the Emily Makis track. You’ve obviously already had hits together with ‘High Note’ and ‘Only You’ before. what was it like working with her again?  

We weren’t really planning to make another one, it sort of just happened and that’s the best way for these things to go. There were fans direct messaging me like we need the hattrick (laughs), so we did and I’m really glad it happened. All three of our tracks together all have that same raw/club energy. I’m really proud of those records. Emily Makis is one of my all time favourite singer/songwriters – she’s unbelievably talented.

Your sounds evolved quite a lot from back when I first discovered you, in fact one of the first things I ever heard was your 17k mix on Soundcloud which was a lot more Jump Up focused but you’ve drifted out of that lane, how did that change come about?

Oh my, that feels like forever ago! That mix did a lot for me back in the day. Crazy!! I’d made Jump Up for years and years but around that time I was 18 or 19 I really wanted to jump more into the song writing aspect of production, so I decided to branch out into making tracks like High Note, Infinite Freedom.

It feels like now UK rap and D&B are more hand in hand than they’ve ever been. You’ve got P-Money doing a lot of D&B right now, ArrDee’s jumped on some D&B tunes, do you think that link up is closer than it’s ever been why do you think that is?

I feel like it’s the merging of two entirely different sonic things that excites the listener. Fusing two things into one brings in floods of new fans that didn’t realise they liked drum and bass. I feel like Backbone (Stormzy and Chase & Status) was a turning point which made it acceptable for big rappers to be able to do this in a genre that’s quite underground and would be called niche, but now it’s catapulted into another world over the last few years and people are very accepting of it.

Do you feel like you’re helping bring a new audience into drum and bass with these collabs? 

Yeah, well I hope so! That’s what I’m trying to do. I’m trying to make music for myself and give something to the people to love and obsess over and put on repeat.

Are there any tracks on Redline that you think show where you’re trying to go next creatively? 

I feel like my favourite song on there would be ‘Expectations’. The instrumentation across that record is something I’m really happy with. I love challenging myself within the song writing aspect of making music and making something you really feel & resonate with for a long time. Also, the Arka record has that gritty, menacing garage sound which is something I’m tapping into as well, like I did with ‘Beamin’ – challenging myself in another genre.

I want to talk a little bit about your live shows and crowd control because that’s become a massive part of where you’re at right now. When did you realise you wanted to take the step up to a massive production like that?

It all started in New Zealand, I just put on a free 360 party in a cocktail bar and just thought let’s just see how this goes. You didn’t see too many 360 events within this space. You see it with Boiler Room mainly and I thought this needs to be done a bit more in DnB. The pop up ended up being mental and the reception it got online was surreal. I knew I had to do something like this in the UK.

I got back home and me and my team started planning how we could do it because some venues were a bit funny about a 360 setup, but we managed to do it. We started off at 60 Dock Road which is quite small, but we wanted to do it small and give it a go and test the waters. We then did a full UK tour which sold out entirely, which still blows my mind to this day. We did our first full production show in Electric Brixton in London 1500 people sold out. That day will truly live with me forever! Just over a year later in Feb 2025  we decided to attempt The Roundhouse in Camden. Which also sold out with 2500 fans. I remember that day like it was yesterday, the nerves, the excitement. It’s mad to see how far it’s come, I’m really grateful.

Another one of your ventures I saw recently was your D&B in a car set in Hollywood. How did that come about and what’s the setup like for that?

There’s an artist called 33 Below who is an amazing producer and he posted his set from that Heds Drum and Bass in a car set. He’s on the same management company as me so I hit up his manager and said “Wtf is this haha! Sick, How does this work? I’m in LA next week.” We got it sorted and I linked up with the guys and couldn’t believe how sick the setup actually was in the car, full speaker setup, everything.  That was such a mad experience. I had to imagine I was playing GTA driving around LA obviously…

Have you had any other surreal or memorable live moments similar to that at your own shows?

As of recently I did a festival called Hidden Valley in Auckland. The line-up was Wilkinson, Myself, Kettama, Chris Stussy and a few others. I played after Kettama to 15,000 people or something mental like that, it was one of the craziest things. I walked out on stage and the crowd just erupted, it gave me goosebumps. After all these years of DJing to have my mind blown by a crowd of people and how much people love it it’s surreal. Hearing them sung back to me in that part of the world it’s crazy, it never gets old. I can’t express how grateful I am. 

Does the energy from those festivals and the big shows that you do ever influence the music you’re trying to make or do you just make what you want to make because it sounds good to you?

In some ways I make tunes for the crowd, yes, but I will never make something and put it out there that I’m not feeling. I’m never going to play something I don’t like, I have to love it as well.

Looking at this year then, obviously you’ve got ‘Redline’ coming out, is there anything else you’re trying to achieve for the rest of this year?

I’m going to make a load of new music now the mixtape is done; I’m going to focus on what’s next. I’m working on something massive at the moment. It’s going to take me a while to sort. I don’t think people are going to expect it either, it’s got me gassed. That’s all I’m going to say on it for now. I’m looking forward to putting out more new music in the coming months after ‘Redline’. I’m going to work with some other people across different genres; it’s all exciting stuff.

Finally, the last question I’ve got for you, it’s something I touched on a little bit earlier, what would an 18-year-old K Motionz think of where you’re at now? If he could see what you’re doing now what would he think or say?

I think he’d say keep doing what you’re doing because what you’re doing now has got you to where you are. You don’t need to change and keep making what you want to make & finally make sure you’re happy in general. Regardless of all the noise that’s around you■

Redline is out now and available across all major platforms.

Words by Tom Dingley