Hello everyone it’s your host Daniel from Dulaxi, and today I have with me the exceptional artist Keeble from Essex, England. And Keeble is here to discuss the recent debut album “Totemic” which was released on May 29th, 2026. So, welcome, Keeble! But before we begin our interview, to our audience; here is what you need to know about this artist.
Emerging from Essex, England, Keeble is a distinctive indie-pop artist whose sound exists within the captivating intersection of indie pop, psych pop, dystopian disco, and plastic psych. Driven by instinctive production choices and deeply felt emotional undercurrents, Keeble creates music that resembles late-night reflections beneath a fractured mirrorball, simultaneously danceable, disorienting, introspective, and intimately human. With a creative vision rooted in exploring the complexities of identity, transformation, and emotional evolution, Keeble has introduced a compelling artistic statement through the debut album Totemic, released on May 29th, 2026. The ten-track project serves as an immersive journey into a world of personal totems, where symbols of confinement and liberation, rage and release, adaptation and stillness coexist within richly layered sonic landscapes. Fusing the infectious pulse of dystopian disco with the expansive textures of psych-pop, Totemic unfolds as a ritual of self-discovery set against the backdrop of modern chaos. The album showcases remarkable emotional and musical range, moving from the soaring momentum of “Planes” and the claustrophobic tension of “Caged” to the bruising intensity of “Bruiser” and the expansive, disco-driven freedom of “Wilderness.” At the heart of the record lies “Return to Centre,” a poignant centerpiece featuring vulnerable vocals layered over an 808 beat and wistful piano arrangements, embodying the album’s emotional depth and reflective core. Through Totemic, Keeble establishes a unique artistic identity, delivering a debut that is both sonically adventurous and emotionally resonant while inviting listeners into a transformative exploration of instinct, vulnerability, and self-understanding.
Having this brief Introduction about Keeble, I’m sure new and current fans must be excited about our Interview today.
INTERVIEW SESSION
Daniel: Keeble operates within indie pop, psych pop, dystopian disco, and plastic psych. How did those influences naturally come together to shape your artistic identity?
Keeble: I have a love of 70s disco grooves, thanks to working in a grocery store for a number of years, whose radio would pump out classics all day long. I’m a fan of psychedelic music too, religiously listening to Pink Floyd in my teens, and more recently the Australian psych scene, artists like Pond and Tame Impala.
Daniel: Your music has been described as “danceable, disorienting and strangely intimate.” How do you balance emotional vulnerability with such energetic and experimental production?
Keeble: I think with Totemic I tried to capture emotions by working quickly, often using the first take. I’ve been producing music since I was 18, and have always had a somewhat experimental approach, usually with a vision for how the song should sound, but sometimes knob twiddling to get inspired.
Daniel: Being based in Essex while creating such immersive and cinematic music, how much has your environment and personal experiences influenced the world Keeble creates?
Keeble: I live next to a woodland, which provides a lot of inspiration, sometimes writing in the woods. Inertia and The Great Adaptors came that way. As for the cinematic sound, I’ve always been a fan of production heavy albums like The Flaming Lips’ Yoshimi and Super Furry Animals Rings Around the World.
Daniel: “Totemic” revolves around primal energy, identity, confinement, liberation, rage, and release. What personal experiences pushed you toward exploring those themes on your debut album?
Keeble: Anything and everything, past experiences, spiritual events. There’s a completely different version of the album hidden somewhere on the Internet, a real mess. I wanted to create something much more succinct and essential, choosing shorter songs with more pop appeal.
Daniel: The album has been described as a ritual of self-discovery set against modern chaos. What does that phrase personally mean to you?
Keeble: I believe when we write music we learn about ourselves in the process, what baggage we’re holding onto, like a form of exorcism. This is the first thing I’ve released into the world as a solo artist, and it feels good.
Daniel: Tracks like “Planes,” “Caged,” “Bruiser,” and “Wilderness” all seem to represent different emotional states. Did you intentionally structure the album as an emotional journey?
Keeble: Album structure and sequencing is very important to me, so that would be a yes. I wanted each song to detail a particular feeling, with distinctly different tempos and song structures.
Daniel: “Return to Centre” is described as the emotional and sonic heart of the album. Why did that particular track become the centerpiece of “Totemic”?
Keeble: It’s an old song that had been written over a period of a few years. It’s maybe the most vulnerable song on the record, about the distressing nature of Schizoaffective disorder, which I have. It’s about trying to find one’s centre, amidst endless ups and downs.
Daniel: Across the album, were there any lyrical lines or moments that felt especially difficult, honest, or transformative for you while writing them?
Keeble: The opening lines to “Gradient Sky” are intensely personal but somehow comical, I think there’s a lot of humour in the album actually. “Return to Centre” was difficult but healing. “Luvvedup” is about an obsessive relationship.
Daniel: “Totemic” blends psych-pop textures with dystopian disco rhythms. What was your approach to building a sound that feels both immersive and emotionally raw?
Keeble: Not overworking sounds, keeping things raw and sometimes distorted, there’s a recklessness to it which I think serves the songs.
Daniel: The album moves between tension, stillness, bruising intensity, and expansive release. How did you approach pacing and sonic transitions across the ten tracks?
Keeble: A lot of it happened organically, some things were more deliberate. “Wilderness” for example was written out of need. I wanted another dancey track to echo “Planes” and bring the listeners into the second half of the album.
Daniel: “Return to Centre” combines vulnerable vocals, 808 beats, and wistful piano. What inspired that specific musical arrangement and emotional atmosphere?
Keeble: That song had gone through many iterations, various demos with different arrangements. I wanted to be brave with it, being a sensitive subject, and leave it naked with only a few layers.
Daniel: As your debut album, how does “Totemic” reflect your growth both as an artist and as a person?
Keeble: I’ve been making music for a long time, “Totemic” I hope is a distillation of what I’ve been working towards. Not overthinking things and making something concise and hopefully appealing.
Daniel: Was there a particular moment during the creation of this album where you felt your perspective on yourself or your artistry change completely?
Keeble: Yes, I think that came with “Planes”, a song about realisation and moving forward. It’s kind of a song I’ve been trying to write for years, something unapologetically poppy.
Daniel: Many of the album’s themes revolve around adaptation and identity. Were you confronting any personal fears or transformations while making this project?
Keeble: Yes, the song “Wilderness” is very much about this, we all have our own wildernesses, our unknowns, our personal battles.
Daniel: Creating a debut album often comes with pressure and expectation. What were some of the biggest challenges you faced while bringing “Totemic” to life?
Keeble: I’ve felt pressure for years, struggling to get the sound I hear in my head, but I’m in a place now where I can finally do that. As for expectations, I try not to worry about that.
Daniel: Looking back at the entire creative process now, what do you think this album taught you about yourself?
Keeble: It has taught me to not hold onto songs for too long, capture the essence and move on. I think I’ve got over my phobia of releasing music.
Daniel: What kind of emotional reaction or connection do you hope listeners experience when they fully immerse themselves in “Totemic”?
Keeble: I hope listeners can immerse themselves in “Totemic” and that it has enough universal themes to relate to. I hope they check it out on headphones, and appreciate the work that’s gone into it.
Daniel: Have early reactions to the album revealed any interpretations or emotional responses from listeners that genuinely surprised you?
Keeble: Haven’t heard a lot yet, but people seem to respond to “Planes”, and “The Great Adaptors” looks to be a deep cut.
Daniel: With “Totemic” introducing listeners to your artistic world so boldly, where do you see Keeble evolving creatively after this release?
Keeble: I’ve got a second album in the works, which I want to be more expansive and psychedelic, maybe even a concept album.
Daniel: Beyond this album, what future projects, performances, or artistic ambitions are you most excited to explore next as Keeble?
Keeble: I’m working on my band Charlie’s Hand Movements’ 5th full length album, which will be released later this year. Other than that, my second album which is already taking shape.
Having Immersed Myself In The Layered Sonic World Of This Thought-provoking And Transformative Album, Here’s My Reflection.
Listening to “Totemic” felt less like hearing a collection of songs and more like stepping into a carefully constructed psychological landscape where dystopian disco and psych-pop collide with experimental electronic textures. Across its ten tracks, the Essex-based artist crafts an immersive sonic world built around themes of confinement and liberation, rage and release, adaptation and stillness, using personal totems as symbols of constant transformation. What impressed me most is the album’s commitment to atmosphere and emotional depth; rather than relying on direct lyrical storytelling, Keeble communicates through repetition, tonal shifts, and richly layered sound design. The production is expansive yet intimate, defined by wide spatial mixing, reverb-soaked textures, subtle rhythmic stability, and a fascinating balance between mechanical precision and ambient diffusion. Vocals function as integral components of the sonic architecture, blending seamlessly into the instrumentation and enhancing the album’s dreamlike, introspective quality. At the heart of the project, “Return to Centre” provides an emotional anchor, pairing vulnerable vocal expression with wistful piano and an understated 808 pulse. Throughout the album, consciousness is portrayed as fluid, unstable, and continuously evolving, reflecting the complexities of identity, internal pressure, and emotional stillness. The result is a captivating and thought-provoking work that transforms psychological transition into sound, making “Totemic” a deeply immersive listening experience that lingers long after its final moments fade.
~ Daniel (Dulaxi Team).
Finally to our audience, I urge to listen to “Totemic”, add its songs to your playlist and be inspired by them, and on behalf of Dulaxi I like to appreciate you all by saying thank you everyone, See you on our next interview.
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