Download EG.673 Khen: http://bit.ly/2H5ddkX
The jury is in and the likes of Guy J, Sasha, industry media and an exponentially growing fan base across the globe are in agreement; all signs point to who the next big thing to come out of the dance music hotbed that is Israel will be.
Content with shouldering the pressure that comes with the tune of lofty praise and hailing from Tel Aviv, a city with an astounding lineage of dance music greats in Guy Mantzur, Guy Gerber, Shlomi Aber, Sahar Z and confidant Guy J, this 27 year old wunderkind has carved out a path of his own while staying true to his heritage. With a hypnotic and emotionally charged style that blends early 2000s progressive with house grooves and elements of contemporary techno, Khen possesses a truly idiosyncratic sound that transcends genres.
Going back to when it at all began, Khen, or Hen, immersed himself in the world of dance music at an early age under the tutelage of his older brother. When not busy learning how to play the piano, 6 year old Khen mixed records using two cassette decks. When he stood before a set of Technics 1210s for the first time, he was yet to blow out the candles on the day of his 9th birthday.
Gifted with an almost unsettling talent discovered early in life, he was encouraged by his sibling to start producing at 11. He instantly became spellbound by the process of creating music and opted to spend all his spare time in front of Cubase and his brothers Moog synth instead of the playground.
Soon, the grapevine got going. A buzz amongst the house and techno faithful in Tel Aviv started building and the scene started to yearn for the young prodigy to showcase his productions on a dance floor. He gladly obliged and ended up playing his debut club show at merely 15 at Tel Aviv’s legendary Dome venue.
After years of honing his skills both in the studio and behind the decks, his music hit the ears of Guy Mantzur in 2011, who promptly signed him to his Plattenbank imprint. Proving to become a catalyst event, the 22 year old Khen regained his focused and determination to pursue music. Since, he has released on labels in the likes of Lowbit, Nick Warren’s Hope and perhaps most notably Hernan Cattaneo’s Sudbeat and Guy J’s Lost & Found.
On the club end, the most coveted DJ booths in Tel Aviv he once looked up at from the dance floor are now a second home. The Cat & Dog, Shalvata, Monochrome and Aria Downstairs have all played host to his masterful skills. With his allure growing beyond the shores of his home country in the recent year, he has visited revered clubs and festivals in the likes of Bahrein, RLGC 044, Pacha, Chips, Amsterdam Dance Event and more.
Finishing 2015 off with a debut offering on Canadian label microCastle, home to Dosem, Jeremy Olander, King Unique and Marc Marzenit, his Pollen Spreader EP saw, amongst others, support from Hernan Cattaneo, Nick Warren, Guy J, Jeremy Olander, Dixon, Guy Mantzur, Joris Voorn, Dubfire, Robert Babicz, Edu Imbernon, Nic Fanciulli and Sasha. Upon its release, it became his biggest chart success to date and peaked at number 2 and 10 respectively on the Beatport top 100 progressive and overall releases charts.
With a slew of original releases, remixes, collaborations and a huge rumoured project on Guy J’s Lost & Found, a label he now calls home, 2016 is there for the taking and looks to become Khen’s break-through year many have predicted.
