Melé

Renowned for invigorating the dancefloor with fuel injected dynamism, Melé (AKA Krissy Peers) is an artist who has worked tirelessly to achieve his position as a revered selector and producer. Over the past decade Melé has developed a niche sound of his own that utilises a mesh of world music-influenced house, transatlantic hip hop, broader UK sounds and classic Chicago grooves. The Liverpool native has gained worldwide recognition, while maintaining a humble and hard working ethos.

Despite the downturn in gigs and dance floor vibes, 2020 proved to be a productive time for Melé. April saw the arrival of dance floor-ready EP Conga Mode on his own Club Bad imprint, a release which has accrued over 400k streams on Spotify since its release. Meanwhile, his highly anticipated The Panther EP dropped in October via Circus Recordings adding a darker hue to his signature carnival-inspired sound. He joined forces with infamous South African spoken word artist Lazarusman on the title track, accompanied by the brilliant and equally anthemic b-side ‘L1 Via Detroit’. The record made a massive impact, with both tracks receiving acclaim from the likes of Pete Tong, Black Coffee and Annie Mac.

Melé’s long list of achievements continues to grow with each release. From clocking up hundreds of thousands of streams across his discography, to his tracks achieving chart success, it’s clear his music resonates consistently with fans and tastemakers. For instance, his cut ‘Groove La Afrika’ hit the No.1 spot in Beatport’s Afro House chart and reached No.16 in the main Beatport chart with plays across the board from national UK, USA and Australian radio stations. Next up will be the second part of his Soul On Ice EP project, landing on Club Bad, plus Take Control (with fellow Liverpudlian Bontan), which has been signed by industry powerhouse Defected.

2020 also saw Melé cook up a slew of high-profile remix projects – taking on the likes of Armand Van Helden, Tom Everett, Josie Man and a hugely popular rework of Future Utopia’s ‘Million$bill’, the collaborations project of Grammy winning producer Fraser T Smith. More recently he’s added his unique touch to ‘O Samba E’ by Frank Degrees on Soulfuric Trax and ‘Vision 9’ by STR4TA (AKA Gilles Peterson and Bluey) on Brownswood Recordings. Melé’s unique appeal demonstrated by the sheer breadth of his profile, appearing on labels as diverse as Brownswood and Defected, and performing shows for Elrow and Gilles Peterson’s We Out Here Festival. A wide range of platforms that represent his broad, yet cohesive approach.

Melé also launched a series of socially distanced Club Bad events through the summer and launched a brand new merchandise collection via the Club Bad & UN:IK collaboration. Support has been widespread with press coverage in Mixmag, and fans and peers across the industry proudly wearing the bold designs.

Though he’s been releasing music since 2008, it was ‘Ambience’ the 2015 carnival-charged riddim that not only kickstarted his prolific career but also spearheaded the resurgence of the tribal house movement. Since then, Melé’s catalogue has expanded into an extensive collection of eclectic, yet cohesive productions, encompassing his unique approach and including an impressive range of influential labels. The aforementioned The Panther and Conga Mode appeared alongside two huge releases on Eats Everything’s Edible, DJ Haus’ Unknown to the Unknown, plus Krissy’s own In The House compilation on the legendary Defected Records (following in the footsteps of Loco Dice, Masters at Work and Nic Fanculli). Not to mention more huge remixes for the likes of Mabel, George Morel, and Friendly Fires as well as his production efforts for Ray Blk and Kano in collaboration with Fraser T Smith.

Pre-pandemic Melé was on the road consistently, every weekend, showcasing his unique ability to strike the perfect balance between party-fuelled plays and esteemed, underground sessions by headlining a broad spectrum of club and festival hotspots including Gilles Peterson’s lauded Worldwide Festival to the legendary elrow in Barcelona. He’s also taken on US tours playing the likes of EDC Vegas and EDC Mexico, CRSSD, Smart Bar (Chicago), Sound (LA), Halcyon (San Francisco) as well as being confirmed for what would have been Coachella’s 2020 edition at the Yuma stage. Other accolades include BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix, which he recorded in 2019, further cementing his status as an artist who is respected within the electronic music industry and by fans all over the world.

As well as his club and studio exploits, Melé has also established the Club Bad as a multi-faceted brand. Launched as a party in 2018, it has evolved into a fashion line and record label, maintaining the core ethos of high quality across all of its outlets. Artists who have appeared on the label include Bontan, Joeski, Yolanda Be Cool, Salvia Commandos, Ossie, Ben Gomori and Melé himself.

Still young and hungry, Melé has already achieved a reputation usually reserved for veteran artists. Modest, committed and exceptionally talented, he is one of the foremost UK artists of his generation. Driven by the same excitement and energy that first attracted him to dance music, he continues to drive forward, bringing good vibes and positive energy to every project…