Talk About Sound

The Funk Emperor

Dizzy Gills

Despondence

Movement 26

Nutha J

Save A Dolla

Songwriter and producer Keith Smackdown (a.k.a. Daniel McKenzie) fuses a colourful blend of jazz-funk and soulful hip-hop, surging through listener’s bodies with his limitless grooves and mesmerising sounds. The charisma of Keith Smackdown’s music is a densely layered instrumental outfit that splurges on hypnotic melodies, vitalising rhythmic surges, and a driving motive to feel alive.
Aside from being a seasoned performer in Melbourne’s music scene with his co-founded planetary acid-jazz collective AstroVillain, Keith Smackdown has found his solo sound through years of producing in his bedroom studio. This product includes loft hip-hop beats, electro-funk and jazztronica dance tracks, as well as collaborations with vocalists such as Elaura (“Run Your World” released 2024) and Isadora (“When You’re Round” released 2022). In 2021, Keith Smackdown released “Agent Jawbones” through the label Sidekick Music, which now has over 74,000 steams on Spotify, and in 2022 he released “Starvin’ 4 Ur Lovin” through Mellowax Records (Sony Music Entertainment, Denmark) as part of a various artists compilation called Second Sight. This year has already seen the release of his latest beat-tape “The Heat Check Beat Collection” featuring 12 groovy instrumental tracks.
His transcendent dance tunes and psychedelic grooves put listener's necks at risk of injury, unveiling a euphoric sound experiment with inspiration drawn from MNDSGN, Henry Wu, Harvey Sutherland and Kaytranada.

September 19th will see the release of his debut album "SUBJECT MATTER", which features collaborations with various Melbourne vocalists such as Emma Volard, GIO, Miss Emilia, Chris Heskett and Madison Deslandes, as well as instrumental talents Felix Meredith, Ash Griffin and Archibald Pommelhorse.

KEITH SMACKDOWN

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