ABOUT

MC Xander is a UK-based singer, rapper and producer whose socially conscious lyrics and vocal-driven productions fuse rap, reggae, electronic and devotional music.

Born in Kenya and raised in Scotland and on England’s south coast, Xander relocated to London at 19 to study Music at the University of Westminster. Although he initially focused on folk music, London’s electronic scene quickly captivated him. A chance encounter beatboxing into the ear of Fat! Records’ Paul Arnold earned Xander a residency at the legendary Chew the Fat! club night at The End, kick-starting his rise in the capital’s underground electronic music scene.

In the 2010s, Xander joined the live breakbeat outfit Atomic Hooligan, recording and touring internationally while also lending his vocals to projects by Dub FX, Ganga White Night, DJ Hyper, One Taste, Eddy Temple-Morris, Rennie Pilgrem and more. This period sharpened his skills as a vocalist/front-man but also convinced him to begin his own forays into recording and production.

Xander’s self-produced debut solo album, Eyeopeness (2011), marked a shift towards a rawer, hip-hop-inspired lyricism over a soundscape of ambient and choral textures with his voice serving as the sole instrument. Live loop station sessions for tracks like “Spaceship Earth,” “Sick of the Lies” and “White Light,” filmed by YouTuber Ben Dowden, went viral, amassing millions of views and helping to cement his reputatation as one of the pioneers of both live-looping and the independent-artist-without-label model.

Despite Eyeopeness’ success, Xander felt compelled to delve deeper into the themes of consciousness and spirituality woven through his lyrics. He began devoting much of his time to Buddhist meditation practice and embarked on a PhD in Psychology, completing a book-length thesis entitled “Awe as a Self-Transcending Emotion.” His practices informed a second album, Hymns (2018), which reunited him briefly with electronic textures—most notably on the ragga-DnB single “Higher Nature”—while leaning into a deeper, more devotional sound on tracks such as “Om Muni.”

Following Hymns, Xander encountered the work of Buddhist teacher Rob Burbea, after which he dedicated much of his time to spiritual practice – living in a van, often in remote places, and going on long retreats guided by Rob’s teachings on the jhānas, emptiness, and awakening.

In 2024, after a persistent sore throat, Xander visited an ENT specialist who found a lump in his throat area and was eventually diagnosed with an advanced form of tongue cancer. After aggressive radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and an extended period of recovery, he emerged in remission and, somewhat remarkably, undiminished in voice.

In 2025, a successful Arts Council grant enabled him to complete a (deferred because of the illness) two-year training in Collaborative Vocal Improvisation (CVI) with Briony Greenhill, sparking a fresh phase of vocal experimentation.

Now at work on his third studio album, Xander also teaches vocal improv and mentors emerging and established artists through DHÆMA, his artist development and mentorship programme.