MC XANDER

I am a singer, rapper and producer from Bristol, UK, who makes lyrical and vocal-driven productions fusing hip-hop, dub, electronic, folk and devotional music.

Born in Kenya and growing up in Scotland and on England’s south coast, I moved to London when I was 19 to study music at the University of Westminster. Although I initially focused on folk, London’s electronic scene totally captivated me. A chance encounter beatboxing into the ear of Fat! Records’ Paul Arnold earned me a residency at the legendary Chew the Fat! club night at The End, kick-starting my involvement in London’s vibrant electronica scene.

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

My self-produced debut solo album, Eyeopeness (2011), marked a shift away from electronics and towards a rawer, hip-hop-inspired lyricism over a soundscape of ambient and choral textures with my voice serving as the sole instrument. Live loopstation sessions for tracks like “Spaceship Earth,” “Sick of the Lies” and “White Light,” filmed by YouTuber Ben Dowden, went viral, amassing millions of views which lead to lots of people getting into my music and going on a number of international tours.

Despite Eyeopeness’s success, during this time, I felt compelled to delve deeper into the themes of consciousness and spirituality that are woven into my lyrics. I began devoting much of my time to Buddhist meditation practice and embarked on a PhD in Psychology, completing a book-length thesis that took almost five years entitled “Awe as a Self-Transcending Emotion.” Those practices and questions informed a second album, Hymns (2018), which reunited me briefly with electronic textures—most notably on the ragga-DnB single “Higher Nature”—while I found myself opening to a deeper, more devotional sound on tracks such as “Om Muni.”

Just after Hymns was released, my life changed forever when I encountered the work of Buddhist teacher Rob Burbea. After some very deep experiences on a particular retreat in 2019, I decided to dedicate much of my 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.

My life took an unexpected turn in 2024 when, after a persistent sore throat, I visited an ENT specialist who found a lump in my throat that was eventually diagnosed as an advanced form of tongue cancer.

I was incredibly lucky. After aggressive radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and an extended period of recovery, I emerged in remission and, miraculously, mostly undiminished in voice.

In 2025, a successful Arts Council grant enabled me to complete a two-year training in Collaborative Vocal Improvisation (CVI) with Briony Greenhill and develop a live-looping platform based on this amazing artform (forthcoming)

Now at work on my third studio album, I also teach vocal improv and mentor emerging and established artists through DHÆMA, my artist development and mentorship programme.