Rising Irish electronic duo SX2 return with their most uncompromising release to date, unveiling the new EP POWDER!, out January 23 via Disco Halal. The four-track project finds brothers Clive Sullivan and Scott Sullivan operating at full throttle, channeling a visceral psychedelic club sound forged from live instrumentation, rough edges, and unfiltered physical energy.
Refusing the safety of polished club conventions, POWDER! blurs the boundary between dance floor and mosh pit. Distorted guitars, warped synths, and pounding rhythms replace sterile formulas, as SX2 tear into a sound that feels confrontational, sweaty, and alive. It’s a record built for dark rooms and flashing strobes, where chaos and control collide.
“The POWDER! EP really kicks open the door to the psychedelic club sound we’ve always loved,” the duo explain. “Some of these tracks are among our earliest work — songs we never thought we’d release. We get bored easily by club music that plays by the rules, so this became our most hands-on project yet. Guitars, synths, live recording — anything to give the tracks a real human feel. It’s a clear sign of where SX2 is heading next: live performance.”
Much of the EP was recorded live, with imperfection embraced as a feature rather than a flaw. The result is SX2 at their most exposed and honest, smashing four-to-the-floor club propulsion into rock ’n’ roll urgency. It signals a future rooted in physical performance and shared experience, not playlists or algorithms.
The release is led by the title track “POWDER!,” a high-voltage indie-dance rush that pairs post-punk grit with soaring, shout-along choruses. The track features Glen Brady of Def Nettle, whose career includes collaborations with Dolores O’Riordan of The Cranberries, R.E.M., and Andy Rourke of The Smiths.
“Glen is an absolute legend,” say SX2. “After diving into the latest Def Nettle album, we knew we had to reach out. ‘POWDER!’ came together fast. It’s a statement track — bright lights and late nights, ripped jeans and white lines, total overload of body, brain, and spirit.”
Hailing from Waterford, Ireland, SX2 formed in 2017, evolving from bedroom experiments into a staple of the Irish underground. They currently hold a monthly residency at Electric Avenue, run their own party series Ruze, and have closed festival stages at Electric Picnic and All Together Now.
Their releases have earned support from forward-thinking tastemakers including Keinemusik, John Digweed, Moscoman, and Dave Seaman, reinforcing SX2 as artists who refuse to be boxed into a single sound or scene.
With POWDER!, SX2 throw open the doors to their next chapter — one built for the stage, the sweat, and the collective roar of a crowd pushed to the edge.
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