Hey music fans, if you’re craving something that actually feels alive on the dancefloor instead of another polished four-to-the-floor loop, stop what you’re doing and meet Ireland’s SX2. The Waterford-based brothers Clive and Scott Sullivan just dropped their boldest release yet: the four-track POWDER! EP, out now via Disco Halal. And trust me, this one doesn’t play by the usual melodic techno rulebook.
Right from the jump, POWDER! hits like a shot of pure adrenaline mixed with frayed guitar edges and warped synths. The duo built the entire project around live instrumentation, embracing every imperfection as part of the charm. No sterile club formulas here — just sweat-soaked intent, distorted guitars crashing into four-to-the-floor kicks, and a vibe that blurs the line between dancefloor and mosh pit. It’s melodic techno that flirts with old school house energy while injecting serious post-punk grit.
The title track ‘POWDER!’ leads the charge as a full-on indie-dance rush. Soaring choruses meet raw, human energy, and it features none other than Glen Brady of Def Nettle on board. The brothers reached out after diving deep into his latest work, and the connection paid off instantly. SX2 describe it as “bright lights and late nights, ripped jeans and white lines” — a total overload of body, brain, and spirit. If you’ve been chasing that feeling where the club turns into a collective roar, this is it.
The rest of the EP keeps the momentum rolling. Tracks like ‘Pallindrome’, ‘At Least I Tried’, and ‘It’s Been A Ruze’ dive deeper into that hands-on approach. Some of these tunes date back to the duo’s earliest days, but they finally felt ready to let them loose. Recorded live with real guitars, synths, and that vulnerable edge, the project marks a clear shift toward live performance over perfect playlist fodder. You can hear the brothers getting bored with safe club music and deciding to rip up the rulebook instead.
SX2 formed back in 2017 after moving their bedroom experiments onto actual club floors. Since then they’ve built serious underground cred in Ireland. They run a monthly residency at Electric Avenue, host their own Ruze party series, and have closed stages at major festivals like Electric Picnic and All Together Now. Their previous releases have pulled support from heavy hitters including Keinemusik, John Digweed, Moscoman, and Dave Seaman — proof they refuse to be boxed into one scene.
What makes POWDER! feel so timely is how it taps into the current hunger for more human, imperfect electronic music. While melodic techno playlists in 2026 still lean hypnotic and atmospheric with soaring synths, artists like SX2 are pushing further — blending live rock n’ roll spirit with club foundations. Old school house influences sneak in through the raw groove and swinging energy, reminding us why those classic sounds still move bodies decades later. It’s psychedelic club sound done right: not just trippy for the sake of it, but genuinely connective and full of intent.
The brothers put it perfectly themselves: “The POWDER! EP really kicks open the door to the psychedelic club sound we’ve always loved.” This is SX2 at their most fearless, heading straight toward the stage with music designed for rooms losing their grip on gravity.
If you’re into boundary-pushing electronic music that fuses melodic techno, old school house, and live instrumentation, POWDER! is an essential listen. Stream it on Spotify, check the full EP on Bandcamp, or follow their journey on YouTube and SoundCloud. The London show at Signature Brew’s Duck ‘N’ Dive Festival alongside Cowboy Hunters, Opus Kink, and Tummyache is going to be one for the books too.
What do you think — is this the future of live electronic sets? Drop your thoughts in the comments and tell me which track from POWDER! hits you hardest.
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Keep supporting fresh sounds and boundary-pushers like SX2. Catch you in the next one.
