x & ivy

X & Ivy are an Australian-American electronic duo carving out a distinctive space in the global underground. Fusing the raw pulse of early Chicago house and Detroit techno with the breakbeat energy, acid textures, and proggy flair of the ’90s UK rave era, their music delivers both emotional depth and peak-time intensity. Since coming together in 2016, they’ve built a sound rooted in groove, nostalgia, and forward-thinking club culture, bridging the intimacy of basement sessions with the scale of festival stages.

With roots in Melbourne and California, X & Ivy’s sonic identity is born from contrast. X was raised on Aussie pub rock, disco, and electronica, while Ivy came up on a steady diet of soul, hardcore, and house. They met at USC and quickly clicked—bonding over late-night sessions, shared ambition, and a deep passion for the dancefloor. After their first out-of-state DJ gig in 2018, they committed to the project full-time, sharpening their sound across continents and time zones.

Their output—rhythm-driven, sample-rich, and genre-agnostic—has garnered early comparisons to both classic pioneers and new-school innovators. Releases on Nervous Records and Big Trouble Records established their raw, club-focused credentials, but it was Keep Me, their breakout single with UKG legend and Daft Punk collaborator Todd Edwards, that marked a turning point. The track received major radio support from BBC Radio 1’s Danny Howard and Pete Tong, as well as Capital Dance (Mistajam) and Kiss FM (TCTS), signaling the duo’s arrival on the global radar.

In 2025, X & Ivy step into a new chapter with the release of their debut EP via Life and Death, following an “instant sign” from label boss DJ Tennis. Already played out by artists like Roza Terenzi and Jennifer Loveless at Let Them Eat Cake and Miscellania, the EP offers a bold statement of intent: a genre-blending journey through house, techno, and garage, built with a studio ethos that prioritizes feeling over perfection. “We try to stop before the soul gets over-polished,” they say—a philosophy that runs through every beat they create.

Live, the duo bring the same energy to their sets, refined but unpredictable, referencing deep-cut rave anthems while pushing new boundaries. From a breakout Book Club Radio set that amassed over 200K views, to a guest mix for Peggy Gou’s Gudu label, to opening for Peggy Gou at Home Again Festival in Berlin, X & Ivy are steadily becoming a name whispered by tastemakers and shouted on the dancefloor.

And while the accolades are growing, the quieter milestones remain just as meaningful, hearing Bradley Zero or Angel D’lite play their records, or catching a crowd mid-transcendence as one of their basslines drops. For X & Ivy, the music is a lifelong mission to connect bodies and souls on the dancefloor. The journey is just getting started. 

AGENT
James Ware: james@watartists.com