Words by Tess Evans [Work Experience]. Photography by Peter O’Sullivan. Photography Assisted by Will Blakesley-Herbert [Creative Opportunities]. Styling by Elis Haddock using pieces from Fridge. BTS by Isaac Jay Solanki. Thanks to Jess Lamb [DSTNCT SPACE].

Quiet but courageous, warm yet heavy hitting - don’t be fooled by his laidback demeanour, K Motionz just dropped “REDLINE” and he means business. Amidst yet another crazy busy week of shows, just a few days before the latest mixtape release, K Motionz arrived at our shoot carrying the mannerisms of someone you think you’d have been close to for years. For someone so well known for dropping serious bass, he might just be one of the calmest people we’ve come across in the scene - perhaps solely epitomising the friendly and inviting nature of the DnB genre we’ve grown alongside throughout the years. What had started as a relatively slow beginning to the year suddenly flipped into top gear once the announcement landed, “it’s been mad busy the last couple of weeks,” he laughs on his way through the door, “but in a good way - we met the deadline and the project is coming out, that’s always the main thing.”

Following a previous year of headline shows spanning Tokyo, Australia, Bangkok, New Zealand and Zurich, plus support from BBC Radio 1, Mixmag, Dazed, GRM Daily, Trench, Mixtape Madness, LinkUp TV and Ministry of Sound… K Motionz is starting the year with a bang. The Birmingham-born producer is stepping confidently into what feels like a new chapter, one that doesn’t stay in a single genre lane. He explains how his new release “REDLINE” is a “mix of garage, DnB, and even a bit liquid dance in there; a real mix of stuff, everything I enjoy. Like redlining during a set, the idea is that the music is and should be played as loud as possible. It’s in your face and abrasive.”

Flying solo on “100 Reps” and “Expectations”, K Motionz takes centre stage to deliver some standout moments that highlight his range while keeping the energy high, as always. When asked how he wants fans to feel when they stream it, he put it simply: “I want them to feel alive. There’s a real variety of tracks in there, I feel like it all flows in a good order too”… and that’s exactly what the mixtape does, it moves smoothly from one track to the next, mixing garage and drum & bass in a really natural way. It’s loud, full of energy and certainly makes you feel alive.

The journey to this point, however, wasn’t as simple as it seems, ““REDLINE” has been a long time coming! I first had the idea of creating a body of work like this in the first few months of 2025. I wanted to create something that wasn’t an album but instead a collection of music that felt as me as possible. From the sounds used to how it was all made by not just sticking to DnB which I’d typically be known for. I grew up around garage so it felt right to have it on this project, the journey of making this has been a rollercoaster of ups & downs and self doubts but that’s what making art is all about isn’t it? I’m so proud of this body of work and it feels like a new era has begun. This is just the start of what I have planned.” It’s this honesty that highlights the process and how some days he'd listen to a track and love it, the next day he'd listen to the same track and not be so keen. One song almost made the digital mixtape but close to the deadline it was decided that it didn’t fit. Instead, he released it on an exclusive USB with extra tracks as part of a merch drop; “something physical for the fans who want more.”

Linking up with Clavish, Songer, Capo Lee, Emily Makis, and Arka, the chemistry here is spot on. “Songer is amazing” he says… and working alongside grime artist Capo Lee was a full-circle moment. “Working with Capo was crazy; I've looked up to him for a while. Emily was incredible as always, her process is so similar to mine and it’s always good fun when we work together.” Clavish brings the heat as always, then there’s “No Comprende” with Arka, a track that started out in a completely different form. “I played a version of “No Comprende” at a Mixmag set with Positiva last year, I remember someone posted it on some TikTok page and it done really well. At the time it was simply a sketch we made in like 2 hours… and the production, not gonna lie it was pretty dead. After seeing people connect with it in real time, I was like you know what, I'm just gonna play it, see what happens.” And what happened? A huge demand, as always again. “I had loads of people asking me for it… so honestly like 2 months ago I started working on it again and re-vamped the whole idea; beefed it all up and it now compliments the project really well - brings the mixtape to a close and it's nice to be able to release another garage tune of course.”

“Crowd Control”, what began as a drunk idea in New Zealand has since reshaped how DnB can be experienced. “I was in New Zealand… I’d had a bit to drink late one night and just said we should do something that's 360 and sort of get everyone around us - DnB crowds are so energetic, I just thought we needed to try and do the live thing in a more DnB inspired way.” A pop-up rave in a cocktail bar, a 60-minute mix and a simple email sign-up on a screen at the end of a show “…we had like 1500 emails or something within the hour, we were like what the hell.” From that moment, the trajectory shifted, “I was gonna do a tour but now I'm doing a 360 tour. From a little drunk idea to 60 Dock Road and then Brixton and then Roundhouse.” Sold-out UK runs, Glastonbury, Creamfields, Boomtown main stage debut… K Motionz hasn’t just built hype, he's since built a whole new world for his fans to dive into.

And when it comes to curating a set? “ I love playing my own tunes. It's always a buzz seeing people know the tunes, it’ll never not get me gassed.” That connection to the fans, the crowd shouting every word is fuel. Looking ahead to the rest of 2026 and the pace isn't stopping; with the new mixtape release and some exciting new show plans in the works, K Motionz is set for some serious fun on the road ahead. “Well there's gonna be more garage and cross over stuff, there's gonna be more DnB and obviously I'm gonna release more. I'm already making my next batch of tunes for this year and I'm working hard on the next big sort of show… it's not gonna be like any other headline show we’ve done or you’ve seen before, it's gonna be something completely different. I am working on it now so that it can be the best it can - all while having fun and playing some other big shows along the way, which I'm always so grateful to be able to do.”

K Motionz’s “REDLINE” isn’t just another mixtape, it’s a real statement piece. Every track hits hard, every drop lands perfectly and the adrenaline never fades. K Motionz is just getting started on what seems to be a very busy and exciting year ahead; more energy, more ideas and more unexpected shows… the best is still to come. He really is unstoppable right now and it’s clear to see why everyone is talking about him.