Entering K+Lab’s Neon Drenched World [INTERVIEW]

This fall K+Lab makes his return to the U.S., bringing a surge of fresh music and explosive momentum. Known for fusing music, art, and his signature style into neon-drenched soundscapes that expand with every release, the New Zealand–born producer moves fluidly from bass-heavy hip-hop beats to poolside lo-fi, always bringing a vibe that’s unmistakably his.

Now with Junkfood Records relaunched, new volumes of PXLMTREES on the way, and an album unfolding city block by city block, K+Lab steps into a new era of creativity, energy, and beautifully orchestrated chaos. Debuting new music in the States, he hits the stage with artists like Big Gigantic, The Floozies, and Dirtwire, with a stop at Big Fam and Griz’s return festival, Seven Stars.

With so much in motion, Electric Hawk sat down with K+Lab to dive into the vision driving this next chapter.

During the making of this interview, K+Lab reached 40k followers on SoundCloud! To celebrate, he dropped a flip of Natural Born Killaz called Villainz on SoundCloud and Bandcamp.

Check out the single while you read the article:

Catching Up with K+Lab:

Kaylee Leitzel, Electric Hawk: It’s cool how your real name, “Caleb” sounds like “K+Lab”. Was there any other inspiration behind it?

Caleb Cowie aka Captain K+Lab aka PXLMTREES: The name just kind of happened. K+Lab was my side project when I started DJing in bars. They asked, “What do you want to call this stuff?” and I just said, “Calab.” At first it was KLab, then K-Lab, turns out there was a psytrance artist with that same name so I  turned it into K+Lab. That was around 2010, so this August actually makes 15 years.

KL: You do your own artwork, merch, and visuals. Were you an artist before you got into music, or did the music come first?

Caleb: The music. I started getting booked for shows, and people would make flyers or artwork for our gigs. But it didn’t feel like it represented what we were trying to do. When I say “we,” it was a live drum and bass act I had called Black Planet, an all live DnB with synthesizers and drum machines.

So I thought, maybe I’ll try making the artwork myself, since a friend had Photoshop. That was the start of it. From there, I wanted to get better, so I went to design school. Then I wondered if I could make the images move… so I basically YouTube-schooled myself in animation. I also had a friend who was really good and taught me a few things along the way.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by K+Lab (@captainklab)

KL: How has your creative process changed from your early days until now?

Caleb: It’s a lot less stressful now, a lot more fun. It actually took a long time for it to become fun. Back then, the hurdle of getting a tune to sound the way I wanted was huge. Technically, I can get the result I want much more easily now. I used to spend forever just trying to make the mix sound right…

I’ve simplified things, too. I used to go way over the top with glitching and have a crazy number of layers. Now it’s more about choosing layers that work together from the start, which makes the whole mixing process easier.

Having the side project PXLMTREES helped with that, too. The whole idea of that project was to keep things simple. Those tracks are even simpler than what I’m doing now, but they taught me to make the process more fun.

Caleb: I’ve realized that the tracks I spend too much time on are usually because the idea isn’t that good. If the idea’s strong, it doesn’t take as long to make it work. So now I think about that more like, “Why am I spending so much time on this track? Oh… because it sucks.”

KL: You’re a Kiwi based in Australia, but you tour the U.S. often. How does that distance affect your touring life?

Caleb: Well, for starters, it makes it expensive, because every tour begins with a long-haul flight. It also makes things more challenging logistically as I can’t just go home after a weekend of shows. There’s a lot more planning involved.

But honestly, it also makes me more committed. Like, once I’m here, I’m all in. No mucking around. It almost makes me put more into the shows because I’m constantly reminded why I’m here.

I’m missing home, missing my cat, missing everything I love back there so I’d better make it worth it.

KL: Do you think traveling has affected your sound over the last 15 years?

Caleb: Yeah, definitely. More so recently, especially from touring in America. That really shifted my sound because I didn’t realize how much people there were into the slower hip hop tempos. In Australia and Canada, it’s usually more up-tempo, party vibes.

I’ve always been a hip hop head. My whole sound started from trying to blend drum and bass with hip hop. Spending time in Denver, seeing how much people connected with that hip hop tempo, made me feel more confident to dive into it. Over the last three or four years I’ve been making a lot more tracks in that style, and I’m really enjoying it.

KL: Glitch hop?

Caleb: We actually call it bass hop now. Glitch hop feels very glitchy and a bit chaotic, whereas bass hop is rooted more in traditional boom bap swing with hip hop vocals and, of course, lots of bass. That’s the sound we’re really trying to push at the moment.

KL: Has there been a really surreal or memorable moment in your career that still stands out?

Caleb: Probably Red Rocks. That one was years in the making. The first time I was booked was for a show with Opiuo and CloZee, but it got canceled because of the pandemic. Then the postponed show happened a few years later, but I couldn’t make that one either. So when I finally got to be there, it felt really good. 

Honestly, if I had done the earlier ones, I don’t think it would have felt the same. By the third time, I was really ready for it. I’d grown a lot, was calmer, and could actually enjoy the experience. If it had happened earlier, I probably would’ve been a bit stressed out because I was still figuring things out. But instead, I really got to take it in and enjoy it. It felt crazy.

Caleb: Plus, if I had played earlier, I wouldn’t have been able to bring my visuals. So to give my full show on that stage, with my wife and friends there…that was a really special moment.

KL: When did you start running your own visuals at shows?

Caleb: 2021 is when I did my first full visual set. I’d always been making animations and even music videos for myself, but building out a whole set of visuals took time. Before that, I’d put together VJ packs and hand them off if I couldn’t run the visuals myself, just to keep my style in the show. But to run it myself was a lot of fun.

JUNKFOOD RECORDS

KL: On August 13th, you relaunched Junkfood Records. Can you share more about the goals of the label and what kind of artists you’re looking to attract?

Caleb: Yeah, the main goal is to share all this great music I get sent and give it a proper home. Like I mentioned with the bass hop sound earlier, there isn’t really a home for that genre, so we want to be that place and help push it forward. At the same time, we don’t want to be too rigid with it.

The main brief for artists is: if it’s got bass, some kind of hip hop element, and a bit of swing, then it’s a really good start for us. I also want to lean on my friends who are insanely talented, but balance that with newer, up-and-coming acts doing cool stuff, and put them side by side.

Caleb: Another big goal is making the releases feel more special. With my own music, I realized you can work for years on an album, and then when it comes out, you just press a button and it’s released. It feels kind of unsatisfying. So with Junk Food, I want every release to have something physical attached to it.

Our first release will be a various-artist compilation, and we’re putting that out on vinyl. Later on, the plan is to pair each release with apparel. The vision is for Junkfood to be half record label, half apparel label: crazy clothes, crazy beats, and a platform to share them both.

KL: You’ve opened up a demo portal on your website. Is there anything an artist can do to stand out in the sea of submissions?

Caleb: Yeah well first off, follow the instructions [laughs]. We say three tracks maximum, and some people send fifteen or more. We listen to them all but you can usually tell from one or two tracks if it’s the right fit, so just pick your best two or three and send those.

Also when we announced it, we said we wanted to push the bass hop sound and keep that hip hop influence in there. So send us something that fits that.

Caleb: The other big thing is originality. If I hear a track that sounds like other established artist like, my brain just says, “Okay, that sounds like So and So.” I don’t get super excited by that. But if something has a unique signature, I’m interested. I care more about good ideas and original sounds than perfect production or trying to fit in with what everyone else is doing. That’s what really makes a submission stand out.

KL: What influence do you want the label to play in shaping the next wave of electronic music?

Caleb: I think the main thing is just connecting artists. It’s good to have a place where a community can grow, and I see Junk Food as that home; a common thread that ties people together.

When I’ve released music on other labels, I’ve always paid attention to who else is on there, and I’ve made a lot of connections that way. Being able to create that same opportunity for other artists feels like a really good goal. Hopefully it helps blossom some really great music, especially from friends and up-and-coming acts who might just need that platform.

KL: So what’s it like being all the things: an artist, producer, and now a label owner? Does it ever feel a little crazy?

Caleb: [laughs] I don’t know why someone would do this! 

But no, it’s actually really good. I like switching hats. Some days I don’t feel like making music, and just sitting on the couch with my iPad and drawing feels like the right move. I love being able to shift between things.

KL: Since your label is called Junk Food, if your music (K+Lab) was a flavor, what would it be?

Caleb: [laughs] I don’t know why this is the hardest question, but it is. 

Maybe… Vegemite.

My music used to be like a party mix bag of assorted lollies, it kind of was like sweet, and fun, and pops out at you. But now I’d say it’s more like Vegemite. It’s got more depth, it’s not for everyone, but the people who like it really like it. And yeah, not everyone knows how to serve it right.

PXLMTREES

KL: You’ve released EPs titled PXLMTREES vol. 1 and vol. 2, but you also play sets under that alias. What can fans expect from a PXLMTREES set compared to a traditional K+Lab set?

Caleb: I like to call it my “sit-down set” because we usually sit down and just jam. The music is much more chill. The whole project actually started during the pandemic. Without the prospect of gigs, I didn’t feel like making banging club tracks. The place we were staying at had a pool, so I wanted to make music you could just play by the pool. Stylistically, it’s summer chill vibes, but still rooted in hip hop samples. I’ll dig for records that some of my favorite hip hop tracks sampled, then flip those into something fresh.

As a performance, it’s always live. It’ll usually be me with at least a guest guitarist, but sometimes it grows into a five-piece with clarinet, saxophone, keys, percussion. You never really know what you’re going to get, but it’s always vibey, chill stuff.

KL: Do you have plans for the next release under PXLMTREES?

Caleb: I do, yeah. Over the next year, volumes three and four are on the way. I’ve written a lot of new PXLMTREES music, now it’s just about finalizing things and working with the Philos fam to figure out a plan.

I’m doing more PXLMTREES stuff than I expected. I even had a show recently in Melbourne, so the project definitely isn’t slowing down. If anything, it’s picking up more than I thought it would, which has been fun.

KL: Will volumes three and four come out at the same time?

Caleb: No, it’ll be similar to last time with volume three first, and then volume four a few months later. Actually, the guitarist from volumes one and two is coming to stay with me this week, so we’ll be finishing up the next batch of tunes together.

KL: So there will be collabs and features on it?

Caleb: Yeah, definitely. I’ve got about 20 to 25 tracks written, now it’s just figuring out which ones work best together for these EPs. 

Luckily the PXLMTREES tracks kind of write themselves. It’s different from the K+Lab stuff, where I’m always trying to make everything sound huge and in your face. With PXLMTREES, it’s more about the music and the samples, keeping it all a bit more refined. It just comes together a lot easier. So yeah, there’s a lot more music coming, and we’ll likely do a vinyl release so I would hold tight for that.

K+LAB

KL: Do you have any upcoming releases under the K+Lab project?

Caleb: I’m about halfway through releasing my album. I actually just named it recently. The concept is that I’m building a city, each piece of artwork reveals a section, and when you line them up they connect into a mega-city. 

If you take the four tracks that are out now and put them together, you can see the city being built. I’ve been tagging graffiti across the buildings in the artwork, so I decided to call the album K+Lab Waz Here spelled W-A-Z, like graffiti.

KL: I love the reveal of the artwork. Also makes it kind of more interactive. 

Caleb: Yeah. There’s two reasons I’ve done it this way. One, because it’s just a really fun idea. And two, because I don’t actually know what’s going on the album until it happens. The tracks are revealing themselves as part of the city, almost like the city’s directing me. It’s a lot like my DJ sets, there are forks in the road. I can take it faster, more energetic, or go funkier, but I don’t like being tied down to one outcome.

“Violetville,” for example, wasn’t supposed to be the next track, but it just felt right. And with albums now, people usually only listen to the first few songs, so I wanted to release tracks individually but still tie them together with a common thread. I’ve sketched out the city roughly, and I’m filling it in piece by piece.

KL: Do you already have the next track release mapped out?

Caleb: The next track will be with Drew Birch. He’s incredible. We only had a few hours together and came out with three or four tracks – that never happens. He’s a machine. Honestly, he might be my favorite guitarist. He’s got this twangy funk no one else has.

There’s also a track with Sunsquabi I’m trying to put on there, and overall there are some really good collabs. I think almost every track is a collaboration, except maybe one. But the playlist is still evolving, so we’ll see what sticks.

It’ll definitely be out before the end of the year.

KL: You’ve talked about wanting your releases to feel more special than just hitting a button. Do you have any special plans for this new album?

Caleb: I’m always looking for ways to make things feel more satisfying than just hitting “release” online. The plan for this album is to turn it into an exhibition. We’ll create a 10-by-10 foot version of the artwork and have all the characters from the city scattered throughout the venue. For now, it’ll just be a Melbourne show unless I can figure out how to bring it to the States. But the idea is to make the album exist in the real world a bit more.

KL: How would you compare the sound or vibe of this new album to your past releases?

Caleb: It’s really hip hoppy. I’ve always had that thread in my music, but this one leans into it even more. My original goal was to bring back more of my funk sound, but it just hasn’t gone that way, I keep wanting to make hip hop. It’s almost got that old-school Dr. Dre vibe, but modern. I’ve done the G-funk thing before, but this one feels darker, more like Cypress Hill than Snoop.

The concept is basically my ideal city in character form, but it’s a bit… seedy. Like shady characters lurking in the shadows. The whole city is full of them.

Caleb: Another plan, which I haven’t really talked about, is that this will actually be part one. Part two will be set a hundred years in the future, after everyone in the city has passed away and the jungle has taken over. Animals and creatures run the city. It’ll carry a similar vibe, but a bit more organic, a bit nicer. Kind of like a hopeful post-apocalyptic album.

KL: You mentioned a few people, but are there any collabs or special features you can share that will be on the album?

Caleb: Yeah, definitely DEF3. He’s on one of the tracks. I won’t drop the track name yet, but he’s been a longtime collaborator. I think he’s been on all my albums except one. This time we’ve done something quite different, so I’m excited about that track. Some other artists are Sunsquabi and Drew Birch as mentioned earlier. 

TOUR

KL: You have a U.S. tour kicking off in late September. Can you share more about that?

KL: Is there anything you’re really looking forward to with this run?

Caleb: I’m really excited for the GRiZ festival, that’s going to be amazing. But also just getting to play alongside The Floozies, Dirtwire, and Big Gigantic. I love all their music, and it’ll be my first time meeting and performing with them, so that’s huge.

KL: Are there any special surprises fans can look forward to on the U.S. tour?

Caleb: For the shows with The Floozies, I’m planning to bring back some of my funk sound. I’ve been thinking about performing a lot from the Booty Galactic album. I play bass guitar too, so I’ll be bringing my bass out for some of these shows and really slapping it. Beyond that, I’ll be playing a lot of the new album plus the usual shenanigans. Just having fun with it.

Click here for the full list of tour dates

---

Stay in touch with Electric Hawk & all our coverage
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Twitch | Radio Show

Looking for new music? Keep up with our weekly Spotify Playlist, Fresh Hunts. Updated every Friday with all the latest releases. Whether it’s the newest drops from all your favorite artists, some old-school, or underground… we want you to hear it.

---