13XL are the sound of Britain in 2019. Having generated a cult following in the space of months, playing everywhere from warehouse raves to DIY skateparks to international fashion shows, their multicultural fusion of influences offer a mirror to a divided nation. Fusing together the booming 808 kicks of trap with narcotic guitar and warped synthetic melodies, their music is infused with ethereal, broken vocal harmonies that pour into spaces autotune couldn’t hope to reach; the sound of humanity lost inside the machine.
The duo, Scott and Xena, first met partying across South London. Scott was playing in BBC 6 Music favourites Crushed Beaks, while Xena was making a name performing spoken word at James Massiah’s pace-setting poetry jams. Becoming fast friends, they moved into a derelict former pub with a group of like-minded misfits. Broke yet ambitious, they pooled their money to turn their low-ceilinged basement into a music studio and word-of-mouth performance space.