Kx5

Kx5 is the eponymous debut album by Kx5, the collaborative project of Canadian producer deadmau5 and American producer Kaskade. It was released on March 17, 2023, through mau5trap and Arkade.

Background
Deadmau5 and Kaskade have previously collaborated several times since 2008, with previous songs including I Remember, Move for Me, and Beneath with Me.

On March 11, 2022, the pair released their debut single under the name Kx5, Escape featuring Hayla. Deadmau5 told Dancing Astronaut that the song is a "throwback to that kind of minimalistic approach, to that melodic sing-songy house". The song peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Songs chart.

On September 6, the duo announced that they would be releasing an album, alongside announcing the next Kx5 single Take Me High, which was released on September 16.

On January 31, 2023, the duo announced that their album, self-titled Kx5, would be released on March 17.

Critical reception
Kx5 was generally well-received by critics. Zach Salafia of Dancing Astronaut called the album "one of the year's best and most influential albums". Sebastian Flores Chong of EDMTunes described the album as "an unexpected, yet welcomed one". Ellie Mullins of We Rave You described the album as "mixing nostalgic dance with the expertise of production that only Kaskade and deadmau5 can keep so fresh".

Catherine Smith from MXdawn wrote: Kx5 is a great EDM album that fans of both electronic, as well as pop, will enjoy. Its foot-tapping rhythms and gritty bass tones provide this record with depth and feeling. The album manages to keep a consistent energy throughout each song, with its driving beats and heavy synthesizers. Though many of the songs on the album seem to blend together, the vocals are what help each track stand apart. Fans of EDM and pop will definitely want to listen to this new album by Kx5.

LA Coliseum performance
On December 10, 2022, following their debut performance at EDC 2022, Kx5 performed a set at the LA Coliseum. With over 46,000 people in attendance, the performance set a record for the "biggest ticketed global dance event for 2022." The performance featured a stage production which included two pod like structures made up of LED panels and motorized lights which moved side to side and rotated 360 degrees along guide rails drilled into the stage's floor. During the concert, one of the electric generators back stage malfunctioned and caught fire, causing the entire power network to revert into an immediate safe mode. This brought the entire show to a halt and left the 50,000+ concert attendees stranded in the dark. After a few minutes of trouble shooting, the problem was rectified and the show resumed without pause.