Leo Kalyan unveils head-turning debut mixtape ‘Stranger’

There’s talk around Leo Kalyan for a reason. London-based and perfectly poised for a hyped-up 2015, he produces pristine pop like there’s a short supply elsewhere, his heady numbers working as an antidote.

On debut mixtape ‘Stranger’, he links together gorgeous covers with inventive originals of his own. A title-track gives nods to Jai Paul if he’d spent his time deep sea diving instead of getting cabin fever in a studio, while ‘Full Circle’ links up perfectly with a patchwork of extra material. His take on Charli XCX’s ‘Boom Clap’ is dripping with cool.

The neatest of introductions, we asked Leo to give a quick summary of what to expect:

“The ‘Stranger’ mixtape began as a purely creative experiment, trying to bring together the various sounds and influences iIwas playing with in the studio.

“By the time I finished, though, I decided to share it with people in order to show the different sides of what i do as a producer, singer and songwriter. Most of all, it’s just a playful glimpse into my musical imagination….I’d say it hints at what’s to come, but you never know - I like the element of surprise.”

Listen to ‘Stranger’ first on DIY.