Join KILIMANJARO on Sound Advice, the weekly interview series covering artists’ journeys and their creative process. In this episode, we discuss the evolution of his “Afro-electronica” sound as a DJ, producer, songwriter and percussionist, tips on collaboration, his evolving live show and more.
Welcome to Sound Advice, the series spotlighting artists’ creative process and their SoundCloud journey. We’ll get the inside knowledge straight from the source on how musicians, producers and creatives are leaning into everything SoundCloud offers to elevate their sound, get heard and catapult their careers. Sound Advice is now available in audio format on the SoundCloud Stories profile.
On this episode of Sound Advice, we speak to DJ/producer, songwriter, musician and vocalist KILIMANJARO, who has dreams as sky high as the mountain he's named after. KILIMANJARO traces his musical journey from drumming in the family indie rock band to headlining clubs, festivals and global tours. He breaks down how his Zambian roots and years in the Scottish club scene have shaped his high-energy, percussion-driven sound, and the impact of viral moments like playing Boiler Room with Fred again… and releasing the summer anthem “No Bad Vibes” with Jazzy.
KILIMANJARO also talks to us about his sound — which fuses African rhythms, fast and hard club energy, and emotional lyrics — and walks us through his musical evolution from his 2025 debut EP to his forthcoming project, 2026’s ‘THE ASCENSION (INKAWAMI),’ which explores deep songwriting and pays homage to the diversity of Black British music.
KILIMANJARO also shares the three pillars of his production process, his songwriting tips, and what he's learned from collaborations with artists like Aluna and Kojey Radical. We also talk about using SoundCloud as a creative tool for demos and edits, why you need to be in the dance if you want to make effective club records, and what to expect from his forthcoming live shows.
LISTEN TO THE AUDIO EPISODE OF SOUND ADVICE FEATURING KILIMANJARO
LISTEN TO ‘GHETTO’ BY KILIMANJARO ON SOUNDCLOUD
Things We Talked About In This Episode of Sound Advice
Bridging His Zambian Heritage and Scottish Upbringing Through Music
- Calling from heatwave London, KILIMANJARO begins the conversation with a look back at his musical roots. From playing drums as a kid in Scottish bands and at church, he evolved into producing and DJing electronic music as a solo artist. Encouraged by a musical family — of “three Afro-Scots [siblings] making electronic rock music,” he says — he learned to play through gigging around the UK and Europe, until a breakthrough moment where he was asked to DJ at an Ibiza afterparty for one of their gigs.
- Here, he reflects on the experience and how he navigated it — having never DJ’d before — and how it kicked off his career as a DJ. Across gigs in bars and clubs, and at local festivals, he shaped his KILIMANJARO persona and got his “10,000 hours” of practice.
- Over those gigs, he mixed African music with house and techno, speaking to his Zambian roots and Scottish upbringing. Here, he talks about some pivotal moments in recent years that gave him the time, space and confidence to hone his sound, identity and next steps in his career.
- That sound got its first official outing on his 2025 EPs ‘Makalelo (Origins)’ and ‘KUSAMBILA (First Phase),’ both of which have led to his forthcoming 2026 EP, ‘THE ASCENSION (INKAWAMI).’ Here, he reflects on the trilogy, how his sound has changed over the last few years, and how ‘THE ASCENSION (INKAWAMI)’ sees him open up his songwriting and vocal collaborations — with Aluna, Kojey Radical, his siblings and more — and writing tracks with a live, touring band in mind.
The Art of Collaboration and His Hit Track with Jazzy, “No Bad Vibes”
- When it comes to collaboration, KILIMANJARO has learned a lot during the making of his forthcoming EP. “I don’t want to confine people in the studio,” he says, because “the creative process needs room and oxygen to catch flame.” It’s a lesson he’s learned since his earliest collaborations with Jazzy, Melé and BICEP, which all grew his audience on SoundCloud and broadened the scope of his Afro dance style.
- Here, he gives advice to fellow artists who are looking to expand their collaborative repertoire — “my production process is to build the room and allow the room to work,” he says — and what the “three pillars” of his sound are.
- During collaborative sessions, KILIMANJARO likes to play his own SoundCloud playlists of tracks that inspire him, from Frank Ocean to Tyler, The Creator. SoundCloud has always been a feature of his working process. Here, he talks about how he’s used the platform to share works in progress, get feedback from peers and friends through private tracks, reach new listeners, listen to DJ mixes and find special edits for his DJ sets.
- One of KILIMANJARO’s best known collaborations is the track “No Bad Vibes,” featuring SoundCloud-breakthrough Irish dance vocalist, DJ and songwriter Jazzy. Here, he talks about the making of the track and how Jazzy’s acapella vocal was his core inspiration.
The Evolution of KILIMANJARO’s Live Show and Afro-Electronica Sound
- Since that track, KILIMANJARO has worked on blending his background in indie rock drumming with Afro-inspired dance music production and DJing. Over the last few years, he’s drawn from his experiences on the dancefloor and crafted a signature sound that he terms “Afro-electronica” — a sound that he’s performed in Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya and his home country of Zambia.
- Going into more detail, he talks about those African shows, his ambitions to continue to play across Africa, and how important it is for electronic producers to experience dance music on dancefloors, not just as a private listening experience. “You need to see and feel it,” he insists, because “you can’t write music for something you’re not in.”
- With that evolution in mind, KILIMANJARO is ready to hit the road: first, across the US in support of Channel Tres; then, on a solo headline tour across the UK, Europe and the US. Here, he gets into more detail about the formation of his live band, how he’s grown as a vocalist and live musician, and how the show will bring an energetic, dance-forward presentation to old and new fans alike. You can find out more about KILIMANJARO’s live tour dates here.
Links and Extras
Follow KILIMANJARO’s journey on SoundCloud.
Press play on KILIMANJARO’s 2025 EPs, ‘Makalelo (Origins)’ and ‘KUSAMBILA (First Phase).’
Follow Jazzy, who features on the track “No Bad Vibes” with KILIMANJARO.
Hit play on “Ghetto,” KILIMANJARO’s 2026 collaboration with Tiggs Da Author and Kojey Radical.
Get Ibiza dancefloor ready with KILIMANJARO’s 2026 track with RAHH, “Stumble.”
Explore some of KILIMANJARO’s wide-ranging influences, including Bloc Party, Black Coffee, The Prodigy and Daft Punk, to name a few.
Listen to the Afro Summer Jams playlist on SoundCloud.
Never miss an episode and follow the official Sound Advice playlist on SoundCloud.
Getting The Most Out of SoundCloud
Learn more about using DMs to connect with fellow artists and potential collaborators.
Learn more about how to make a custom playlist on SoundCloud.
Learn more about unlimited uploads, available with an Artist Pro subscription.
Learn more unlocking access to unlimited distribution, available with Artist Pro.
Learn more about getting heard with SoundCloud’s updated algorithm, available to Artist and Artist Pro subscribers.
To discover additional features a SoundCloud Artist or Artist Pro subscription offers, visit here. To catch up on past installments of Sound Advice and make sure you don’t miss out on future episodes, visit here.
CREDITS Host: Vivian Host, Executive Producer: Mike Spinella, Producer: KC Orcutt, Audio Engineer: David “DibS” Shackney, Coordinator: Trevor McGee, Editorial Associate: Lauren Martin
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