XPLAY
XPlay is a New York City born and bred duo pushing the boundaries of sound. The band sums up the vibrant cultural blend of their hometown, Brooklyn, into one unique sound: Brooklyn Jungle. In the music you’ll find elements of reggae, hip hop, drum and bass, jungle and jazz. Their live shows are raw energy: a hype band with a disgustingly bass heavy sound, driving a DIY party with a punk edge. They turn the traditional band set up on it’s head by integrating beat production and sample triggering into an explosive live performance.
The band began as an original concept of Sean “Play Nice” Lewis. Starting his musical career as an electric/upright bass player, Sean majored in music for both high school and university, then entered the New York music scene playing all types of music and shows. Around the time Sean picked up the bass, he started producing and writing music and started to form his original style.
In college, Sean hit a turning point in his music, when he and his buddy Rusty Mac came across a piece of technology that could transform his bass guitar into a MIDI controller. He could now use his bass as a production station by playing literally any sound he chooses.
A few years later, Sean heard the drummer Xavier Hill at a Brooklyn jam session and realized that their musical chemistry would be unstoppable….and he was right.
The music that came out when they connected was a rare breed. It was special and one of a kind and they knew that.
Sean and Xavier continued building their sound and collaborating with different NYC based singers and rappers, playing under the name 86 Supreme, and in 2013 released their debut album: ironically named…..XPlay. In 2014, Sean would test the sound overeas when he traveled to London with the vocalist the band was collaborating with, Johnny Voltik.
Sean came back to America in 2015 with a whole new concept in mind: He had been working on music as a solo artist where he would rap and chat (Caribbean rap) over his production and decided to combine this with the project he had with Xavier, adding good friend Tenzin Hunter to the mix who played keys/synthesizer/samples.
After a few years of performing, circumstances (such as Covid) caused the band to fizzle out. Quarantine became a test and reckoning for everyone, and after time, Xavier and Sean started reconnecting again by playing live in the newly reopened streets of NYC. As the two started performing again, they were reminded of the amazing and unique music that they had at their fingertips and decided to move ahead full force again.
With the 3rd and final form of the duo, XPlay has returned back to a refined and more potent version of their original set up where they function as a production trio. With their uniquely timeless sound, XPlay plans to revolutionize the way music is played and thought about.