Kx5

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.[3] Deadmau5 told Dancing Astronaut that the song is a "throwback to that kind of minimalistic approach, to that melodic sing-songy house".[4] The song peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Songs chart.[5]

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.[6]

On January 31, 2023, the duo announced that their album, self-titled Kx5, would be released on March 17.[7]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[8]

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".[1] Sebastian Flores Chong of EDMTunes described the album as "an unexpected, yet welcomed one".[9] 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".[10]

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.[11]