Archangel (Kettama album)
2025 studio album by Kettama
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Archangel is the debut album by Irish producer and DJ Kettama. It was released on 3 October 2025 through Steel City Dance Discs.
| Archangel | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 3 October 2025 | |||
| Genres | ||||
| Length | 59:13 | |||
| Label | Steel City Dance Discs | |||
| Producers |
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| Kettama chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Archangel | ||||
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Background
Kettama announced the release of the album alongside its cover art and title through an Instagram post on 27 August 2025.[1] In an interview with Mixmag, the DJ stated that he felt burnt out following the release of his collaboration with Fred Again and Shady Nasty, "Air Maxes", which garnered negative reception online.[2] In the same interview, he stated that he was originally against the idea of an album at first, due to people having harsher opinions on them than EPs.
In an article published by Rolling Stone UK on 3 October 2025, they listed Archangel as one of the "6 albums you need to hear this week".[3]
Critical reception
Ben Broyd of Clash lauded Archangel as "a genre-smashing, emotionally rich body of work that cements his status as one of underground music's most vital new voices".[4] Further stating that "the Galway-born artist [Kettama] has taken his time crafting Archangel, and it shows. A decade in the making, the 15-track collection is more than just a debut, it's a defining statement."[4] Billboard author Katie Bain described the album "is as fresh and sophisticated is it danceable."[6]
For MusicOMH, Ben Devlin stated the album is "at its best when the kickdrums are thumping and the synth chords are blaring," singling out "Take Me" as impressive, and "It Gets Better (Forever Mix)" as having "some Underworld-esque lyrics, laddish but a bit artsy and hard to pin down."[5] In the same review, Devlin states that the title track is an underwhelming opener, and that production sounds unfinished in places, and cites "Air Maxes" as "one of the worst songs this reviewer has heard all year."[5] Kade Kleinschmidt of EDM Tunes stated that "as a listening experience, the album reads less like a collection of singles and more like a designed set."[7]
Year-end lists
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Archangel" (featuring Sølv) |
| Kettama | 3:10 |
| 2. | "Split in Two Minds" (with Seantommy) |
| Kettama | 2:22 |
| 3. | "Yosemite" (with Interplanetary Criminal) |
|
| 4:26 |
| 4. | "Take Me" | Kettama | Kettama | 4:25 |
| 5. | "Fade Away (It's a Feeling)" |
| Kettama | 4:38 |
| 6. | "Man with a Second Face" | Campbell | Kettama | 4:44 |
| 7. | "If U Want My Heart" (with DJ Heartstring featuring KLP) |
|
| 3:23 |
| 8. | "Do Not Go Gentle" | Campbell | Kettama | 3:43 |
| 9. | "11th of January" | Campbell | Kettama | 4:17 |
| 10. | "Air Maxes" (with Fred Again and Shady Nasty) |
|
| 3:01 |
| 11. | "Gotta Have It" | Campbell | Kettama | 4:34 |
| 12. | "I Believe" (with Prospa) |
|
| 4:14 |
| 13. | "It Gets Better (Forever Mix)" |
| Kettama | 4:12 |
| 14. | "Air Maxes (Kettama Mix)" (with Fred again.. and Shady Nasty) |
|
| 3:33 |
| 15. | "Sort It Out" (with Clouds) |
|
| 4:31 |
| Total length: | 59:13 | |||
Notes
- "Yosemite" samples vocals by Delline Bass from Reflekt's "Need to Feel Loved"
- "Fade Away (It's a Feeling)" features vocals by KLP.
- "It Gets Better (Forever Mix)" samples "Damaged" by Plummet, and features vocals by Maurice Santiago.
Personnel
Musicians
- Kettama – keyboards (tracks 1–2, 4–15), composing (1–2, 6–7, 10, 14), songwriting (3–6, 8–9, 11–13, 15), synthesizer (3), synthesizer programming (3), drum programming (11, 13)
- Eloise "Sølv" Keating – vocals (track 1), songwriting (1)
- Sean Thomas "seantommy" Hodgson – vocals (track 2), songwriting (2)
- Interplanetary Criminal – songwriting (track 3), synthesizer (3), synthesizer programming (3)
- KLP – vocals (tracks 5, 7), songwriting (5, 7)
- DJ Heartstring – keyboards (track 7), composing (7)
- Shady Nasty – vocals (track 10), songwriting (10)
- Fred Again – keyboards (tracks 10, 14), composing (10, 14)
- Prospa – keyboards (track 12), songwriting (12)
- Maurice Santiago – vocals (track 13), songwriting (13)
- Clouds – keyboards (track 15), songwriting (15)
Technical
- Kettama – production (all tracks)
- Interplanetary Criminal – production (track 3)
- DJ Heartstring – production (track 7)
- Fred Again – production (tracks 10, 14)
- Prospa – production (track 12)
- Clouds – production (track 15)
- Beau Thomas – mastering (all tracks)
Charts
| Chart (2025) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[10] | 10 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[11] | 37 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[12] | 31 |
| Irish Albums (Official Charts)[13] | 6 |
| Irish Independent Albums (IRMA)[14] | 1 |
| Scottish Albums (Official Charts)[15] | 6 |
| UK Albums (Official Charts)[16] | 43 |
| UK Dance Albums (Official Charts)[17] | 1 |
| UK Independent Albums (Official Charts)[18] | 6 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | 3 October 2025 | Steel City Dance Discs | [19] |
DJ mix album
| Archangel (DJ Mix) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Remix album by Kettama | ||||
| Released | 17 October 2025 | |||
| Genres | ||||
| Label | Steel City Dance Discs | |||
| Kettama chronology | ||||
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A DJ mix of the album was later released on 17 October 2025, featuring songs by other DJs, as well as tracks from the original album.[20]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "It Gets Better (Chris Stussy Remix) [Mixed]" | 5:57 |
| 2. | "Air Drums (Mixed)" | 3:24 |
| 3. | "Yosemite (Philip George Remix) [Mixed]" | 4:57 |
| 4. | "Everytime (Mixed)" | 5:06 |
| 5. | "I Believe (Mixed)" | 4:44 |
| 6. | "What Are You Waiting For (Mixed)" | 4:33 |
| 7. | "Tribute To Dilla (Mixed)" | 4:01 |
| 8. | "Desire To Stay (Mixed)" | 4:55 |
| 9. | "Sakura (Mixed)" | 4:04 |
| 10. | "Take Me (Mixed)" | 4:08 |
| 11. | "If U Want My Heart (featuring KLP) [Mixed]" | 4:02 |
| 12. | "Man With a Second Face (Mixed)" | 4:16 |
| 13. | "Yosemite (Mixed)" | 2:14 |
| 14. | "Sort It Out (Mixed)" | 4:16 |