From real estate development by day to dancefloor-ready production by night, KEPA is carving out his own space in the world of electronic music. Drawing on the golden era of UK house, alongside influences from UK garage, DnB and contemporary dance-pop, his music is rooted in one simple idea: creating moments where you can switch off from everyday life and get lost in the music.
His latest release, “All Night Long (All Night)”, puts that philosophy front and centre. Reimagining Lionel Richie’s iconic “All Night Long”, KEPA transforms its unmistakable spirit of celebration into a modern, UK-influenced house track built around warm synth bass, piano, saxophone and that instantly recognisable hook. It’s a record made for summer nights, packed dancefloors and those moments when you stop checking the clock and simply enjoy where you are.
We caught up with KEPA to talk about the story behind “All Night Long (All Night)”, his connection to UK dance culture, the role of escapism in his life and music, and how he balances his creative world with life as a business owner.
1. “All Night Long” is a song that has lived in the culture for decades. Why did you feel now was the right time to reimagine it and what was it about the original that made you want to bring it into your own musical world?
To be honest, it was much simpler than you might expect. I’d been listening to the original on Spotify for years, and a while ago it just struck me that the “party, fiesta, forever” hook would be perfect for a summer house track. I started playing around with that hook and some piano chords, and that’s how the initial idea came together. That whole feeling of enjoying the moment was already there in the original, and I wanted to bring it into my own sound.
2. The new version brings the track firmly into a modern UK dance space, with house grooves, synth bass, piano and saxophone. What is it about UK dance culture that continues to influence your sound?
I’m a big fan of what I’d call the “golden era” of UK house in the 2010s, with artists like Duke Dumont, Gorgon City and Sigala, and I think you can hear that in my music. Something about that sound helps me escape the chaos of everyday life and just enjoy the music and the moment.
UK dance music has always had its own vibe and style that I’ve felt naturally connected to. I also love UK garage, UK urban pop, hip-hop and DnB. I feel like UK speed house and speed garage are having a big influence on dance music right now, and I’ve definitely been drawn into that sound too. Notion and Morgan Seatree are two of my favourites on Spotify at the moment.
3. The idea of escapism seems to be at the heart of the track; forgetting the clock, being present and simply enjoying the moment. What does that kind of escape mean to you personally, and has music always been a way of finding it?
Music has always felt like a portal to another reality for me—somewhere more colourful, more inspiring and safer. In high school, I would lie in the dark in the evening and listen to music for two to four hours straight, just getting lost in my imagination and enjoying it.
That connection has been with me since middle school. What someone else might hear as just a fun song can take me into a completely different headspace. That’s what escapism means to me: being so immersed in the music that, for a while, the world around me fades away.
4. You have a career running a real estate development business alongside your music. How different are those two worlds and what does music give you that your professional life doesn’t?
Honestly, they’re quite different. Running a business means there’s always something to deal with, and it can be hard to switch off. Music is something I do because I love it. When I’m working on a track, I can get completely lost in it and forget about everything else for a while.
Of course, making music can be frustrating too, especially when I can’t get something to sound the way I want. But then a melody or an idea comes together, and I get excited about it. That feeling is what keeps me coming back.
5. You’ve cited artists like Sigala, Joel Corry, Duke Dumont, MK and David Guetta as influences. What do you think connects those artists for you, beyond the fact that they make dance music?
I think they’re all very different artists making very different music, but they all have tracks you can connect with even if you’re not really into dance music or part of the rave scene. You don’t need to know the genre or the culture to enjoy them and feel something.
For me, it’s almost impossible not to dance when Sigala’s “Sweet Lovin’” comes on, or not to feel those summer vibes when I hear Duke Dumont’s “I Got U.” They’ve captured those feelings so well that you get to share in them just by listening. That’s probably what connects them for me.
6. “All Night Long” feels designed for a very specific moment; summer, friends, a packed dancefloor, and nobody checking the time. When you were making it, did you already have that kind of scene in your head?
Yeah, definitely. As soon as I played those piano chords over the hook, that scene came straight into my head: summer, friends, and nowhere you need to be. I wanted the track to feel easy to enjoy, something you could put on and just get lost in for a few minutes. Whenever I went back to work on it, that was the feeling I wanted to keep.
7. Now that “All Night Long (All Night)” is out, what’s next for KEPA? Are you looking to build towards a larger body of work, explore different sides of dance music, or simply follow wherever the next idea takes you?
Right now, I’m completely caught up in that summer getaway feeling, and I want to keep exploring it through music. The urge to escape everyday life for somewhere more inspiring and colourful runs pretty deep in me, so I don’t think one track is enough.
