Keep Moving by Xani

Xani took 12 months to write and record her new album, Keep Moving. The idea came about while Xani was confronted with death, grief, health anxiety, and abuse. She wondered how she would get through any of these things; how does anyone? She wrote these songs as little guides for herself on how to get through it all. Each song is a tiny plan to protect against inevitable pain.

Coinciding with life’s barrage of pain, was a new interest in Krautrock music. In lockdown, Xani fell in love with Kraftwerk, but it wasn’t until the end of 2023 that she finally discovered her newest favourite band, CAN. Then, in May 2024, Xani travelled to Berlin to perform her music as part of Classical:NEXT, and has just been accepted into an Artist Residency at MONOM Studios in Berlin in June 2025.

Xani wrote a fair chunk of the melodic material on acoustic guitar - an instrument she can’t play well at all. But stepping away from composing on the violin meant a momentary shake up of her usual process. These ideas were then arranged to perform on electric violin, vocals and drums.

Reams of lyrics poured out. So Xani would meet up online with Nashville-based songwriter Clare Reynolds to workshop them. Because these songs are so intensely personal and from a place of anxiety, many of these songwriting sessions turned into breakdowns, crying and ultimately, therapy. Clare would help guide Xani down into the deepest, hardest parts of her feelings to reveal the truest lyrics she has written to date.

Krautrock has predominantly been dominated by men. Similarly, Xani’s experience as an improviser and jazz-trained musician in Naarm/Melbourne has meant constant intimidation, exclusion, and patronisation. Despite this, Xani has flung herself into rock and jazz contexts to develop an energetic and formidable presence, doubling down on taking up space as a woman in rock and jazz music. This is in contrast to Xani’s pure, innocent and almost sweet voice that sings these songs of pain. This album represents this empowerment and contrast, including a song about violence against women.

Wanting to try for one takes, to capture the raw vulnerability of these songs as well as the spirit of a live (Kraut)rock show, Xani and Justin Olsson (drums) recorded this album over two sessions in Xani’s upstairs bedroom. Cristian Barbieri (The CB3, Thndo, Jessica Mauboy) engineered and mixed the tracks. Performing these vulnerable songs in a safe and well-known space gives this album a courage and rawness that reflects what the songs are about.

Xani is passionate about utilising new technology that can reflect back to us how we engage with each other and the world. This album is experimental in its format and genre-agnosticism, in its instrumentation (it involves only electric violin/vocals and drum), and the long form shredding violin solos that hark back to rock and free jazz experimentation of the late 60s.

In addition, vinyl pressings of this album were made possible through people power. Through sales of a live CD and generous donations, Xani has self produced and self funded this album as an independent and self managed artist.

“Keep Moving” is out independently on April 23rd.

* violin
* pop
* instrumentals
* songs

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