Xcellence

Nikolas Papadopoulos - the driving force behind Xcellence - is a creative who's tricky to pinpoint. There's the classical percussionist, graduating with honors, who's working with orchestras and ensembles - most notably part of the European Student Orchestra. The composer, whose original works and liberal takes on classics from Hans Zimmer to Ravel alike, are performed by these ensembles and more. But first and foremost, there's the elusive electronic producer, whose flurry of emotionally-charged future bass tunes, climbs the Soundcloud and Audiomack charts in hours and takes him from symphonic concerts and operas, to festival stages in his home country, Greece. Always restless, he follows with constant 180-degree turns from the nostalgic house signed by Proximity (Tell Me When) - appearing in gaming streams watched by hundreds of thousands worldwide - to the colourful indie-pop receiving editorial support from Spotify and Soundcloud (Breathe) and the invigorating classical-electronic experiments that fall under the radar of labels like Ninja Tune, Polydor, FFC, Because Music and more. His innovative projects “Sleepless” and “Z” featured 15-piece live ensembles and merged electronic music with classical percussion, creating immersive live performances showcasing the multifaceted interests in his core. More recently, Xcellence's 'EP1' (2024) receives regular nationwide radio support while his incoming single 'Silence' features Akacia in a uniquely textured take on indie-pop.