“Who the fuck is Kelly?” On paper, the answer seems simple enough. Over the years, the Welsh techno maverick has carved out a distinct space within electronic music, releasing acclaimed projects, packing out festival tents, and commanding stages across the globe. But even with all that behind her, it’s a question on Kelly Lee Owens’ mind as she sets to release her latest project, KELLY.

“I’m asking the question, Who the fuck is Kelly? Because every time I release something, I think I like to do a sort of 360 on myself,” she explains. It’s a categorisation Owens has long resisted, from both external and internal forces. “I think people love to put you in a box as an artist. People love to limit you, and sometimes you can limit yourself by adhering to what other people's expectations are of you,” she says. “So I’m using that self-exploration to try to understand what those limitations and barriers are within myself.”

That self-exploration takes shape in KELLY, a four-track, techno-heavy EP that follows the success of her fourth studio album, Dreamstate. While that record leaned toward a more pop terrain, KELLY finds Owens returning to the club. Built from a visceral sense of being on the edge, the project acknowledges that tension but also offers a call to “ascend together above the bullshit.” As she puts it, “I always think of the club as positive escapism, not just escapism – it doesn't have to be negative. There’s so much going on right now that we need those moments to come together, to remember, to be able to breathe.”

The project’s artwork extends that same sense of physicality. Its cover features an impression indented directly into Owens’ skin, inspired by the marks left on skin from clothes on a night out. “It's like I was there. It was fucking real. It was tangible,” Owens explains. “It’s about the embodiment of what it means to be present in spaces that you gather together, and how important that is.” 

From there, Owens turns her attention to other questions that have been occupying her mind too: “What happened to dancing in the club? What the fuck happened to being in the present moment? What the fuck happened to kissing on the dancefloor? What the fuck happened to fucking?” It’s a provocative series that fuels her rollout campaign – straightforward, maybe, but they’re questions that feel more urgent than ever as dancefloors fragment and the conversation shifts to how we can save nightlife.

While most rely on videos or social posts to document their time in the club, Owens is intent on rebuilding other forms of presence – the kind that can’t be uploaded or replayed. Last week, she played a sold-out show at London’s Venue MOT, where fans adhered to a strict no-phones rule. “You curate these moments, and you can only hope that people love it as much as you intend for them to,” she says, “but that night, it really felt like that energy was real.” Below, as she releases the latest track “132 Techno”, Kelly Lee Owens takes us through her dream night out.

What day of the week is this? 

Kelly Lee Owens: Let’s go with a Friday, it’s inclusive for everyone. I don’t think this night is going to end until Saturday, so we need Sunday to get it back together.

Where is the main event?

Kelly Lee Owens: Space Talk. It has one of the best sound systems in London. It’s one of those clubs that feels like a club, but very chic, very slinky. I feel like I’m in the Kylie Minogue Spinning Around video.

It’s one of my favourite places to go. It just feels super chic. You can dance if you want, you can talk if you want. They even have oolong tea whiskey cocktails.

What essential party supplies are you bringing with you?

Kelly Lee Owens: I tend to do this (which is a little bit annoying), but I bring my USB stick. Just in case! You just never know, and I end up going to a lot of house parties – it is a literal party trick for me as well as my job. Also, maybe a pack of Vogues and our new Girls Love Techno lighter.

Who’s playing?

Kelly Lee Owens: If I’m not, Ricardo Villalobos, if he could play in that venue, that would blow my tiny mind. Or maybe a back-to-back with Kylie Minogue, just to complete it. I just feel like that would be ridiculous. Or maybe I’m just having a cigarette with her outside and she just happens to be there.

What are you drinking?

Kelly Lee Owens: There’s a wine bar in Hackney called Binch. It’s tiny and it can fit maybe less than 10 people, which for me, almost feels like being at home. So going there and having some of the best wine in London – like one or two glasses – that’s what we’re doing.

When's the right time to leave the club?

Kelly Lee Owens: When it closes, the lights do come up. I’ve never been there and not stay until the end. It’s the perfect kind of club where it takes you on that journey and you never want to leave. I think that’s the sign of a great club, where time just moves differently.

Where are you heading for the afters?

Kelly Lee Owens: I have a couple of options. My friend Drew has the best taste in music – honestly, he’s the best DJ who’s never DJed publicly in the world. We often go to his place for an after-party, which can go on till whenever, or we might head to Fold, or to MOT.

Are you grabbing food?

Kelly Lee Owens: Before the club. I’d probably do Binch first, and then head to my favourite Chinese restaurant in Chinatown – they have lobster noodles, pink tablecloths, and champagne. It sounds really bougie, but usually there are loads of us going out, so when you’ve got 20 people having this sort of banquet-style noodles, it’s actually quite cheap. If I don’t do that, I’ll always go somewhere like Bar Italia for a bagel, at like 5 or 6 a.m. I’ve been going there for ten years.

KELLY is out November 21