Manchester-based trip-hop collective Digging for Kanky return with their new single “Send Me Away”, releasing September 5th, 2025 on Black Pollen Records. True to their ethos, the track is a moody and immersive experience — a “slow-motion collapse in sound” that thrives on tension, texture, and emotional weight. Built on brooding sub-bass, sparse half-step drums, and a sense of restrained urgency, “Send Me Away” feels like both an intimate confession and a late-night soundtrack for losing yourself in the chaos of the dancefloor.
The single owes much of its impact to atmosphere. Digging for Kanky draw on a lineage of trip-hop and downtempo pioneers — from the haunting grit of Massive Attack and the introspective minimalism of James Blake, to the street-level poetry of The Streets. The production leans heavy on space and texture: sub-bass rumbles beneath everything like an undertow, while the half-step drums give the track a lurching, hypnotic rhythm. Every detail feels carefully chosen, allowing listeners to drift into the track rather than be pulled forward by it.
What stands out most is the restraint. Instead of aiming for the big drop or explosive chorus, Digging for Kanky opt for subtle layers and slow-building tension. The result is cinematic: a song that feels less like a performance and more like a lived-in atmosphere, one you inhabit as much as you hear.
“Send Me Away” carries the dual meaning of escapism — on one hand, the urge to disappear into music, to let sound erase the edges of reality; on the other, the lure of surrendering to chaos. The lyrics and vocal delivery carry an understated melancholy, a quiet plea for release that listeners can easily project their own feelings onto. It’s this universality that gives the single its power: it doesn’t dictate how you should feel, but opens a space for reflection.
The collective’s name itself — Digging for Kanky — references local folklore about a grave robber from Middleton, Manchester, a symbol of their fascination with darker origins and hidden stories. That connection is woven into their sound: the shadows, the sense of unease, the pull toward something unsettling yet beautiful. “Send Me Away” fits seamlessly into this narrative, offering a meditation on escape that is equal parts haunting and comforting.
Comprised of Ben Powell, Adam Smith, and Kat Brown, Digging for Kanky has been steadily carving a space for themselves in the alternative landscape. Their work thrives on contrasts: minimal yet layered, dark yet alluring, personal yet universal. Inspired by acts like Leftfield and The xx, they have refined a style that doesn’t chase trends but instead creates a world of its own.
“Send Me Away” is not a single built for quick gratification; it’s a slow burn, a track that rewards repeat listens and late-night solitude. By embracing restraint and leaning into atmosphere, Digging for Kanky have crafted something that feels timeless in its melancholy. It’s a song for listeners who crave depth in their playlists — for those moments when you don’t just want background music, but a place to disappear into.
With this release, Digging for Kanky prove they are more than just another Manchester band; they are storytellers of mood and atmosphere, inviting us into a shadowed world where beauty and darkness intertwine.
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