Ever since his first release back in 2007, Duke Dumont has gone onto secure two UK number one singles and a Grammy nomination, but this Harrow-born DJ and producer is someone who has always been deeply rooted in club music. We take a look back at his journey so far…
Duke Dumont, better known to friends as Adam Dyment, started his career in dance music with Switch as his mentor, before dropping a 3-track debut EP on Tiga’s Turbo Recordings back in ‘07. The ‘Regality EP’ was a merging of electro house and techno with break elements throughout, all tied together by pulsating basslines and catchy vocal samples. This was a statement of intent, which set up his second release in 2008 on Dubsided, which included the tribal-sounding ‘Hoy’ and jackin’ house ‘Feltham (The Borstal Beat)’.
Following his FabricLive.51 compilation in 2010, it was then that Duke decided to move out of London to focus on original material, returning in 2012 with two EPs for Turbo – ‘For Club Play Only Vol. 1’ and ‘Vol. 2’. Both EPs showcased his real versatility as producer, with standout tracks including the now yearly summer anthem ‘The Giver’ and G-House bomb ‘ Street Walker’.
These two tracks, along with remixes for AlunaGeorge and Santigold, received serious support from across the board - most notably Annie Mac, who selected him as her Future Star for his debut on BBC Radio 1’s Essential Mix in 2013. Annie was right, Duke followed this mix up with his first real crossover single ‘I Need U (100%) (Feat. A*M*E)', which scored him his first UK number one, racking up over 33 million YouTube views along the way.
Not settling with one chart-topping single, he returned with the follow-up ‘I Got U’ later in 2013, which featured upcoming producer Jax Jones and samples ‘My Love Is Your Love’ by Whitney Houston, sung by Duke’s frequent collaborator and live vocalist, Kelli-Leigh. The video for the single has had 180 million views, placing him among the real superstars of house music, which was further cemented by ‘Won’t Look Back’ in 2014, reaching number two in the UK singles chart and gaining a Grammy nomination for ‘Best Dance Recording’.
Again, not content with taking over the European dance scene, Duke Dumont’s success in the US has been quite remarkable, with ‘Ocean Drive’ in 2015 scoring him his 5th consecutive Billboard number one on the Dance Club chart. That track alone has over 70 million streams on Spotify, once again proving his worldwide appeal is second-to-none.
Fast forward to 2016 – Duke Dumont is well and truly returning to his club roots, joining forces with us for the fourth instalment of his ‘For Club Play Only’ series. We’re excited to present two very different but special records - ‘Be Here’ screams instant summer classic, with the ever-uplifting vocals of ‘I Got U’ star Kelli-Leigh, while ‘Worship’ acts as a more underground Ibiza anthem.
It’s time to welcome Duke Dumont to Defected, and this is only the beginning…
