Everything that Duke Dumont touches turns into gold. The England native has a unique ear for blending deep house with singalong vocals and uplifting melodies, helping his music deftly ride the line between dance and pop without straying too far from his trademark sound.
While he doesn’t have the same kind of hype or following as artists like Hardwell and Calvin Harris, the Duke has quietly become one of house music’s most respected producers with two Grammy nominated tracks from the last year to his name – “Need U (100%)” and “I Got U.” – and stand-out releases like “The Giver (Reprise).” Earlier this year, Dumont shed his dance music tendencies in favor of his furthest foray into pop to date on his massive, Daft Punk-influenced “Ocean Drive,” the lead single off of his forthcoming Blase Boys Club Pt. 1 EP.
With “Ocean Drive” becoming one of the summer’s biggest hits, Dumont has donned his tastemaker cap to handpick the up-and-coming, Australian-based artist, Hayden James, as one of the remixers for the official “Ocean Drive” remix pack. James flips “Ocean Drive” on its head, doing away with the 80s pop-influenced feel of Dumont’s original in favor of a reverbed-out atmosphere and subtle guitar accents that gives the track some serious feels. If the original was perfect for a late afternoon drive down PCH, then pack your bags, because Hayden James’ remix is taking you across the country in the dead of night.
BONUS:
As a bonus, check out Shaun Frank’s groove-infused, deep house take on “Ocean Drive” below.