VH1 Supersonic is bringing Disclosure to Goa, and we thought you should know all about the dynamic duo before you make your way to the festival.
Disclosure are an English electronic and dance music duo who have been blowing up dancefloors ever since their first single. Starting out at the ripe age of 16 and 19, the two young siblings have made quite the mark on the electronic music world, with their unique style that mixes UK garage with popular music. Here’s how they made their way to success.
(Image via:Β www.getliftedtonight.com)
Beginnings
Growing up in Reigate, Surrey, the two brothers had a musical upbringing, and the apple never falls far from the tree. With a father who played in indie bands like No Angry Man and Look Book, and a mother who was a session singer, the two brothers were surrounded by different types of music from the time they were young.
They even started young – Guy started playing the drums at the age of three, and Howard started playing the bass guitar by the time he was eight. Both of them studied music at Reigate College to A-level, but funnily enough, neither of them had any interest in electronic music to begin with. Guy enjoyed classical music, while Howard played for an indie band and listened to maudlin singers. But once Guy began to study production techniques, he grew more and more interested, eventually drawing his brother in. This led them through hip hop, to dubstep, and finally into their style, influenced by Chicago house, Detroit techno, UK garage and 2-step garage.
Early Career
What began as deconstructing and recreating the music Guy heard at gigs in the room above his father’s auctioning space soon shifted to producing music the duo referred to as “popular music structured as electronic house music”. But at this point, the two brothers weren’t very clear about exactly where their music stood, and were mostly experimenting with different styles. They produced tracks and uploaded them to MySpace, which quickly got them aΒ record deal, and a UK tour mixing live music gigs with occasional DJ sets.
(Image via: diymag.com)
Their first single, “Offline Dexterity” came out in August 2010. Their second single, “Carnival/I Love…That You Know” also came out soon after, and even though they received a good response, their sound was still reminiscent of scruffy dubstep.
Music Style and Biggest Hits
Disclosure had their big break in 2012, and they began coming out with a cleaner sound, a lot closer to UK Garage, and more oriented towards pop, mostly from collaboration with vocalists. The group had their first UK hit in October 2012 with “Latch”,Β co-written with Jimmy Napesand featuring the vocals from Sam Smith, which peaked at #11 in the UK Singles Chart.
This was followed by “White Noise,” a collaboration with AlunaGeorgeΒ that reached #2. Their third consecutive Top 20 hit was “You & Me” with Eliza Doolittle, which reached #10. Their first full debut albumΒ SettleΒ was a big success, and was even nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Dance Album!
They also established a record label in 2013 call Method Records. Steadily climbing towards success, and to where they are now, the duo embarked on a world tour to over 40 European and American cities, and also played at major music festivals like Glastonbury, Coachella, Lollapalooza and Sasquatch!
Latest Album – Caracal
Disclosure’s second album brings a very interesting twist to the world of music production and videos. It features vocals by brilliant artists likeΒ Sam Smith,Β Lorde, Gregory Porter, Kwabs, The Weeknd, NAO, Miguel, Jordan Rakei and Brendan Reilly. Some of the singles likeΒ “Omen”, “Holding On” and “Jaded” were released prior to the release of the, with music videos for each track coming out on YouTube. Each video is actually an installment in a story that follows a young woman who is for being chased by the police for some unknown reason, through a “dystopian, sci-fi world” they’ve created.
(Image via:Β Disclosure/Facebook)
Watch the video of “Omen” ft. Sam Smith, and the newest video of “Magnets” ft. Lorde:
A 4-day festival on the beaches of Goa, VH1 Supersonic has created a reputation for having superb production, massive stages, brilliant performances, and artists that are the perfect mix of homegrown talent and big names internationally. This year, they’re bringing this brilliant dance music duo to the festival, and a whole lot of other amazing acts! Don’t miss it, and book your tickets HERE.
