Rising producer FENIK teams up with New York house duo Walker & Royce for “Utopia,” a dark yet uplifting tech house collaboration released via John Summit’s Experts Only. Built with the dancefloor in mind, the track combines moody textures, playful synths and an instantly memorable vocal hook to deliver a late-summer house anthem with a deeper message at its core.
“Utopia” balances tension and euphoria, moving between shadowy soundscapes and energetic house production before locking into its central refrain: “there’s no such thing as utopia.” Rather than presenting perfection as an ideal to chase, the track explores the idea that struggle and imperfection are essential parts of experiencing happiness, giving its club-ready production an unexpectedly introspective edge.
For FENIK, the concept originated during a college literature course focused on utopian and dystopian fiction. Years later, he rediscovered one of his textbooks, The Utopia Reader, while cleaning out a box under his bed, reigniting the idea that would eventually become the track.
“Utopia was inspired by a class I took in college which always stuck with me. The class was two classes in one, called Utopian and Dystopian Literature. The whole point of the class was to show the similarities between dystopias and utopias, and the ingrained flaw in a utopia, which is that without pain or lows, there is no such thing as happiness or highs. I ended up writing the lyrics to the track a few years after the class, after finding one of my books from the class, ‘The Utopia Reader,’ in a box under my bed while doing some cleaning,” FENIK explains.
The collaboration with Walker & Royce came together naturally after FENIK realized their sound would complement the concept.
“When I had the initial idea of a track for Utopia, I immediately thought it would be great for Walker & Royce. I sent it over to Gav and Sam, and they really liked it, from there I sent over the parts and we just kept passing it back and forth and here we are. Really happy with what we have done together on this track.”
For Walker & Royce, “Utopia” also represents a significant milestone as their first release on Experts Only. The duo — Sam Walker and Gavin Royce — had already been testing the track in their sets before watching John Summit make it a key part of his own performances.
“We’re so happy to bring you ‘Utopia’ – our collaboration with our label alum FENIK, who has recently been on quite a tear. It’s been crushing for us in all our sets. This is our first release on Experts Only and it’s been mind-blowing for all of us seeing John Summit feature this as a key track in his set. We feel the energy of the track fits a feeling a lot of people might be having right now, coming to grips with a less-than-perfect reality but always keeping hope alive,” say Walker & Royce.
The release adds another chapter to the duo’s genre-fluid approach to house music. Over the years, Walker & Royce have collaborated with artists including Odd Mob, Chris Lake, VNSSA and Chris Lorenzo, while delivering remixes for Channel Tres and LP Giobbi. Their viral rework of The Dare’s “Girls” further expanded their reach beyond the traditional club circuit.
For FENIK, “Utopia” arrives during a rapid rise through the tech house scene. After first gaining attention with a release on Rules Don’t Apply Records, the emerging producer has developed a club-focused sound that has earned support from artists including John Summit, Dom Dolla, Gorgon City and Matroda.
His momentum has also translated into the live arena, with performances alongside Sonny Fodera, Chris Lorenzo, Gorgon City, OMNOM and Odd Mob helping establish FENIK as one of the scene’s promising new talents.
The release also makes FENIK one of the youngest artists to land a release on Experts Only, adding another milestone to a breakout run that continues to gain momentum.
With “Utopia,” FENIK and Walker & Royce turn an exploration of perfection and imperfection into a track designed for the most imperfectly perfect place of all: the dancefloor.
FENIK: SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC | SOUNDCLOUD | YOUTUBE | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER
Walker & Royce: SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC | SOUNDCLOUD | YOUTUBE | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER