Duke Dumont’s “Duality” is Deep House Dynamite

Duke Dumont’s highly anticipated debut album “Duality” releases today, and it’s one to watch out for. Dumont has used “Duality” to express his evolution and adaptability as an Electronic Dance Music artist, fully showcasing his multifaceted talent in producing, song-writing, and exploring genres in his music. Even the album’s name is a nod to what I feel is the ethos of what Duke Dumont was trying to express: the duality of experimenting with new styles while still remaining true to the Deep House sound that got him to where he is now.

The whole album feels connected with a depth of feeling and a few recurring musical elements. Duke Dumont’s use of heavily synthesized bass and emphatic vocals are prevalent throughout every single track, most notably with the opening track “Therapy”. Combining powerful Gospel-inspired vocals with an organ keyboard, a string section, and underlying tambourine, “Therapy” is a busy but strong way to kick off the album.

“Therapy” is not the only time Duke Dumont utilizes orchestral elements in his songs. They pop up here and there throughout the album, but they are best utilized in “Love Song”. The song starts out as a signature Duke Dumont Deep House track, with its melodic sound and consistent bassline, rounded out by a delicate snare hi-hat. However, as the compelling vocals are brought back in, he adds a violin section that adds a beautiful layer to the entire song. Just as quickly, he takes it all away in the mid-point breakdown, using only a heavy synth melody. Then he builds it back up again, with the violin section returning with even more complexity, as well as the inclusion of the horn section, all of it combining into an extremely well-produced and beautiful track.

“Duality” is filled with tracks that showcase the talents of artists that Duke Dumont has chosen to collaborate with. “The Power” featuring Zak Abel makes excellent use of his vocals, layering them until the song builds into an almost Big Room House drop. “Nightcrawler” featuring Say Lou Lou combines her Pop-inspired vocals with a strong synthesized bassline and guitar riff, making a super funky track. NIIA’s voice is breathy and sweet in “The Fear”, and it’s well-accompanied by the violin section. And “Together” featuring How To Dress Well combines his natural voice with a distorted version, then adds in a classic Rock drum in its breakdown to create one of the more unique tracks on the album.

One of the highlights of “Duality” is the inclusion of Duke Dumont’s most well-known song, “Ocean Drive”. It is a masterwork in terms of pacing, style, and lyrical craftsmanship. With notes of Pop, Disco, and a strong injection of Deep House thanks to its breakdown and bassline, the song comes together to form a bittersweet summertime anthem, with its heartbreaking lyrics dripping with nostalgia and feeling. Listening to the song transported me to watching him at Digital Dreams in Toronto last summer, and I can’t deny that the song moved me a little as I remembered my last music festival. 

The one track that is the biggest departure from the overall feel of the album is “Obey” featuring Roland Clark. It’s quirky, with a bass-heavy and repetitive electronic melody carried by declarative vocals that shout “obey,” leading into an 80’s inspired synth breakdown. It’s definitely a change from the melodic vocals and orchestral elements of the previous tracks, but nonetheless it’s a fun song to groove to.

The crowning achievement of “Duality” has to be the final two songs, “Overture” and “Let Me Go” featuring Ry X. “Overture” bears a dramatic and emotional piano performance, which leads into the haunting vocals of Ry X. The song slowly becomes transformed as Duke Dumont amps it up by adding more elements, drawing out the violins as the synth keyboard and bass become stronger. It’s a long build if you include “Overture”, but it makes the inevitable breakdown all the sweeter. All of the orchestral elements are eliminated and the song drops into an intense, minimalist House track. Dumont then steadily adds more elements, slowly bringing back the choir and adding more electronic elements until the song peaks in a frenzy of melody. And just as fast as it happens, it’s gone, as the end of the song echoes the beginning with only the vocals and piano closing us out.

It’s clear that Dumont has put everything that he has into “Duality”, to great effect. It’s brand-new, yet nostalgic. It has depth and complexity, with moments of minimalism to keep it from being one-note. But to put it simply? Duke Dumont’s Duality is damn good.

*Duke Dumont Reflects | Image Via Eliot Lee Hazel*