DT771 – Walker & Royce

For Sam Walker and Gavin Royce, the question is the fundamental test of their studio output. Simple as it may sound, for this perfectionist pair it’s anything but. Their innate dance floor intuition, combined with years of experience behind the decks, drives them to create music that isn’t just playable — it’s irresistible.

First introduced by way of New York City’s early-aughts dance music scene, Sam Walker and Gavin Royce first teamed up for a remix in 2011. The duo found early success on tastemaker labels like Crosstown Rebels, OFF Recordings, and Moda Black, scoring an Essential New Tune nod from Pete Tong with 2014’s “Sister.”  The indie dance and deep house sounds that informed Walker & Royce’s earliest work soon gave way to something different. Quirky accents and bouncy synths, previously deeper in the mix, leapt to the forefront, backed by a propulsive new energy. The success of their November 2015 “Bright Lights” remix was a clear indication that they were onto something.

In October 2017, Walker & Royce released their debut album Self Help on Dirtybird, which both showcased and expanded upon their now-signature sound. The guys enlisted numerous vocalists, including Green Velvet, Dances With White Girls, and Sophiegrophy, to make Self Help feel like a packed house party – while leaving no doubt about who was hosting.  Self Help was followed by further experimentation and growth. Sam and Gavin have collaborated with Ardalan, Chris Lake and VNSSA; remixed The Knocks and Justin Jay; and put out music on Relief, Black Book, HotBOi Records and more. Now, their new Rave Grave EP is the inaugural release on Diplo’s house-focused imprint Higher Ground.

Walker & Royce have spent years honing in on their one-of-a-kind style, meticulously crafting the sounds they want their fans to hear in clubs, at festivals and in their headphones. The result is a cohesive, career-defining body of work that firmly places the duo at the forefront of dance music’s future. 

Today, they joins us on the podcast for the first time. Listen to it below, on Mixcloud or iTunes here.

Sum up this podcast in 10 words…
W&R: We wanted to highlight tracks that have been really going off at our recent shows.

What’s your personal favourite track on it?
W&R: That’s a hard question to answer, these are the tracks we are really into right now. We will say that it’s Kevin Knapp Worldwide. We have long been fans and friends of Kevin and this may be our favourite track by him. It’s the perfect 2nd or 3rd track that really sets the tone for our sets, we love it!

What’s the special ingredient in this mix?
W&R: Funk! In our opinion funk to music is like butter to food, it always makes it better. 

Tell us about your recent release.
W&R: We recently released a collaboration on Club Sweat with Dances With White Girls called Rewind It, it’s a hip-house banger. It has been doing lots of damage in our sets. We also recently launched our label Rules Don’t Apply Records and the last release was called Splits Vol 1. It has a track from us and Ardalan as Escapade called Animals; the other track is a heater from VNSSA & Lenny Kiser.  

What have you got coming up? 
W&R: We are really excited about what we have going on with RDA Records, lots of good music set for release. We also have a nice little run of clubs to end the year. We love playing festivals but we have really been missing the intimacy of a club, it’s nice to get back into some smaller rooms.

And finally, do you have a special message for our readers?
W&R: We just want to thank everyone for all the support the last few years and we can’t wait to share more music with you! Happy Holidays to everyone!

Tracklist

LP Giobbi – Take My Hand (Walker & Royce Remix)
Kevin Knapp – Worldwide (Original Mix)
Walker & Royce – Rise to the Sky
Patrick Topping – Planet Session
Wade – Superazzid (Original Mix)
Bruno Furlan – Better Day
Walker & Royce, Dances With White Girls – Rewind It
Dj Glen – Motion Sickness 
Escapade (Walker & Royce + Ardalan) – Animals
Mindchatter – Language (Walker & Royce Dance Remix)
Nasser Baker – Funky Uncle
Detroit Swindle – Hey Mister (Extended Mix)
QRTR – Want Me 2 (Original Mix)