Biography
Self-termed "electronic soul" musician Dornik emerged in the early 2010s as one of R&B’s most distinctive and promising talents. The multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, and producer has issued two albums to date, Dornik (2015) and Limboland (2020), while lending support to Jessie Ware, Zo!, and Alfa Mist and Emmavie on various projects.
Dornik Leigh, whose name derives from his parents Dorothy and Nick, first encountered music at home in Croydon, South London, where he took up drums and began producing as a child. He assembled the band TURTL in 2011 alongside bassist Rocco Palladino, son of Pino Palladino; both musicians later joined Jessie Ware’s touring ensemble. Dornik occasionally shared vocals with Ware on “Valentine” in place of Sampha. Impressed by his solo home recordings, Ware helped steer him toward PMR, the label to which she was signed and that operated under Island.
Dornik debuted on PMR in 2013 with the midtempo single “Something About You,” a track positioned between Frank Ocean and Musiq Soulchild. Further 2014 releases, notably “On My Mind” and “Drive,” drew frequent comparisons to Michael Jackson, especially for the understated yet confident vocal style that echoed MJ’s work on “I Can’t Help It” and “Butterflies.” Most of those singles appeared on his self-titled debut album, released in 2015.
Outside his own catalog, Dornik linked with Zo! and Phonte for “Lifelines,” included on the former’s SkyBreak, and recorded the standalone song “Amazing” with Syd of the Internet. His follow-up, the broader Limboland, arrived as a self-released project in March 2020 featuring Phonte, Gavin Turek, Barney Artist, and Taylor Graves. The next month he served as co-producer on Alfa Mist and Emmavie’s “Fly Away.”
Dornik Leigh, whose name derives from his parents Dorothy and Nick, first encountered music at home in Croydon, South London, where he took up drums and began producing as a child. He assembled the band TURTL in 2011 alongside bassist Rocco Palladino, son of Pino Palladino; both musicians later joined Jessie Ware’s touring ensemble. Dornik occasionally shared vocals with Ware on “Valentine” in place of Sampha. Impressed by his solo home recordings, Ware helped steer him toward PMR, the label to which she was signed and that operated under Island.
Dornik debuted on PMR in 2013 with the midtempo single “Something About You,” a track positioned between Frank Ocean and Musiq Soulchild. Further 2014 releases, notably “On My Mind” and “Drive,” drew frequent comparisons to Michael Jackson, especially for the understated yet confident vocal style that echoed MJ’s work on “I Can’t Help It” and “Butterflies.” Most of those singles appeared on his self-titled debut album, released in 2015.
Outside his own catalog, Dornik linked with Zo! and Phonte for “Lifelines,” included on the former’s SkyBreak, and recorded the standalone song “Amazing” with Syd of the Internet. His follow-up, the broader Limboland, arrived as a self-released project in March 2020 featuring Phonte, Gavin Turek, Barney Artist, and Taylor Graves. The next month he served as co-producer on Alfa Mist and Emmavie’s “Fly Away.”
Albums
Singles
