Biography
Emerging in 2005 as a fresh take on synth pop from the eighties, Filthy Dukes originated when club promoters Olly Dixon and Tim Lawton began performing together as DJs at their Kill Em All events at London's Fabric nightclub, where they backed various acts. Their focus soon shifted toward original productions rather than simply playing records, prompting the duo to issue remixes for acts including the Rakes, Bloc Party, and Heloise & the Savoir Faire. Success with their Maccabees remix led musical peers to urge Dixon and Lawton to create their own songs. They partnered with producer Mark Ralph to begin sessions in the studio. Ralph joined as a permanent member, enabling the trio to stage live shows that quickly drew a following spanning rave and rock scenes. Already established as a dependable live act by their third performance—a high-profile Glastonbury slot—Filthy Dukes discovered that studio work demanded a separate approach, emphasizing production craft over performed instruments. This method fostered multiple guest-vocalist features. Late in 2007 the group released a limited edition of the electro-house track "This Rhythm" with Samuel Dust of Late of the Pier on vocals; Girls Aloud singer Sarah Harding contributed to a song on the 2008 Wild Child soundtrack; and the debut album's first single, "Tupac Robot Club Rock," incorporated raps by Plastic Little. After signing to Fiction Records, Nonsense in the Dark arrived in March 2009.
Albums
