Lunice

Canadian producer and DJ Lunice has shaped the intersection of hip-hop and electronic music since the late 2000s, both through his solo work and through his role in the duo TNGHT, helping establish the trap strain of EDM. Born Lunice Fermin Pierre II in Montréal in 1988, he began as a breakdancer before turning to production in the early 2000s. By 2007 he was creating DJ mixes and played his first show at the monthly Bass Culture night, where he encountered Anticon/Ninja Tune producer Sixtoo. He soon joined the Megasoid bills organized by Sixtoo and aligned himself with Lazer Sword’s Turbo Crunk collective. Remixes for acts from Thunderheist through the xx followed, and he attended the 2010 Red Bull Music Academy in London.

That same year he joined the roster of Glasgow-based LuckyMe, then operating at the leading edge of experimental club sounds. His first EP, Stacker Upper, closed out 2010 and included a Rustie rework, while One Hunned arrived in 2011; both demonstrated his command of intricate yet understated rhythms. Around the same period he connected with Diplo, entered the Mad Decent circle, appeared at Block Party events, and joined Diplo on a Deerhunter remix. While maintaining an active global touring schedule, he also worked with Azealia Banks and supplied remixes for Theophilus London, Foster the People, and Flosstradamus featuring Danny Brown.

Lunice and LuckyMe co-founder Hudson Mohawke launched the TNGHT project in 2012. Their self-titled EP, issued jointly by Warp, landed on multiple year-end lists and shaped the work of many subsequent trap producers. The pair handled productions and remixes for Kanye West, Wacka Flocka Flame, and Flying Lotus’s rap persona Captain Murphy before announcing an indefinite hiatus at the close of 2013. Lunice surfaced only sporadically afterward, releasing the 2014 track “Can’t Wait To” and the 2015 EP 180 while keeping most activities private. He returned in 2017 with his first album, CCCLX (360), an expansive set that featured CJ Flemings, SOPHIE, Denzel Curry, Le1f, and additional guests.