Biography
Silk City emerged from the partnership of super-producers Diplo and Mark Ronson as a tribute to the disco, house, and electronic dance sounds that first took shape in Detroit, Chicago, London, and Paris throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Their single "Electricity," recorded with pop singer Dua Lipa, claimed the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording at the 61st ceremony in 2019.
The name itself references the diner and club where Diplo delivered some of his earliest DJ performances, while the project itself grew out of an enduring friendship that stretched more than fifteen years and finally coalesced into a working duo during 2017. Diplo, born Thomas Wesley Pentz, and Ronson had each built substantial solo careers by that point; the two reportedly first encountered one another in Philadelphia around 2002 while both were working as DJs. Their musical palettes overlapped enough in a shared admiration for classic disco and house to create a lasting rapport despite other stylistic differences, and they stayed in contact until deciding to record together in 2017.
The first result of those sessions appeared as the 2018 single "Only Can Get Better" featuring Daniel Merriweather. Further tracks followed with Mapei, GoldLink, and Desiigner, yet commercial breakthrough arrived only after they linked with Dua Lipa. "Electricity" surfaced in September 2018, climbing to number four in the U.K. and claiming the summit of the U.S. dance chart. Early the next year it captured Best Dance Recording honors at the Grammys. For their subsequent release, Silk City enlisted Ellie Goulding on the 2021 single "New Love."
The name itself references the diner and club where Diplo delivered some of his earliest DJ performances, while the project itself grew out of an enduring friendship that stretched more than fifteen years and finally coalesced into a working duo during 2017. Diplo, born Thomas Wesley Pentz, and Ronson had each built substantial solo careers by that point; the two reportedly first encountered one another in Philadelphia around 2002 while both were working as DJs. Their musical palettes overlapped enough in a shared admiration for classic disco and house to create a lasting rapport despite other stylistic differences, and they stayed in contact until deciding to record together in 2017.
The first result of those sessions appeared as the 2018 single "Only Can Get Better" featuring Daniel Merriweather. Further tracks followed with Mapei, GoldLink, and Desiigner, yet commercial breakthrough arrived only after they linked with Dua Lipa. "Electricity" surfaced in September 2018, climbing to number four in the U.K. and claiming the summit of the U.S. dance chart. Early the next year it captured Best Dance Recording honors at the Grammys. For their subsequent release, Silk City enlisted Ellie Goulding on the 2021 single "New Love."
Albums
Singles
