Wilkinson

Mark Wilkinson, a London-based artist, has steadily refined an accessible and dancefloor-oriented approach to drum'n'bass that has yielded multiple chart successes across Britain and beyond. His career began in the early 2010s with releases on Hospital Records and RAM Records, the label founded by Andy C. The 2013 debut album Lazers Not Included featured the double-platinum Top Ten single “Afterglow” with Becky Hill, while later projects emphasized radio-friendly pop hooks alongside excursions into house and future garage. A joint effort with Sub Focus titled Portals surfaced in 2020, followed in 2022 by Cognition, which climbed to number three on the New Zealand albums chart.

Wilkinson first developed a deep interest in dance music at fourteen, when he swapped his guitar for a sequencer. College courses in music production prompted him to assemble a home studio that later expanded into a professional facility, where he created the track “Hypnosis” for the 2010 Hospital Records compilation Sick Music 2. Demos forwarded to Andy C. secured a deal with RAM Records, inaugurated by the 2010 twelve-inch “Moonwalker,” which also appeared on Andy C.’s mix-CD Nightlife 5. That same year he earned the Best Breakthrough Producer award at the U.K. National D&B Awards and issued the hit twelve-inch “Need to Know.”

RAM Records released his first album, Lazers Not Included, in 2013, elevating him to major status after “Afterglow” reached number eight on the U.K. singles chart. Worldwide touring, two further U.K. Top 40 singles, and a signing to Virgin EMI followed. His second album, Hypnotic, arrived in 2017 and included vocal contributions from Wretch 32, Andreya Triana, and rising artists such as Matt Wills, Shannon Saunders, and Jem Cooke. The non-album single “All for You” featuring Karen Harding appeared in 2019. Portals, his 2020 collaboration with fellow RAM alumnus Sub Focus, peaked at number twenty-six on the New Zealand albums chart and registered on domestic listings as well. Wilkinson launched his own imprint, Sleepless Music Ltd., in 2021 and issued singles including “Used to This” with Issey Cross, a U.K. Top 40 entry. The 2022 full-length Cognition became his third album to top the U.K. Dance Albums chart while simultaneously reaching number three on New Zealand’s main albums ranking.