Dusky

London duo Dusky, aka Nick Harriman and Alfie Granger-Howell, have spent over a decade together making music. They met at sixth form in Camden, Harriman going on to study music production while Granger-Howell studied composition. Bonding over a shared love of pirate radio and the 90s electronica and happy hardcore that soundtracked their adolescence, they began experimenting with production and DJing. Before too long, they released some tracks with Anjunadeep as Solarity, before settling into their musical identity as Dusky. Dusky has further cultivated their sound and artistic sensibilities, setting up their own record label 17 steps in 2014. This year marks the label’s decade anniversary: no mean feat for a niche underground label. 17 Steps was mainly used as a home for their own music - since then, it has grown into a home for up-and-coming artists. The label has since put out releases and remixes from the likes of Nathan Micay, LTJ Bukem, Interplanetary Criminal, Denham Audio and Shed. JOY was released in 2021. Written and released in the depths of the pandemic and global lockdown, the album was designed to replicate the same hedonism and thrill of playing gigs and festival sets to large audiences. Though the duo’s usual process of testing out demos to willing crowds and on a sound system was stripped away, the album still held the same euphoria of being out and having a perfect dance floor moment.