Wilkinson: Biography, Discography and More | EDM Encyclopedia

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Introduction

Wilkinson is a British drum and bass producer and DJ whose active career spans from 2012 to 2026, marked by a series of well-received albums and EPs on Ram Records. His debut release, the EP Need to Know / Direction, arrived in 2012, setting the stage for a steady output of singles, EPs, and full-length projects over the next decade and beyond.

By 2013, Wilkinson had delivered his debut album, Lazers Not Included, which helped establish his signature sound: polished production, vocal-led tracks, and heavy sub-bass. He followed this with the EP Too Close in 2014, then a remix-focused EP Dirty Love (remixes) the same year. His second album, Hypnotic, dropped in 2017, showcasing a refined approach to melody and rhythm. He continued to evolve with Portals in 2020 and Cognition in 2022, each reflecting shifts in his production style. His most recent confirmed album is Infinity, slated for 2026, extending his active discography well into the mid-2020s.

Wilkinson’s work often features collaborations with vocalists and other EDM producers. His releases have consistently appeared on Ram Records, a label synonymous with high-caliber drum and bass. While his music leans accessible, it retains enough weight to satisfy genre purists, balancing radio-friendly appeal with dancefloor functionality. This dual approach has kept him relevant across multiple album cycles without abandoning the core tenets of drum and bass.

Genre and Style

Wilkinson operates primarily within drum and bass, though his style incorporates elements from vocal pop, electro-house, and ambient music. His tracks frequently center around sung vocals, sometimes chopped and rearranged into hooks that anchor the rhythm. The production favors crisp, quantized drums with sharp snares and rolling breaks, underpinned by deep sub-bass that drives the low end. Lead synthesizers often carry bright, arpeggiated melodies, creating contrast against the heavier bass elements.

The drum and bass Sound

Across his albums, Wilkinson’s approach has shifted subtly. Lazers Not Included (2013) leans heavily on pop-influenced structures, with vocal tracks that could function equally well in club sets or radio playlists. By Hypnotic (2017), the production tightens, with more intricate percussion layers and a slight move toward darker tones. Portals (2020) introduces more atmospheric textures, stretching out intros and breakdowns before dropping into driving basslines. Cognition (2022) continues this trajectory, blending polished vocal hooks with harder-edged bass work.

His EPs demonstrate a similar range. Need to Know / Direction (2012) pairs two tracks that balance melodic elements with dancefloor impact. Too Close (2014) and Dirty Love (remixes) (2014) both explore vocal-driven arrangements, with the latter focusing on reinterpretations of existing material. Wilkinson’s style avoids the minimalism of some drum and bass, instead opting for dense arrangements that fill the frequency spectrum. This maximalist approach has remained consistent even as his sound has evolved over the years.

Key Releases

Albums:

  • Albums:
  • Lazers Not Included
  • Hypnotic
  • Portals
  • Cognition

Discography Highlights

Lazers Not Included (2013)
Hypnotic (2017)
Portals (2020)
Cognition (2022)
Infinity (2026)

EPs:

Need to Know / Direction (2012)
Too Close (2014)
Dirty Love (remixes) (2014)

Wilkinson’s debut album, Lazers Not Included, arrived in 2013 via Ram Records, featuring a mix of vocal-led tracks and instrumental cuts. It established his template: melodic synth lines, prominent vocals, and bass-heavy drops. The 2017 follow-up, Hypnotic, refined this formula with tighter production and a more cohesive sound. Portals (2020) expanded his palette, incorporating longer builds and more ambient sections. Cognition (2022) continued this evolution, blending accessible hooks with tougher rhythmic elements. His confirmed future release, Infinity, is set for 2026.

On the EP front, Need to Know / Direction (2012) served as his first official release, offering two tracks that previewed his approach to drum and bass. Too Close (2014) delivered more vocal-focused material, while Dirty Love (remixes) (2014) collected reinterpretations of a single track. These EPs provided supplements to his album releases, keeping his presence active between full-length projects. All releases are credited to Ram Records, maintaining a consistent label relationship throughout his career.

Famous Tracks

Wilkinson, born Mark Wilkinson, broke into the drum and bass scene with his 2012 EP Need to Know / Direction. Released on RAM Records, this double A-side showcased his ability to blend heavy basslines with melodic vocals. The title track Need to Know features pitched-down vocal samples over rolling breaks, establishing a signature sound that would define his early career.

His 2013 debut album Lazers Not Included reached number one on the UK Dance Chart. The record included the single Afterglow, which featured vocals from Becky Hill and peaked at number 8 on the UK Singles Chart, selling over 400,000 copies. Too Close, released as an EP in 2014, continued this vocal-driven approach with a collaboration with Detour City. The Dirty Love (remixes) EP the same year offered reworked versions of his track, giving DJs expanded options for club sets.

Second album Hypnotic arrived in 2017, with the lead single Hypnotic itself showcasing a more polished production style. 2020 saw Portals, an album written during lockdown that leaned into darker tones while maintaining his vocal-heavy approach. Cognition followed in 2022, his fourth studio album. Looking ahead, Infinity is confirmed for 2026, marking his fifth full-length release.

Live Performances

Wilkinson’s live sets center on high-energy DJ performances rather than live instrument reproduction. He has appeared at major UK festivals including Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds, and Boomtown. His international reach extends to tours across Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and North America.

Notable Shows

RAM Records residencies have been a staple of his touring schedule, appearing regularly at club nights like RAM at The End in London before the venue closed. His DJ sets typically blend his own productions with tracks from fellow RAM roster artists, creating sets that balance commercial vocal tracks with heavier club material.

Festival headline slots have included Exit Festival in Serbia, Let It Roll in Czech Republic, and Dour Festival in Belgium. His 2022 tour supporting Cognition included a Brixton Electric show that sold out weeks in advance. He has supported Chase and Status on their arena tours, exposing his sound to larger audiences. His technical approach relies on Pioneer CDJs and a mixer, focusing on track selection and mixing precision over effects or live elements.

Why They Matter

Wilkinson occupies a specific niche in British drum and bass: the mainstream-accessible producer who maintains credibility within the genre. His chart success with Afterglow brought drum and bass to commercial radio without alienating the club audience that supported his early releases.

Impact on drum and bass

His consistency across five studio albums demonstrates a sustained career in a genre where many producers release only singles or EPs. Each album has arrived through RAM Records, showing rare label loyalty in electronic music. This partnership allowed him creative development while maintaining distribution and promotional support.

His influence appears in the new wave of vocal-led drum and bass that dominated the mid-2010s. Producers like Fox Stevenson and Dimension have cited similar approaches to blending pop songwriting structures with bass music production. Wilkinson’s template of featuring strong vocal performances over dancefloor-oriented production created a commercially viable path that numerous artists followed.

His streaming numbers tell the story: hundreds of millions of plays across platforms, with Afterglow alone accounting for over 100 million streams on EDM spotify playlists. This digital footprint gives him a permanent place in the streaming era of drum and bass, introducing new listeners to the genre through algorithmic playlists and curated recommendations.

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