Both as a solo artist and as half of the acclaimed duo
TNGHT, Canadian producer/DJ
Lunice has been instrumental in fusing hip-hop and dance music since the late 2000s, emerging as an architect for the EDM subgenre known as trap. Lunice Fermin Pierre II was born in Montréal in 1988, and was initially a breakdancer before starting to produce music during the early 2000s. By 2007, he had started producing DJ mixes, and he performed his first gig at a monthly event called Bass Culture, where he met
Anticon/Ninja Tune-affiliated producer
Sixtoo. Soon
Lunice began performing at
Sixtoo's Megasoid events, and became affiliated with
Lazer Sword's Turbo Crunk crew. He soon remixed tracks by artists ranging from
Thunderheist to
the xx, and he participated in the 2010 Red Bull Music Academy in London.
In 2010,
Lunice signed to LuckyMe, a Glasgow-founded label operating at the forefront of forward-thinking club music. His debut EP, Stacker Upper, including a remix by
Rustie, appeared at the end of the year, followed in 2011 by
One Hunned. Both releases showcased his skill for producing highly detailed yet restrained beats. Around this time, he came in contact with
Diplo and entered the Mad Decent fold, performing at the crew's Block Party events and collaborating with
Diplo on a remix of indie rock band
Deerhunter. Amidst a busy international touring schedule,
Lunice collaborated with
Azealia Banks and remixed songs by
Theophilus London,
Foster the People, and
Flosstradamus featuring
Danny Brown, among others.
In 2012,
Lunice and LuckyMe co-founder
Hudson Mohawke debuted their
TNGHT project. The duo's self-titled EP was co-released by Warp, and was a tremendous success, appearing on several year-end lists and influencing numerous trap producers. The duo produced or remixed tracks by
Kanye West,
Wacka Flocka Flame, and
Flying Lotus' rap alter ego Captain Murphy. However, the duo announced their indefinite hiatus at the end of 2013. Since then,
Lunice released a few tracks (such as 2014's "Can't Wait To" and 2015 EP 180) and made rare public appearances, but largely kept quiet. He emerged in 2017 with his debut full-length,
CCCLX (360), an ambitious effort featuring guest appearances by
CJ Flemings,
SOPHIE,
Denzel Curry,
Le1f, and others. ~ Paul Simpson