Dillon Hart Francis, born on October 5, 1987, is an American electronic musician, record producer, and DJ hailing from Los Angeles, California. He comes from a diverse background with an American father and a Serbian-Croatian mother. Dillon humorously mentions his father, Robert Drew Francis, being an "alternative medicines doctor," and he has playfully alluded to the challenge of finding his elusive dad, making it a recurring internet joke.
Francis's upbringing was rather sheltered, and he's confessed to having a limited exposure to the world of profanity until the age of 15. An interesting quirk from his childhood is that he couldn't watch television without first dedicating at least two hours to Sesame Street.
Dillon Francis's ascent to fame commenced when he caught the attention of the American producer Diplo. This collaboration led to their joint track "Que Que," featuring Latin-pop artist Maluca. Notably, his song "Masta Blasta," initially a 130 BPM house track, underwent a transformation inspired by Dutch musician Munchi, eventually evolving into the moombahton genre.
In 2013, Dillon Francis embarked on a headline tour across the United States and Canada known as the "Wurld Turr." During this time, he also announced the impending release of his debut album in 2013, though it encountered several delays. The year 2014 saw the release of his major label debut album, "Money Sucks, Friends Rule," which received recognition by making it to Rolling Stone's "Top Electronic Albums of 2014" list. This album featured collaborations with artists such as Twista, Brendon Urie of Panic! At The Disco, Major Lazer, and more. His single "Get Low," created in partnership with DJ Snake, was released on February 11, 2014.
For the past decade, Dillon Francis has been in constant motion, rarely taking a break. From his initial breakthrough with a series of vibrant and energetic dance tracks, he has maintained a relentless touring schedule, performing at festivals and shows around the globe. In addition to his music career, he has ventured into diverse creative endeavors, including crafting amusing music videos, designing his own clothing line, and even developing a surreal animated TV show. Amidst all these projects, he has consistently churned out a multitude of electrifying tracks. This ceaseless creativity has given rise to otherworldly and exhilarating music, as well as compelling art in various forms. Dillon's career embodies a spirit of perpetual exploration.
His rise to prominence began in the early 2010s as a standout artist in the vibrant moombahton scene. Since then, Francis has delved into a wide spectrum of musical genres, producing head-spinning dance music, bold rap tracks, and breezy reggaeton. His best work, however, blurs the lines between these genres and more. Part of the excitement of listening to Dillon Francis's music lies in the unpredictability of his sound.
One of the hallmarks of Dillon Francis's career is the sheer diversity of his catalog. His genre-blending hit "Get Low" with DJ Snake achieved RIAA platinum certification, while "Coming Over" with Kygo (featuring James Hersey) received RIAA gold certification and topped the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. "Sexo" with Residente earned RIAA Latin gold certification, and "Anywhere" (featuring Will Heard) reached the #1 spot on Dance Radio Airplay. His production work for other artists, such as Panic at the Disco's "Hey Look Ma I Made It," which he helped craft the instrumental for, achieved 2x Platinum certification and spent a record-breaking 65 weeks atop Billboard's Hot Rock Songs chart. Furthermore, many of his tracks have become underground favorites at clubs and festivals worldwide. All of this success stems from his fearless pursuit of the sounds and styles that catch his attention on any given day. His biggest hits and boldest experiments are united by the exhilarating joy of following his creative instincts.
This philosophy extends beyond music into other art forms. As his production schedule has grown busier, he has ventured into various creative fields. Recently, he has been revising scripts for his long-anticipated animated series, "Gerald's World," which is currently in development with 20th Century/Wonderland. Dillon is also continuously working on his kaleidoscopic clothing line, "Gerald," in collaboration with Barney Cools. He has ventured into the world of NFT projects, collaborating with skater and digital artist Chad Knight, among others. And this is just a glimpse of his current endeavors. Over the past decade, Dillon Francis has built his career by embracing wild and innovative ideas, learning as he goes, and creating bold and brilliant art by refusing to stand still.
Dillon Francis's most recent music reflects a momentary slowdown. Like everyone else, 2020 was a year of introspection for him. During lockdown, he had the opportunity to reflect on the intense past decade of his life. What he felt most was gratitude. "When you're touring, you don't really get to look back," Francis notes. "A lot of cool stuff has happened in my life, but I never really got to think about it that much because I was always pushing forward and thinking, 'What's the next thing?'"
While at home, he contemplated the music that has always resonated with him during tough times. He had already been playing a lot of upbeat house tracks during "Coronight Fever," a weekly DJ stream he hosted with his longtime friend and collaborator Diplo. It was then that he realized he wanted to create music that could bring joy to people during challenging times. "This is one of the most depressing times ever," he acknowledges. "So I was just trying to figure out how I could make people happy through my music and make it super authentic."
The result is an album composed entirely of euphoric house songs, characterized by soulful vocals, blissful beats, and the comforting warmth of pure rave energy. Tracks like "Unconditional," with its rapturous piano stabs and uplifting vocals from British singer-songwriter Bryn Christopher, exude both jubilance and a desire to transcend difficult times. "I'll be by your side," he sings. "Dry your eyes." It's the perfect track for the reopening of clubs worldwide—emotional, uplifting, and ecstatic. Other songs, such as "Love Me Better," radiate with an idyllic summer vibe, tailor-made for a Balearic Islands getaway. Brimming with brightness and beauty, this music is ideal for shedding tears of joy on the dancefloor.
This infectious energy has always been Dillon Francis's trademark, but it shines even brighter in times of turmoil. His boundless experimentation hints at a world of possibility, conveying that the joy in his music is within reach, and that we will soon be dancing together again. "I tried to release as much happy music as I possibly could throughout quarantine," Francis shares. "But it's really cool that this is all getting finished right in time with everything opening up. I think it's pretty serendipitous."
As the world gradually returns to life, Dillon Francis is also springing back into action, juggling a multitude of projects with enthusiastic aplomb and making up for lost time. His work remains grounded in his trust in his creative impulses, his belief in the fruitfulness of his ideas, and the infectious energy that results from it. "It's about how and where I'm going to make people have fun, as that's more important than ever in these times," he concludes.
