Ben Hopkins

This DEVolution biog was written for One More Tune / Warner Bros. Records ahead of their debut single ‘Good Love’ which is out now.

DEVolution is a melting pot of influences collectively rooted in electronic music. But that’s hardly surprising given the heritage of its two protagonists. Pete Devereux conquered the mainstream once before as half of Artful Dodger, who propelled UK garage from the underground and into the charts. His new sparring partner is former Size Records and Reelgroove artist Tom Devos, who also scored a downtempo cult hit with The Dawn’s ‘Wonderful’.

Given their background, it might be a surprise to find that their MistaJam and Trevor Nelson-approved debut single ‘Good Love’ fires Dubstep into bold new territory with an incendiary bassline and a captivating hook provided by guest vocalist Amy Pearson. For Devereux though, the emphasis on the occasionally lost art of songwriting represents a natural progression from his Dodger days. “The key to Garage’s mainstream success was all in the songs,” he explains. “That’s what gave Garage widespread popularity, put it on the radio and ultimately got the girls down to the gigs.”

Written in just a few hours, ‘Good Love’ went through a lengthy gestation period before Devereux and Devos infused it with fresh vitality by adding a Dubstep mix to proceedings. “We both feel a bit hemmed in working in genres that are clearly defined,” says Devos. “Dubstep isn’t clearly defined, so we feel comfortable in that and can throw down our own ideas.”

“That was what was so initially exciting,” concurs Devereux. “There are other emerging genres that are there to be explored too.”

The future sound of DEVolution promises all manner of influences: early rave synths, garage, breaks, downtempo and orchestral embellishments crafted by the two classically trained musicians. Devos also considers twentieth century minimalism to be an influence. “A lot of dance music relies on minimalist techniques, so the crossover is pretty natural,” he summarises. “Who knows what style our next record will be, but there will be a DEVolution sound that remains consistent throughout.”

Both based in Southampton, Devereux and Devos commenced work together in 2009. One of their earliest tracks was the popular white label ‘God Made Me Funky’ under the George Street Kids name. Although it didn’t receive a full commercial release, it did confirm that the duo shared an immediate connection.

Before heading to London as a teenager to embark upon a music course, Pete Devereux had already been hooked on pirate radio and the rave scene. It was Innocence FM (later Weekend Rush) DJ team The Brainkillers that sparked his immersion in the music that would shape his life. “I spent all of my student grant on a set of decks and I used to go to Black Market in Soho daily,” he recalls. “I soon realised that I didn’t want to be a classical musician and I didn’t want to teach music either.”

Later, with Artful Dodger, Devereux scored five top ten hits (including ‘Re-Rewind’ and ‘Movin’ Too Fast’), won a coveted Ivor Novello award and helped to launch the career of Craig David. Collectively, the duo sold over 1.5 million singles and 500,000 copies of their debut album ‘It’s All About The Stragglers’.

One of Tom Devos’s earliest breaks came when he was introduced to future Swedish House Mafia men Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso, who were scouting in Southampton at the time. The trio recorded an album together that would become one of the first releases on Size Records. Devos has also released music under the moniker The Dawn (around which time he was mentored by Groove Armada’s Andy Cato), as well as his Reelgroove solo album ‘Individually 3D’. His productions have graced compilations including Axwell’s ‘Home Sweet House’ and Kontor Records’ Sunset Chill.

The world-beating potential of DEVolution will provide a definitive new chapter in the careers of its two masterminds when ‘Good Love’ infiltrates the charts when it’s released by One More Tune this September.