Disclosure

Disclosure are an English electronic music duo consisting of brothers Guy Lawrence (born May 25, 1991) and Howard Lawrence (born May 11, 1994), from Reigate, Surrey, England. Together, they have become one of the most successful and influential acts in modern dance music, credited with bringing UK garage-influenced house music back into the global mainstream.

The brothers grew up in a musical household and began producing music together as teenagers, with Guy on production and Howard on keys and synths. They released early EPs on the independent label PMR Records, quickly building a reputation in the UK underground for their sophisticated blend of 2-step rhythms, deep bass, and soulful vocal arrangements. Their sound was fresh yet nostalgic, drawing on the legacy of UK garage pioneers while pushing the genre into new territory.

Their debut album "Settle," released in June 2013 on PMR Records and Island Records, was a seismic event in dance music. It debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronica Album. The album spawned three massive singles: "Latch" featuring a then-unknown Sam Smith, "White Noise" featuring AlunaGeorge, and the hypnotic "When a Fire Starts to Burn." "Latch" in particular became a global phenomenon, reaching the top 10 in the US and UK and launching Sam Smith's career.

Following the success of "Settle," Disclosure released their second album "Caracal" in 2015, featuring collaborations with Lorde, The Weeknd, Sam Smith (on "Omen"), and Miguel. Their third album "Energy" arrived in 2020, exploring a broader sonic palette, and their fourth album "Alchemy" dropped in 2024, showcasing a matured production style while maintaining their signature groove.

Disclosure's live shows are legendary for their hybrid approach, combining DJ sets with live instrumentation, drum machines, and real-time production. Their sold-out performances at Printworks London, Alexandra Palace, and major festivals like Coachella and Glastonbury are renowned for their energy and technical brilliance. They run their own labels Settle and Method Records, continuing to shape the sound of UK dance music.

The story of Disclosure is fundamentally a story about brotherhood. Guy and Howard Lawrence grew up making music together in their parents' house in Surrey, experimenting with production software and building tracks in their bedrooms long before they were old enough to enter the clubs their music would eventually dominate. Guy, the elder brother, gravitated toward drums and production, while Howard developed his skills on keyboards and synthesizers.

Their creative process is deeply collaborative. In interviews, they describe a dynamic where ideas bounce back and forth rapidly, with the shorthand that only siblings can share. A track might start with Howard laying down a chord progression, which Guy then builds a rhythmic framework around, or vice versa. This instinctive communication gives their music a cohesion that is hard to replicate.

The duo's approach to collaboration with vocalists is equally distinctive. Rather than simply sending beats to singers, they prefer to work in the studio together, shaping the vocal performance in real time. This approach produced the magic of "Latch" with Sam Smith — a recording session where Smith's vocals were captured in a single emotional take that became one of the defining recordings of the 2010s. Their ability to draw out exceptional vocal performances from artists across genres is one of their most underappreciated talents.