{{Short description|English dance music duo}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Multiple issues| {{More citations needed|date=June 2020}} {{Fanpov|date=June 2020}}}} {{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians --> | name = Plump DJs | background = group_or_band | image = Plump DJs - Coachella 2009 (cropped).jpg | image_size = | caption = Plump DJs performing at Coachella 2009 | alias = | origin = London, England<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://theoldqueenshead.com/whats-on/plump-djs/|title=Plump Djs - The Old Queens Head|date=2016-11-04|newspaper=The Old Queens Head|access-date=2017-02-11|language=en-US}}</ref> | genre = Electronic, house, breakbeat | years_active = 1998–present<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tmrw.com.au/agency-artists/plump-djs/|title=TMRW Music - Plump DJs|accessdate=23 April 2026}}</ref> | label = Grand Hotel | associated_acts = | website = {{url|plumpdjs.co.uk}} | current_members = Lee Rous<br />Andy Gardner | past_members = }}
'''Plump DJs''' are an English electronic music duo consisting of Lee Rous and Andy Gardner based in London. Considered to be early pioneers of the breakbeat genre in the late 1990s,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.skiddle.com/news/all/Plump-DJs-Interview-The-lowdown/27160/|title=Plump DJs Interview: The lowdown|last=Frankland|first=Becca|date=3 December 2015|newspaper=Skiddle.com|access-date=2017-02-11|language=en-gb}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gigwise.com/reviews/101849/beat-herder-festival-2015-review-10-best-things-we-saw|title=The 10 most beautiful things we saw at Beat-Herder 2015 {{!}} Gigwise|last=Whittaker|first=Duncan|date=24 July 2015|website=gigwise.com|language=en|access-date=2017-02-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.skiddle.com/news/all/Uptight-to-host-Thames-boat-party-with-Plump-DJs/28934/|title=Uptight! to host Thames boat party with Plump DJs|last=Frankland|first=Becca|date=24 May 2016|newspaper=Skiddle.com|access-date=2017-02-11|language=en-gb}}</ref> they continued to be prolific, releasing celebrated underground singles, albums, and compilations, as well as remixing the records of musicians such as deadmau5, Mark Ronson, Fatboy Slim, Orbital and the Stanton Warriors.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.insomniac.com/media/metronome-plump-djs|title=Metronome: Plump DJs|last=Dias|first=Alexander|date=9 August 2016|newspaper=Insomniac.com|access-date=2017-02-11|language=en}}</ref> They cemented their international status through their 10-year residency at London's famous superclub Fabric, in a career that has taken the duo to the largest stages on all four corners of this earth to perform.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.list.co.uk/article/30339-plump-djs-set-for-bass-syndicate-edinburgh-date/|title=Plump DJs set for Bass Syndicate Edinburgh date|last=Pollock|first=David|date=27 October 2010|newspaper=The List|access-date=2017-02-11|language=en-GB}}</ref>
==Career== === 1998–2003: Beginnings === Lee Rous and Andy Gardner met at proto-breakbeat label Freskanova in west London in the late 1990s. Gardner was making music with Matt Cantor from the Freestylers as part of Strike, and Rous was DJing at and promoting the Passenger nights in Kings Cross.<ref name=":0" />
Their first release together, "Plump Chunks"/"Electric Disco", came out on Finger Lickin' Records in 1999. When they released the ''A Plump Night Out'' album – basically a live DJ mix featuring their own original music – they began to achieve international fame.{{Citation needed|date=December 2012}}
The Plump DJs were asked by dance music culture magazine ''Mixmag'' to mix their February 2001 cover CD, which they called ''Elastic Breaks''. Soon after, in May, they released a two-CD mix compilation called ''Urban Underground'' and in February 2003 they produced the eighth album in the ''FabricLive'' series for the acclaimed London venue.
Their artist album ''Eargasm'' was released in July 2003 and featured synthesizer pioneer Gary Numan and Lamb vocalist Louise Rhodes. They began a quarterly residency at Fabric, running their own Eargasm nights at the London club, and secured placings in the DJ magazine Top 100 DJs list and won a multiple Breakspoll awards.{{Citation needed|date=December 2012}}
=== 2008–2011: Formation of own label === In 2008, they rebranded their Fabric night, calling it Headthrash after their latest album and opening up the music policy to other styles apart from breakbeat. Their DJ sets and productions began changing accordingly, and the four-deck live DJ show they developed allowed them to pull off more creative mixes in clubs and at festivals such as Coachella, Glastonbury, and Skolbeats.
In 2009, their contract ended with Finger Lickin' Records and they signed to release a double-CD post-breaks compilation on the Global Underground series. They released the "My Hi Tops" single on the Global Underground imprint, too.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/plump-djs-mn0000290522/biography|title=Plump DJs {{!}} Biography & History {{!}} AllMusic|last=Bush|first=John|website=AllMusic|access-date=2017-02-11}}</ref>
In 2010, the Plump DJs began releasing material on their own label Grand Hotel.<ref name=":1" /> They have also become one of the label's new residents at events held at Fabric and Matter nightclubs. Their recent remixes have been more eclectic with artists such as deadmau5, Dave Spoon, and the Stanton Warriors.
In 2011, Rous and Gardner signed acts SUBMO & Bonsai Kat to their Grand Hotel label, and continued releasing music through this platform. Their advanced 4deck DJ live show toured extensively in the UK and abroad, and their ''Light Fantastic'' club record became a 'tune of the year' in Mixmag. This year saw them hold regular sold out shows at London recently opened XOYO nightclub.
=== 2012–present === 2012 marked the release of "Gobbstopper" and "Dont Stay in Mix" showing a return to form. This in turn fueled the release of their ''Dirty Weekend'' album on GHR and further sellout shows at their now beloved NEST and XOYO venues in London. They continue to tour the UK club and festival circuit and worldwide now regularly in the US and Canada. The duo's remixing services have been called upon by Moby, Orbital, Mark Ronson and The Loops of Fury.{{Citation needed|date=December 2012}}
2013 then saw continuing support for the duo, as they developed their sound further after their inspirational first tours of the US & Canada. Collaborating with UK soul singer Juliette Ashby. "You Belong to Us" the single struck a chord with London design team Baked Agency, and was presented with a forward thinking drone cam video, hitting the streets with rave reviews from Vice's Noisey blog.
This paved the way for a bumper 2014, towards the end of which the duo turned their attention, reviving their breakbeat sound.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}}
==Discography== ===Studio albums=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"| |- !scope="col" rowspan="2"|Title !scope="col" rowspan="2"|Year !scope="col" colspan="1"|Peak chart positions |- !scope="col" style="width:3em; font-size:85%"| AUS<br /><ref>Peaks in Australia: * ''Eargasm'': {{cite web|url=https://australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Plump+DJs&titel=Eargasm&cat=a|title=Plump DJs – Eargasm|website=australian-charts.com|access-date=6 September 2022}} * ''Saturday Night Lotion'': {{cite Ryan|page=220}}</ref> |- !scope="row"|''A Plump Night Out'' |2000 |— |- !scope="row"|''Eargasm'' |2003 |44 |- !scope="row"|''Saturday Night Lotion'' |2005 |100 |- !scope="row"|''Headthrash'' |2008 |— |}
===Mix albums=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" |- !Title !Year |- !scope="row"|''Elastic Breaks'' |rowspan="2"|2001 |- !scope="row"|''Urban Underground – INCredible'' |- !scope="row"|''FabricLive.08'' |2003 |- !scope="row"|''Breakbeat Annual'' |2005 |- !scope="row"|''Global Underground'' |2009 |}
'''Note''': ''Elastic Breaks'' and ''Breakbeat Annual'' were both released as free CDs in separate issues of ''Mixmag''.
=== Charting singles === {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |+List of charting singles ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year ! scope="col" colspan="1"| Peak chart positions |- ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| UK<br /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/8563/plump-djs/|title=Plump DJs {{!}} full Official Chart History|publisher=Official Charts Company}}</ref> |- ! scope="row"| "Big Groovy Fucker"/"TB Reality" | 2002 | 83 |- ! scope="row"| "The Gate"/"The Funk Hits the Fan" | rowspan="3"| 2003 | 90 |- ! scope="row"| "Pray for You" (Lee Coombs Mixes) {{small|(featuring Gary Numan)}} | 89 |- ! scope="row"| "Creepshow"/"Weighed Down" | 77 |- ! scope="row"| "Soul Vibrates"/"Bullet Train" | 2004 | 79 |}
==Awards and nominations== {{s-start}} {{s-ach}} {{succession box | before = None (first recipient) | title = Beatport Music Awards: Best Breakbeat Artist | years = 2008 | after = Stanton Warriors }} {{s-end}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.plumpdjs.co.uk/ Plump DJs website] *{{Discogs artist}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Breakbeat music groups Category:Electronic music groups from London Category:English house music duos Category:British electronic dance music duos Category:English remixers Category:English club DJs Category:DJ duos