FENIK is joining the Experts Only roster this week, releasing his label debut ‘UTOPIA‘ alongside Walker & Royce today. The Nashville-based producer becomes one of the youngest artists signed to John Summit’s imprint, and the first Nashville act to land a release on the label.
The track carries some full-circle significance. Walker & Royce were the ones who first brought FENIK into the fold two years ago, releasing his debut single on their own imprint, RDA Records. This time around, FENIK came to them — he pitched the idea for ‘UTOPIA’ to the duo himself, figuring they were the right pair to help him bring it to life. This track has been a banger for John Summit and others of late, with notable plays as John’s opening track at Tomorrowland’s Crystal Garden and also big plays at Lollapalooza and by Dom Dolla.Â
The concept behind the record traces back to The Utopia Reader, a book examining the tension between utopian and dystopian societies. FENIK says the reading left him with one of the more valuable lessons he’s picked up so far in life. “Without pain or lows, there is no such thing as happiness or highs,” he says.
That idea shapes the track’s throughline — a reminder that chasing an idea of a perfect life, a literal utopia, misses the point. “You really can’t look for escapes in the idea of a perfect life,” FENIK explains. “You are able to experience happiness and pleasure only because you know what sadness and sorrow are like. If it was always sunny, a sunny day would lose its value, but after a week of rain, the sunny day suddenly has a new sense of value.” It’s a fairly introspective concept to build a club record around, but ‘UTOPIA’ still leans into FENIK’s usual driving, tech-inspired production style rather than turning into a mood piece.
The record has already been making rounds ahead of its official release. John Summit played it out at Coachella, and Dom Dolla dropped it during a set at CRSSD, with both moments captured and circulating among fans. Support has also come in from acts like SIDEPIECE, Gorgon City, and Valentino Khan, giving the release some momentum heading into launch day.
FENIK’s rise over the past two years has been steady rather than sudden. Since that first RDA Records single, he’s landed placements on Spotify’s All New Dance and Apple Music’s New in Dance, charted on Beatport, and shared bills with names like Odd Mob, Matroda, and Chris Lorenzo. ‘UTOPIA’ marks his most high-profile release yet, and lands him on a label that’s become one of house music’s more closely watched imprints since Summit launched it.
