Play Latch in Seoul today and the room cheers. People who were teenagers when it came out know exactly where the drop is. So do people who were too young to go out back then.
That’s a cult hit, and it never went to number one. It stopped at 11 in the UK, and I still don’t understand how. Settle, the album it came from, is the real reason to care. If you only know Latch, go back and listen to the whole thing, start to finish. That’s the point of this page.
Disclosure, 2012 to 2026
Two brothers, a singer nobody knew yet, and the debut that moved pop
- 18 Oct 2012Latch Written with Sam Smith. UK No. 11, US No. 7 in 2014
- 22013Settle UK No. 1, Mercury Prize shortlist
- 32015Caracal UK No. 1, US No. 9
- 4Jul 2016Jisan Valley Rock Festival Live set
- 5Apr 2018Kintex, Ilsan Live electronic show
- 62020Energy UK No. 4
- 7Sep 2022Howard steps back From touring
- 82023Alchemy No guests, no samples
- 92026Coachella Both weekends, on a North American tour
Over 1 billion Spotify plays for Latch, which spent 55 weeks in the UK Top 100.
10 nominations, 0 wins at the Grammys, from Settle in 2014 to No Cap in 2026.
Sources: uDiscover Music · Official Charts · GRAMMY.com
Two Brothers and a Singer Nobody Knew Yet
Latch was the first. Guy and Howard Lawrence, two brothers, wrote it with a young singer called Sam Smith and the songwriter James Napier. It started great careers for the brothers and for Sam Smith alike.
Why the Sound Still Gets Me
It’s the range. The instrumentation changes from record to record, and the harmonies carry the songs as much as the drums do. The drums are UK garage two step, and the space between the sounds is the point: every track gives the singer room to sing. If you want the family tree, start with my piece on UK garage and house.
Their chopped vocal has been copied so many times it now sounds generic. It wasn’t generic in 2012. They chopped performances, not syllables. Most imitations chop a sound. Disclosure chop a person.
Then They Kept Moving
They could have made Settle again forever. They didn’t. Energy is a great record, and too few people have heard it. Different sounds, different styles, one duo: Kelis and Channel Tres on the house side, Aminé and Slowthai on the rap side, and Fatoumata Diawara of Mali on Douha (Mali Mali), the joyful heart of the whole album. Start with Mali Mali. Then play the rest.
Alchemy, in 2023, had no guests and no samples at all. I’d still rather have that than a fourth attempt at Settle. In April 2026 they put out The Sun Comes Up Tremendous, their first new release of the year, with Howard singing lead.
The Face on the Cover
Their covers use a simple line drawing of a face, the features etched out, originally drawn by Roxy Pandora for their art direction with Studio Moross. No brothers on the front. Just the face, and the music.
Twice in Korea, and I Missed Both
Disclosure have played Korea twice: a live set at Jisan Valley Rock Festival (지산밸리록페스티벌) in July 2016, and a live electronic show at Kintex (킨텍스) in Ilsan (일산) in April 2018. I was out of the country both times, and I’m still sad about it.
So, Guy and Howard, if you ever read this: please come back to Asia. Please come back to Korea. I’d love to finally watch you play.
Still Fans, Like the Rest of Us
In 2022 Howard stepped back from touring to look after himself, and Guy carried the Australian dates. Saying that out loud, at their level, takes nerve. Both brothers are back on the road now, and No Cap, their 2025 single with Anderson .Paak, was nominated at the 2026 Grammys.
My favourite recent moment came from Dom Dolla. In September 2026 he closed out an Apple event with a b2b with Guy. On X he said Daft Punk were in the room. Guy leant over mid set and asked if it would be a faux pas to play Music Sounds Better With You, the Stardust record Thomas Bangalter helped write. Dom told him to go for it. Guy played it, then had a small panic.
Two of the biggest DJs in the world, still nervous in front of their heroes. I love that.
Go Back and Listen
Put Settle on from the first track to the last, the way it was made to be heard. Then put on Energy.
This is the first of a new series. Each month I’ll write about one album that changed me, and changed the industry. It won’t be easy, because artists aren’t making albums that often these days. That’s one more reason to go back to the ones that matter.
Want to know which sound fits you? Take the Find Your Sound quiz.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have Disclosure played in Korea?
Yes, twice: a live set at the Jisan Valley Rock Festival in July 2016, and a live electronic show at Kintex Hall in Ilsan in April 2018.
Did Latch reach number one?
No. It peaked at number 11 in the UK and number 7 on the US Hot 100, but it spent 55 weeks in the UK Top 100 and has passed a billion plays on Spotify.
Who sang on Latch?
Sam Smith, at the start of their career. Guy and Howard Lawrence wrote it with Sam Smith and James Napier.
Which Disclosure album should I start with?
Settle for the songs, Energy for the range. If you only play one track, make it Latch.
Further Reading on The DJ Diaries
- UK garage: the sound that split into everything
- UK garage vs house
- Daft Punk: history and legacy
- Find Your Sound
Sources
- Official Charts: Latch
- Official Charts: Mercury Prize 2013 shortlist
- Billboard: Latch, songs that defined the decade
- TenAsia: Jisan Valley Rock Festival, 2016
- Edaily: Kintex, 2018
- Mixmag: Howard Lawrence steps back from touring
- DJ Mag: No Cap with Anderson .Paak
- DJ Mag: The Sun Comes Up Tremendous (April 2026)
- uDiscover Music: Latch passes a billion Spotify plays
If this profile has something wrong in it, or if you’re connected to the artist and would like a correction or a takedown, contact me and I’ll act on it.
Written from Seoul by The DJ Diaries, in Seoul since 2002 and in the booth for thirty years. More on the site, or book a DJ.
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