Vikter Duplaix

by Andy KellmanA songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and DJ, Vikter Duplaix was born in Philadelphia and spent his youth bouncing between that city and Augusta, GA. As a child, he developed his vocal skills in choirs, but he took a major step when he began programming drum tracks while working at a Philadelphia studio. Throughout the latter half of the '90s and on to the 2000s, Duplaix worked on records by Erykah Badu, Musiq, Eric Benet, and Jaguar Wright, often with fellow studio rat James Poyser. Associations with DJ Jazzy Jeff and Kenny Gamble proved to be instrumental to his growth and stature. With Duplaix's feet firmly entrenched in contemporary R&B, a relationship with King Britt led to immersion in dance music. He contributed vocals to Britt's Scuba project ("Swell"), and before long, Duplaix was producing his own material; underground singles like "Messages," "Manhood," and "Sensuality" went over well with house DJs, including Masters at Work, who gave "Sensuality" a big push. Remixes and collaborations with the likes of Jazzanova and an installment in !K7's DJ Kicks series all led up to International Affairs, Duplaix's full-length debut as a solo artist. The album was released in Europe in late 2002; it came out in the States early the following year. Bold and Beautiful followed for BBE in 2006.