If you want to understand modern Australian dance-pop, you start with Peking Duk. Few duos have bottled festival euphoria and radio hooks into a single sound quite like Adam Hyde and Reuben Styles have over the last decade, and this rundown of the best Peking Duk songs traces exactly how they did it, from grimy Canberra club bootlegs to ARIA Award-winning anthems.
I’ve had these tracks on rotation for years now — on headphones during long commutes, blasting through car speakers on road trips, and live at festivals where the bass practically rearranges your ribcage. What follows isn’t a random tracklist pulled off a streaming algorithm. It’s a listener’s guide to the songs that actually built this duo’s legacy, with the context, the credits, and the honest reactions to back it up.
High (feat. Nicole Millar)
There’s a reason “High” still opens most Peking Duk sets over a decade later. Released on 14 February 2014 through Vicious Recordings, written and produced by Adam Hyde, Reuben Styles, Nicole Millar, and Sam Littlemore, it became the duo’s breakout smash, peaking at number five on the ARIA Singles Chart and eventually going triple platinum. What gets me every time is how the mix balances Millar’s airy, almost detached vocal against a chorus synth line that just refuses to sit still — it’s future bass before “future bass” was even a mainstream tag. The track also won the ARIA Award for Best Dance Release in 2014, and honestly, on a good sound system, that drop still slaps like it’s fresh out of the studio.
Take Me Over (feat. SAFIA)
Where “High” was pure sugar-rush euphoria, “Take Me Over” leans into a moodier, more layered arrangement, and it paid off — the track went on to earn double platinum certification and picked up APRA Awards for Dance Work of the Year and Most Played Australian Work. SAFIA’s vocal delivery brings a slightly melancholic edge that plays beautifully against the duo’s bright, percussive production style. I remember hearing this one live for the first time and being struck by how the bridge builds tension before releasing into that massive chorus — it’s arrangement as storytelling, not just drop-chasing.
Stranger (feat. Elliphant)
This is the song that made critics take Peking Duk seriously as songwriters rather than just hitmakers. “Stranger” won the ARIA Award for Song of the Year, and it’s since racked up tens of millions of Spotify streams. Elliphant’s rasped, half-sung vocal gives the track a grit that contrasts sharply against the polished synth-pop instrumentation underneath it. On headphones, the spatial mixing on the verses is genuinely impressive — vocals panned and layered so you catch new details on repeat listens, which is rare for a dance single built primarily for festival stages.
Say My Name (feat. Benjamin Joseph)
Released in July 2015 and premiered on Australian radio, “Say My Name” leans harder into pop songwriting structure than the duo’s earlier club-facing work. Benjamin Joseph’s vocal tone is warm and conversational, which suits the song’s more intimate lyrical framing about wanting someone to simply acknowledge you. The production restrains itself in the verses before opening up into a widescreen chorus, a dynamic-range trick that rewards a proper pair of headphones or a decent pair of studio monitors far more than a tinny phone speaker.
Mufasa
“Mufasa” is one of those tracks that reveals Peking Duk’s roots as DJs before they were songwriters — it’s built for a set, not necessarily for a solo commute. The arrangement favors rhythm and texture over vocal hooks, letting percussive stabs and a rolling bassline do the emotional heavy lifting. It’s the kind of cut that transforms in a live setting, where the crowd’s energy fills in what feels like restraint on record.
Reprisal (feat. SAFIA)
The title track of their 2018 EP, “Reprisal” reunites the duo with SAFIA for a second collaboration that trades the melancholy of “Take Me Over” for something more triumphant. The Reprisal EP debuted inside the top 20 of the ARIA Albums Chart and eventually achieved multi-platinum certification through cumulative track sales, and this song is arguably its emotional centerpiece. The vocal layering in the final chorus, stacked harmonies over a widening synth pad, is a genuinely satisfying mastering choice that rewards a loud playback.
Honest (feat. Slayyyter)
“Honest” landed during a period when Peking Duk’s sound was shifting toward brighter, more maximalist pop production, and Slayyyter’s featherweight, hyperpop-adjacent vocal delivery fits that shift perfectly. The track picked up an APRA Award nomination and represents the duo pushing into more contemporary pop-electronic territory rather than resting on their earlier festival-house sound. Lyrically, it’s a breezy, almost confrontational ode to romantic bluntness — no metaphors, just directness set to a bouncy synth line.
Better in Blur (feat. Eyelar)
Eyelar’s vocal on “Better in Blur” carries a wistful, slightly hazy quality that matches the song’s title almost too perfectly. The production softens the duo’s usual sharp-edged drops in favor of a warmer, more atmospheric palette, making it a strong late-night or after-hours listen rather than a peak-time festival cut. It’s a good example of Peking Duk stretching their sonic identity without losing the melodic instinct that defines their catalogue.
Let You Down (feat. Icona Pop)
Pairing with Icona Pop, another act known for turning heartbreak into stadium-sized choruses, was a smart move on “Let You Down.” The vocal trade-off between the featured artists and the production’s rising synth stabs creates genuine tension before the hook lands. It’s a song built on contrast — bright instrumentation set against lyrics about disappointing someone you care about — and that friction is exactly what makes it replayable.
Sugar
“Sugar” entered the ARIA Singles Chart and later earned an APRA Award nomination for Most Performed Dance Work, cementing it as one of the more commercially durable tracks in the duo’s catalogue. Sonically, it’s built around a squelchy, almost tropical-house-adjacent bassline that made it a natural fit for the summer festival circuit it soundtracked. In the car with the windows down, this is the one that turns any drive into a mini road trip.
Fire (feat. Nicole Millar)
A full-circle collaboration with Millar, “Fire” arrived in 2018 as part of the Reprisal EP and picked up four ARIA Award nominations, including Song of the Year and Best Video. The production here is noticeably punchier than “High,” reflecting how far the duo’s mixing and mastering chops had progressed over four years. Millar’s vocal performance is more confident and belted this time around, less breathy ingénue and more assured pop vocalist, and you can hear that growth clearly on a good pair of headphones.
Wasted (feat. Saint Lane)
“Wasted” is a leaner, more guitar-inflected cut that shows Peking Duk folding indie-rock textures into their electronic core. Saint Lane’s vocal has a rougher, more lived-in quality that suits the song’s themes of overindulgence and regret. It didn’t chart as high internationally as some of the duo’s earlier singles, but it’s a fan-favorite deep cut precisely because it doesn’t chase the same festival-drop formula as their biggest hits.
Fake Magic
“Fake Magic” leans into a moodier, bass-heavy register, and it’s been reworked by remixers including Gigamesh, which tells you something about how much producers respect the source material. The original mix favors atmosphere over immediacy, building tension through a slow-burning verse structure rather than an instant hook. It rewards patience in a way some of the duo’s more radio-friendly singles don’t.
Chemicals (feat. Sarah Aarons)
Sarah Aarons brings a soaring, emotionally direct vocal to “Chemicals,” and the song has since been picked up by remixers like VNSSA for club-focused reworks. The original production sits somewhere between anthemic pop and heartfelt confession, with the chorus melody doing most of the emotional lifting. It’s a song that translates well from festival stage to solo late-night listen, which isn’t true of every dance single.
Spend It (feat. Circa Waves)
Bringing in UK indie-rock outfit Circa Waves for “Spend It” gives the track a guitar-driven backbone that’s slightly unusual in the Peking Duk catalogue. The blend of jangly guitar tones against programmed drums and synth textures creates a genre-crossing hybrid that feels distinctly built for driving with the windows down. It’s proof the duo isn’t afraid to reach outside strictly electronic collaborators when a song calls for it.
Distant Arizona (feat. Darren Hayes)
Pairing with Savage Garden’s Darren Hayes for “Distant Arizona,” part of the Reprisal EP, was a genuinely inspired move — Hayes’ distinctive, theatrical vocal tone adds a layer of pop history and gravitas to the duo’s electronic framework. The song’s widescreen, cinematic production style suits Hayes’ delivery, and the arrangement gives him room to actually perform rather than just supply a topline. It’s one of the more underrated collaborations in their discography.
Nothing to Love About Love
A moodier, more introspective entry in the catalogue, “Nothing to Love About Love” trades festival-ready drops for a slower emotional build. The lyrical content is more cynical than the duo’s usual output, and the production matches that tone with darker synth textures and a more restrained low end. It’s the kind of track that plays better through a solid set of headphones late at night than blasted through festival speakers.
All Falls Down
“All Falls Down” carries an anthemic, almost stadium-rock energy within its electronic framework, built around a repeated vocal hook that’s engineered for crowd singalongs. The mixing favors a wide, open low end that gives the chorus real physical weight when played loud. It’s a good example of how Peking Duk structure songs for maximum communal impact rather than headphone intimacy.
I Want You (feat. Darren Hayes & Carmada)
A three-way collaboration bringing together Darren Hayes and fellow Australian production act Carmada, “I Want You” layers multiple production sensibilities into one track. Hayes’ vocal melodicism anchors the song while Carmada’s involvement pushes the low end and rhythm programming into more contemporary club territory. It’s a denser production than most of the duo’s solo-credited work, rewarding close listening for all the small textural details stacked into the mix.
Thrills
The most recent entry here, “Thrills” arrived as one of the lead singles previewing the duo’s long-awaited debut studio album, alongside companion tracks “Forever” and “Do Your Best.” After more than a decade of EPs and standalone singles, hearing Peking Duk commit to a full-length framework changes how a song like this lands — it feels less like a standalone festival banger and more like a statement of where the duo’s sound is heading next. The production retains their signature widescreen synth work while sounding noticeably more mature and considered than their earliest hits.
Listening back across these 20 tracks side by side, on the same setup, really highlights how much their gear and production choices have evolved. If you’re doing a deep-dive session like this, it’s worth comparing notes over on our songs and playlists hub for more artist deep dives in a similar vein, and if you’re chasing better detail out of these mixes, our headphones comparison guide is a genuinely useful reference for picking gear that won’t flatten those low-end synth stabs. For anyone doing more casual, on-the-go listening, our earbuds comparison breakdown covers which options actually hold up for bass-heavy dance production like this.
What strikes me most about revisiting Peking Duk’s discography start to finish is the consistency of their melodic instinct even as collaborators, genres, and production trends shifted around them. Whether it’s Nicole Millar’s breathy hooks on “High,” Elliphant’s grit on “Stranger,” or Darren Hayes’ theatrical pop pedigree on “Distant Arizona,” the duo has a knack for picking featured vocalists who elevate rather than dilute the track. That’s a skill that’s harder to pull off consistently than it looks, and it’s a big part of why this catalogue holds up on repeat listens more than a decade after “High” first hit radio.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Peking Duk’s most successful song?
“High,” featuring Nicole Millar, remains their commercial and cultural peak. It reached number five on the ARIA Singles Chart, achieved triple platinum certification, and won the ARIA Award for Best Dance Release in 2014, and it’s still the song most closely associated with the duo’s identity.
Who are Adam Hyde and Reuben Styles?
Adam Hyde and Reuben Styles are the two Canberra-based producers and DJs who make up Peking Duk. They formed the project in 2010 and built their early reputation through club bootleg remixes before breaking through with original singles like “High” and “Take Me Over.”
Does Peking Duk have a full studio album?
For most of their career, Peking Duk released music through singles and EPs rather than a full studio album. That changed with the announcement of their debut album, previewed by singles including “Thrills,” marking a new chapter in how they’re structuring their output.
What genre is Peking Duk’s music?
Their sound sits at the intersection of electropop, future bass, and indie electronica, often layered with festival-ready dance production. Over the years they’ve folded in indie-rock guitars, hyperpop-adjacent vocals, and even classic pop songwriting influences depending on the collaborator.
Which Peking Duk collaborations are considered the most iconic?
“High” with Nicole Millar and “Stranger” with Elliphant are usually cited as the duo’s defining collaborations, given their chart performance and award recognition. “Take Me Over” with SAFIA is a close third for its APRA Award wins and lasting festival-set presence.