The 24th of May, 2024, marks the 27th anniversary of the timeless house track ’King of My Castle’ by Wamdue Project. Released in 1997, the song became a defining anthem of the 90’s electronic music scene, embedding itself in the hearts of dance music enthusiast and continues to resonate with music lovers world wide.
Wamdue Project, spearheaded by the American DJ and producer Chris Brann, originally crafted ‘King of My Castle’ as a downtempo, ambient house song (click here to listen to the original version), with the iconic refrain ‘’Must be the reason for why I’m king of my castle’’ delivered by vocalist Gaelle Adisson. It wasn’t until the Italian producer Roy Malone mixed the song however, adding irresistible energy and transforming it into a dance floor staple, that it ended up blowing up in clubs and airwaves alike.
Not only did ‘King of my castle’ reach remarkable success by reaching the nr. 1 spot on US Billboards ‘’Dance Club Songs’’, United Kingdoms ‘’Singles Chart’’, and by peaking the charts in several other countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany and Spain. It has since also been featured in countless DJ sets, compilations and remixes which has made sure to keep it relevant in the everevolving landscape of music until this day.
Listened to over 43 million times on Spotify alone, besides its musical impact, ‘King of My Castle’ has cultural significance and is a symbolic in terms of the house music explosion of the late ‘90s. As its popularity was peaking during the rise of superclubs and the global rave culture, the track highlights a period when electronic music began to achieve mainstream acceptance.
‘King of my castle’ is therefore a song that for many, serves as a nostalgic touchstone for those who experienced the prime time of house music firsthand, while it at the same time, continues to introduce new generations to the rich history of the genre. Making its ability to transcend time and remaining relevant in the modern time music scene, a true testament to Chris Brann’s innovative production and Roy Malone’s metamorphic remix.
It’s not just a song that we celebrate as we mark 27 years since Wamdue Projects ‘King of my castle’ was released. It’s an iconic piece of music history that captured the essence of ’90s house music and continues to inspire and ignite dancefloors after nearly three decades. A true celebration of the vibrant culture of house music that it represents.
