Indra Dunis (of Dynasty and Numbers) and Aaron Coyes were bandmates in the Bay Area psych noise band Rahdunes before forming a home-recording project using a drum machine, a Hammond organ, a guitar, and thick bass grooves. They made their debut in 2008 with several limited-edition tapes and CD-Rs, including releases on the well-regarded Night People label as well as collaborations with Italian free jazz collective Jooklo Duo. Peaking Lights’ first vinyl releases, Imaginary Falcons (2009) and Space Primitive (2010), both appeared on Night People, and contained extremely lo-fi space-pop songs shrouded in echo and tape hiss.
In 2011 Peaking Lights’ dub-heavy full-length 936 was released on Not Not Fun to glowing reviews and a widening fan base. The group’s momentum led them to signing with Domino Records subsidiary label Weird World. The album spawned two different remix EPs: 936 Remixes (Weird World), which featured takes by dub pioneer Adrian Sherwood and cloud rap duo Main Attrakionz, and the more dance-friendly 936 Remixed, which was issued by NNF’s house sub label 100% Silk.
2012 saw the release of Peaking Lights’ third long-player, Lucifer, a more professionally recorded album that expanded their sound. Lucifer in Dub and the house-centric Lucifer Re-Lit followed. Mexican Summer, which released Lucifer in America, also issued “More High,” a limited non-album 7″ single, in 2013. The duo formed a label called Two Flowers, and re-pressed 936 on vinyl. Peaking Lights released the clearly recorded, beat-minded full-length Cosmic Logic on Weird World in 2014.
Over the years, the pair largely kept busy as remixers, with clients and collaborators including Sinkane, the Charlatans UK, Roedelius, Moscoman and Korallreven,appearing on Dj Harvey’s Mercury Rising comp with Land of Light and more recently King Gizzard & Automatic among others. Amassing a huge catalog of remixes alone. As well, Indra performed guest vocals with several artists tracks including Cooper Saver, Massimiliano Pagliara, and Rhode and Brown.
A disco-fied new single, “Conga Blue,” appeared on Two Flowers in 2016. The song shared a 12″ single with “Little Flower” (featuring actress Chloë Sevigny) a year later. Peaking Lights’ double album The Fifth State of Consciousness, was released on Two Flowers in June of 2017.
In 2018, Peaking Lights issued Sea of Sand, one of their most house-influenced releases, on Amsterdam-based dance label Dekmantel. The duo collaborated with dub originator Lee “Scratch” Perry and producer Ivan Lee on the EP Life of the Plants, which was issued by Stones Throw in 2019. Having relocated to Amsterdam, Peaking Lights released their sixth full-length, E S C A P E, on Dekmantel in 2020. They are currently working on a new album, which they expect to release in 2022.
