Cheat codes
| Cheat codes | |
|---|---|
 |
|
 Matthew Russel, Trevor Dahl and Kevin Ford aka Cheat Codes |
|
| General information | |
| origin |
 Los Angeles , USA
|
| Genre (s) | EDM , Tropical House , Deep House |
| founding | 2015 |
| Website | www.cheatcodesmusic.com |
| Founding members | |
| Trevor Dahl | |
DJ, producer, MC
|
Kevin Ford |
DJ, producer |
Matthew Russel |
Cheat codes is an American EDM - Trio of Los Angeles , which consists of the DJs and music producers is Matthew Russell, Trevor Dahl and Kevin Ford. Dahl also acts as a singer in her productions. In 2016 they reached the top 20 of the German music charts with the song Sex .
Career
By 2015: creation of the project
Cheat Codes consists of the musicians Trevor Dahl, Kevin Ford and Matthew Russell. Dahl and Russel met in Los Angeles. Dahl was looking for a place to sleep and Russel let him live in his laundry room. He converted this into a studio in which he produced under the name Plug In Stereo. The two musicians worked together more and more often, from which their first song Visions was born.
Finally, through another friend, Ford also joined the company. At that time he was still a rapper , whose beats were produced by Russel. Due to a lawsuit by the duo, they landed together in court, whereupon they decided to start a career as a DJ. Ford's older brothers Tom and Rich were active in a rock band in which they toured with Duran Duran, among others . They acted as Kevin's idols and told him they had found the cheat code for life, which was what gave them the name of their project. In an interview they said: "We really want to embody the idea that anything is possible, because the real 'cheat code' to life is that you do what you love and we hope to convey this energy through our music".
2015: First publications
On April 14, 2015 they released a single called Adventure for the first time under the name "Cheat Codes". This was created in cooperation with the producer Evan Gartner. This was followed by a number of other singles, which were distributed by Cheat Codes themselves, including their actually first production Visions on July 9, 2015. With this they could only gain attention in a smaller circle. A remix by the Romanian DJ and producer Boehm made it possible to publish it on “ Universals ” sub-label “Island Records”.
Shortly thereafter, the Dutch record label " Spinnin 'Records " became aware of them and enabled a collaboration with the German DJ and producer Moguai and the song Hold On , with which they entered the Beatport Top 100 for the first time.
2016: commercial breakthrough
On February 19, 2016, the trio released the song Sex , which was created in collaboration with the Dutch DJ trio Kris Kross Amsterdam. Sex is due to influences of the EDM - Trap influenced and based on the song Let's Talk About Sex of Salt Pepa 'n' from 1991. The song became the first success of the group and reached among others, the German, British, as well as Swiss single -Charts. It was also able to achieve gold status in several countries, including Germany and Great Britain, and platinum status in Australia.
Other productions followed, including the song Can't Fight It , which attracted attention in the EDM scene, making it one of the top 10 on the music portal Beatport. Stylistically, it can be categorized into the future house line beyond its actual sound. On July first, 2016, they released the song Let Me Hold You (Turn Me On) , with which they managed to follow up on the success of sex . The cover version of the 2003 Kevin Lyttle hit Turn Me On was also able to move into the top half of the single charts across almost all of Europe. It was produced together with the Dutch producer Dante Klein.
At the end of 2016 they released the single Shed a Light together with Robin Schulz and David Guetta . With this single they achieved a chart success for the first time with a production that is not a cover version. They also reached the top 10 of the single charts in Germany for the first time and were awarded a platinum record in Italy in the spring of the following year. It was also recognized in the UK for 200,000 units sold. After a lyrics video, the accompanying music video, which was praised for its creativity, was released in early January 2017.
2017: No Promises
In December 2016, the trio came into contact with the American actress and singer Demi Lovato at the Z-Festival in Sao Paulo, Brazil . Due to the constant encouragement of her fans to work with her, Cheat Codes came up with the idea to re-sing Lovato part of their already completed song No Promises . On March 31, 2017, the new version of their song No Promises was released . The title advanced to the top 100 in several countries.
On March 3, 2017, they released a remix of the song Pretty Girls by singer Maggie Lindemann that was created together with the American singer, songwriter and producer . The original version was released in June 2016, after which its remix ensured the track's real success.
In an interview with the online magazine " Dance-Charts " they announced the release of an EP.
Discography
Extended plays
- 2018: Level 1
- 2019: Level 2
Singles with chart positions
| year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 DE
|
 AT
|
 CH
|
 UK
|
US
|
Dance
|
|||
| 2016 | sex |
DE14th  (29 weeks)DE |
AT19 (24 weeks) AT |
CH27 (22 weeks) CH |
UK9 (24 weeks)UK |
US-  |
Dance10 (26 weeks) Dance |
First published: February 19, 2016
with Kris Kross Amsterdam ; Sales: +1,957,500 |
| Can't Fight It | - | - | - | - | - |
Dance48 (1 week) Dance |
First published: June 17th, 2016
with Quintino |
|
| Let Me Hold You (Turn Me On) |
DE49 (16 weeks) DE |
AT47 (9 weeks) AT |
CH40 (16 weeks) CH |
UK36 (17 weeks)UK |
- |
Dance14 (22 weeks) Dance |
First published: July 1, 2016
with Dante Klein ; Sales: + 400,000 |
|
| Queen Elizabeth | - | - | - | - | - |
Dance49 (1 week) Dance |
First published: November 4, 2016
|
|
| 2017 | No promises |
DE40 (23 weeks)DE |
AT40 (20 weeks) AT |
CH41 (22 weeks) CH |
UK18th (22 weeks)UK |
US38 (23 weeks)US |
Dance2 (52 weeks) Dance |
First published: March 31, 2017
feat. Demi Lovato ; Sales: + 2,185,000 |
| Stay with you | - | - | - | - | - |
Dance35 (5 weeks) Dance |
First published: May 26th, 2017
with CADE |
|
| Sober | - | - | - | - | - |
Dance41 (3 weeks) Dance |
First published: July 28, 2017
with Nicky Romero |
|
| Feels great | - | - | - | - |
US- |
Dance9 (26 weeks) Dance |
||
| 2018 | Balenciaga Level 1 |
- | - | - | - | - |
Dance41 (1 week) Dance |
First published: May 4, 2018
|
| I Love It Level 1 |
- | - | - | - | - |
Dance40 (3 weeks) Dance |
First published: May 18, 2018
with Dvbbs |
|
| Only you | - | - | - |
UK13 (15 weeks)UK |
- |
Dance15 (20 weeks) Dance |
First published: June 22nd, 2018
with Little Mix ; Sales: + 410,000 |
|
| Home | - | - | - | - | - |
Dance38 (1 week) Dance |
First published: October 12, 2018
|
|
| Feeling of falling | - | - | - | - | - |
Dance23 (4 weeks) Dance |
First published: November 30, 2018
with Kim Petras |
|
| 2019 | Who's Got Your Love Level 2 |
- | - | - | - | - |
Dance25 (1 week) Dance |
First published: April 5, 2019
with Daniel Blume |
| 2020 | No Service In The Hills | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
As a guest musician
| year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
DE
|
AT
|
CH
|
UK
|
US
|
Dance
|
|||
| 2015 | Hold on |
- | - | - | - | - |
Dance47 (1 week) Dance |
First published: September 28, 2015
Moguai feat. Cheat codes |
| 2016 |
Shed a Light Uncovered |
DE6th (23 weeks)DE |
AT7th (21 weeks)AT |
CH19 (25 weeks) CH |
UK24 (16 weeks)UK |
- |
Dance11 (20 weeks) Dance |
|
More singles
2015:
- Visions
- Adventure (with Evan Gartner)
- Senses (feat. Lostboycrow)
- Follow you
- Please don't go
2016:
- Say goodbye
- Runaway
- Fed Up (with LVNDSCAPE)
2018:
- NSFW (with Danny Quest)
- Put Me Back Together ( feat.Kiiara )
2019:
- Ferrari (feat. Afrojack )
- Be the One (feat. Kaskade )
- I Feel Ya (with Danny Quest & Ina Wroldsen )
- All of My Life (feat. Trixxie)
- Highway (with Sofía Reyes & Willy William )
2020:
- No Service In The Hills ( feat.Trippie Redd & blackbear )
Further guest contributions
- 2015: Monsters Are Everywhere (The Seige feat. Cheat Codes)
- 2019: Live Forever ( Liam Payne feat. Cheat Codes)
Remixes
2015:
2016:
- Zella Day - high
- BØRNS - Electric Love
- Kelly Clarkson - Second Wind
- JP Cooper - Party
- FRANKIE - New Obsession
- Syn Cole feat. Madame Buttons - The Daze
- Olly Murs - You Don't Know Love
- Broods - Heartlines
- Niall Horan - This Town
- Bebe Rexha - I Got You
2017:
- AJR - Weak
- MØ - Nights with You
- Maggie Lindemann - Pretty Girl (with CADE)
- Katy Perry feat. Nicki Minaj - Swish Swish
- Dagny - Wearing Nothing (with CADE)
- Rita Ora - Your Song
- Lauv - I Like Me Better
2018:
- Thirty Seconds to Mars - Dangerous Night
- Tom Walker - Leave a Light On
- Sean Paul & David Guetta feat. Becky G - Mad Love
- U2 - Love Is Bigger Than Anything in Its Way
- Steve Aoki feat. BTS - Waste It on Me
2019:
- Sam Smith & Normani - Dancing with a Stranger
- Ed Sheeran feat. Camila Cabello & Cardi B - South of the Border
Awards for music sales
|
|
|
Note: Awards in countries from the chart tables or chart boxes can be found in these.
| Country / Region |
gold |
platinum
|
Sales | swell |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards for music sales (country / region, awards, sales, sources) |
||||
 Australia (ARIA)
|
gold1
|
7 × platinum7th
|
525,000 | aria.com.au |
 Belgium (BEA)
|
2 × gold2
|
- | 30,000 | ultratop.be |
 Denmark (IFPI)
|
gold1
|
4 × platinum4th
|
285,000 | ifpi.dk |
|
Germany (BVMI)
|
gold1
|
2 × platinum2
|
1,000,000 | musikindustrie.de |
 France (SNEP)
|
gold1
|
platinum1
|
225,000 | snepmusique.com |
 Italy (FIMI)
|
- |
5 × platinum5
|
250,000 | fimi.it |
 New Zealand (RMNZ)
|
2 × gold2
|
- | 30,000 | nztop40.co.nz |
 Norway (IFPI)
|
- |
4 × platinum4th
|
40,000 | ifpi.no |
|
Austria (IFPI)
|
gold1
|
- | 15,000 | ifpi.at |
 Poland (ZPAV)
|
gold1
|
- | 10,000 | bestsellery.zpav.pl |
 Portugal (AFP)
|
gold1
|
- | 5,000 | Individual evidence |
 Sweden (IFPI)
|
- |
6 × platinum6th
|
240,000 | sverigetopplistan.se |
 Spain (Promusicae)
|
2 × gold2
|
- | 40,000 | elportaldemusica.es |
|
United States (RIAA)
|
2 × gold2
|
platinum1
|
2,000,000 | riaa.com |
|
United Kingdom (BPI)
|
3 × gold3
|
2 × platinum2
|
2,400,000 | bpi.co.uk |
| All in all |
18 × gold18th
|
32 × platinum32
|
||
swell
- ↑ a b Henry Einck: "We are working on our first EP": cheat codes in an interview to " dance charts "
- ↑ Dan Frazier: Cheat Codes (Interview) on "Free Bike Valet"
- ↑ a b Chart sources: DE AT CH UK US
- ↑ Gold for No Promises in Portugal
Web links
- official homepage
- Official Soundcloud page
- Cheat Codes at Allmusic (English)
- Cheat Codes at Discogs (English)