Professional Biography
Layne Fox is an electronic music producer, DJ, and music industry professional with 25 years of studio experience. Drawing inspiration from the originators of dance music; disco, funk, soul, electro, hip hop, rock, and house, he has written, recorded, produced, and engineered hundreds of commercial releases, many for some of the world's most influential electronic labels.
Born in South Florida, Fox relocated to San Francisco in 2000, where he spent nearly two decades wearing various hats as a DJ, artist, producer, engineer, record label GM and independent music distributor. He returned to Florida in 2017, and in 2026 opened Tropea Sounds, a recording studio dedicated to releasing new original works, sample libraries and helping aspiring artists and producers develop their own craft.
Fox is best known as co-founder (along with Corey Black and Jay Williams) of the Bay Area collective 40 Thieves - often credited with defining the West Coast NuDisco sound of the mid-2000s. Their 2008 interpretation of Hot Chocolate's "Don't Turn It Off," released on Permanent Vacation Records, became an instant underground classic. It charted as the #2 song of 2009 by DJHistory.com, Best of the Decade by Beatport and SF Weekly, is currently in its sixth vinyl pressing, and surpassing 200 million combined streams on Spotify and YouTube alone.
Most closely associated with Leng Records (UK) for current output, 40 Thieves have also released originals and remixes for top-shelf labels including Claremont 56, Strut, DFA, OM Records. Their studio and remix collaborators include Cymande, Kid Creole & The Coconuts, Johnny Dynell, Larry Heard, Gary Davis, Tre Harrison of The Pharcyde, and King Sporty. Over the years 40 Thieves’ music has been a fixture in sets by renowned DJ’s including Harvey, Andrew Weatherall, James Murphy, Jamie Jones, Seth Troxler, Bill Brewster, and Colleen "Cosmo" Murphy.
Beyond his work with 40 Thieves, Fox has built a substantial catalog of commissioned works, selling well over 300 original compositions since 2023 spanning house, hip hop, EDM, commercial dance, and ambient - to leading music library companies for use in sync licensing, branded playlists, and product placements.
Fox's approach to production is rooted in equal respect for the creative, qualitative and technical dimensions. Completely self-taught since the age of 12 and working across analog and digital formats, he has earned a reputation for unique tracks and mixes that perform consistently in the market and on the dance floor. His guiding philosophy holds that “every successful record lives at the intersection of great writing, production, and engineering.”
He enters 2026 with a full release schedule: a new ep and several remixes as 40 Thieves as well as a debut solo LP on Leng Records due in late summer. Alongside his own studio work, he is planning a slate of producer sample packs and mentoring emerging artists at Tropea Studio, bringing the same precision and care to the next generation that has defined his own career.
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What Our Clients Say
Mike Savage, Sr. Music Curator, Feed.FM
"Layne has a rare ability to translate creative direction into finished music across multiple genres - dance, pop, downtempo, ambient, and lo-fi included. He consistently delivers high-quality work with minimal revision needed, and his speed and professionalism make him an invaluable collaborator."