Pete Tong Addresses John Summit Remix Controversy
Techno

Pete Tong Addresses John Summit Remix Controversy

The electronic music community was recently set abuzz when John Summit publicly accused industry icon Pete Tong of stealing his remix of the classic track ‘Missing.’ The dispute, which played out across social media, highlighted the complexities of collaboration and release strategies within the dance music industry.

Summit alleged that Tong had taken a collaborative project they were working on and repurposed it into a separate release alongside Dutch producer Franky Rizardo. The situation escalated quickly, leading to significant public discourse and eventually resulting in Rizardo withdrawing from the project, citing personal values rather than a desire to assign blame.

Pete Tong Responds to Allegations

In a recent interview with Alex Tripi, CEO of the Pete Tong DJ Academy, the veteran broadcaster addressed the controversy directly. Tong clarified that the project was never intended to be a singular, exclusive remix, but rather a multi-faceted approach to reimagining a classic record.

“[we] had positive conversations on text about making a new version of his remix, and at the same time I was talking to Franky about doing a new version of his remix… It’s quite normal when releasing a song to have different versions of the same song, or in this case it would have been a cover version, so there could have been a Pete Tong orchestral version, a version with Franky Rizardo and a version with John Summit.

Tong explained that the orchestral arrangement of ‘Missing’ was developed specifically for his Ibiza Classics tour. After securing permission from the original artists, Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt of Everything But The Girl, he sought to expand the project into various remix formats. He further supported his position by sharing a proposal document dated May 13, 2026, which outlined a staggered release strategy intended to accommodate both the Franky Rizardo and John Summit versions.

Expressing his frustration with the public nature of the dispute, Tong stated, “I’m disappointed. I don’t like being accused of things that aren’t true. If you’ve got a problem, pick up the phone. That’s certainly what I would preach. I’ve tried to call John, I’ve tried to text him.”