Dancing Astronaut’s 25 Artists to Watch in 2015 #BIG100

25 Artist to Watch in 2015

Dance music moves at a breakneck pace. What’s popular one minute is obsolete the next and wading through the sea of producer’s attempting to find their place in the ever-expanding and industry is a daunting task. Despite the crowded space, some artists have managed to find their niche in the landscape, developing identities, sounds, and brands that are all poised to take 2015 by storm. In no particular order, here are 25 artists you’re bound to love (or love some more) in the coming year.

Gryffin

New York City-based producer, Gryffin, surfaced on the radar towards the end of 2014 and could be said to have one of the quickest rises amongst newcomers this year. With his signature guitar-infused sound, the breakout producer captured the attention of fans with his melodically uplifting remixes of Maroon 5 and BANKS. He also supported trance-progressive young gun, Arty, on his Up All Night Tour. With such a quick surge in popularity, the sky’s the limit for Gryffin and his ability to flip radio hits into elevating ear candy shows great promise for his future.

Lane 8

Daniel Goldstein, better known as Lane 8, had his humble beginnings with tracks like “Every Night,” “Be Mine” and “How I Feel.” The San-Francisco based producer helped electronic music enthusiasts re-discover the roots of melodic house, bringing to the forefront a more easygoing style whose depth scratches far beneath the surface of big room’s stale sound. Now having risen for his seasonal mixtapes and landing on TomorrowWorld’s “Artists of Tomorrow” roster, Lane 8 has ventured off on his Diamonds tour while proudly waving the Anjunadeep flag high.

Mr. Belt and Wezol

Savagely danceable and funky-as-fuck, the pair got their start on Musical Freedom with “Feel So Good,” before Spinnin caught on. From there the duo joined Oliver Heldens in the Dutch imprint’s global future house crusade with the collaboration “Pikachu.” Their next original solo effort “Time,” is also their best effort yet and a clear indication that the future is bright for the two masked mischief makers.

Hayden James

The latest talent to emerge from Australia and the Future Classic imprint, Hayden James garnered some eyeballs with the release of his debut EP and it was his infectious beat work that kept them affixed. Since then his remixes have stood out as some of the year’s best and his widespread appeal has officially landed stateside. The recently released “Something About You,” is the best work of his career – a sultry soundscape that boils over and bubbles with dance bliss.

Lido

Lido’s melodic talents permeated through the depths of the electronic music scene in the last year, and on the cusp of reaching the mainstream, the Norwegian is certainly amongst the most promising acts in the industry. A pioneer of the future bass sound, the youngster has already been given a full guest mix on Diplo & Friends, and official remixing duties on the now-Grammy nominated “Faded” by Zhu. Unlike many of his producing peers, Lido looks past the trends and happenings of the Beatport top ten and makes music that may not set off the mainstage crowd, but aims to impress with a clear emphasis on songwriting beauty.

Anevo

Another production wunderkind emerges from Sweden. Anevo first made an impact with the electro romper “Koopa,” before joining up with Kryder on Sosumi Records. More than just main stage weapons in his arsenal, the young Swede went indie dance on his last release “Endless Summer” showcasing the sheer breadth of his talent. With more originals on the way that plan to challenge the status quo, Anevo’s presence in the new year undoubtedly secured.

Taches

Taches is the perfect ambassador for deep and emotional house music. Little is known about the mystery producer except that he likes mustard and birds, and his tweets are often a delightful combination of strange and funny. What we do know is that his handle on musical depth, melody and groove is something you’d only expect from a seasoned pro. It isn’t surprising that talent has already earned him remixing rights for artists like ZHU, Wet and RUFUS – what’s surprising is that the rest of the world hasn’t caught on yet.

Bender

The US answer to the nu-deep house wave, Bender burst onto the scene in 2014 with an incredible rework of Swedish House Mafia’s “Leave the World Behind.” It wasn’t long before Tiesto took notice, showcasing both his remix of “My Love” and “Rolling in the Deep” on the legend’s iconic Club Life radio show. One half of the dancepop duo, The Rooftop Boys, Bender followed up with a handful of glowing remixes including work for Dirty South’s “Unbreakable.” From there, the NJ native locked down headlining spots on both coasts before rounding out a whirlwind year with back-to-back opening sets during ZHU’s NightDay Experience in Brooklyn, NY.

Jai Wolf

Fresh out of New York, Jai Wolf is your favorite producer’s favorite producer. In the last three weeks alone, the Long Island-native has supported Skrillex, Alesso, and Dirty South officially with label-released remixes that impress with the trending future bass sound. Dashes of trap and house combine with superb sound engineering to properly place Jai Wolf’s sound in a category of its own, and one that has certainly attracted the most influential of electronic artists in his time. Not much material from Jai Wolf has reached the market, but the consistency in his high quality productions combined with an impressive rolodex of official supporters puts him in the perfect position for 2015.

Fabich & Ferdinand Weber

Somewhere in between the explosion of tropical house and the ever-popular deeper house grooves are Fabich & Ferdinand Weber, a Berlin-based duo offering their own nu wave spin. Their catalogue – already packed with a slew of catchy remixes and charming originals – translate with ease from club-ready house to a night in’s soothing soundtrack. Already featured by the likes of Pete Tong, Tiësto, and labels Eton Messy and Majestic Casual, and primed to take over in electronic’s newest transition to the more melodic, deeper side of things, the duo’s rise reads for a promising 2015 to come.

Hotel Garuda

Lots of acts are doing tropical house, but few are doing it as fun or as well as Hotel Garuda. Scintillating and funky remix work that shows off their abilities in a variety of styles, the pair made massive waves with their remix of BANKS’ “Hanging on a Thread” alongside Gryffin. Members of the growing Moving Castles imprint, the duo made up of Manila Killa and Candle Weather, are leaving an indelible mark on the tropical house soundscape.

Photo Credit: Matthew Enbar

Spencer Brown

Making beats on his drum set at age two, Spencer Brown has been heavily involved in music his entire life. His big break came when he received the official nod from one of electronic music’s most influential individuals, Ash Pournouri. After years in development, the Spencer Brown sound has finally taken to the streets through two recent EP releases with Jaboom / Mirek and Chalice / Double Down. Balancing life as a Duke University engineer and world-touring producer, Brown has succeeded immensely, releasing records continuously with the likes of LE7ELS, PRMD, and Anjunabeats.

Trollphace

In Skrillex’s Reddit AMA, fans begged to know — outside of the immediate OWSLA family — who Sonny Moore thought would be successful next in dubstep. While many names were thrown around, one stuck out more so than the others: Trollphace. A man with a plan and an incredible story, Trollphace made his way from struggling paycheck-to-paycheck to the Ultra Mainstage alongside Jack U in no time. He’s since caught a great amount of hype for his production talents, namely “Vengeance Like a B0:55” and a recent collaborative remix with Skrillex on Yogi’s “Burial.” Now officially a member of Skrillex’s OWSLA kingdom, the reign of Trollphace has just begun.

Autograf

With the recent rise of tropical house, Chicago-based trio, Autograf, proved their versatility in the niche genre with their “Future Tropical” touch, remixing the likes of Stevie Wonder, Dirty South, Lorde, and many more. Not only have they topped Hypem on multiple occasions with their reworks, Autograf innovatively incorporated a marimba into their show setup to deliver a unique live experience unlike any other. The mysterious trio have kept us on our toes all year so it’s hard to say what’s to come in 2015, but fans can be sure to anticipate new remixes, maybe some originals, and more hybridized live sets.

ta-ku

Australian “genre killer,” Ta-ku, embarked on a mission in 2014 to break down walls and show the world that music can be beautiful without genre labels. The Future Classic artist filled listeners ears throughout the year with edgy vibes through countless originals and remixes of dance music heavyweights, such as fellow countryman Flume and the dynamic duo AlunaGeorge. With the rise of future beats, Ta-ku’s exploration of sounds will continue to take his career to the stars and beyond in 2015.

Gosteffects

It’s hard to doubt Skrillex’s own hand-picked choices – a fact that remains true for Gosteffects, the New Yorker who joined the OWSLA head on his Mothership Tour earlier this year. Already Gosteffects has demonstrated his ability to take a multitude of genres (electro house, bass, and even recently, deep house and techno) under his production hand. As true dub talents begin to become scarce in a landscape of deeper and new wave sounds, Gosteffects’s efforts break through, and will only expand in the coming new year.

Le Youth

Le Youth is an established DJ and producer in his own right. From nu-disco tinged remixes and originals with a hint of R&B, Wes James is a breath of fresh air amongst his peers. His polished technique and mastery of sampling has come a long way, transitioning from “C O O L” and “Dance With Me” to deeper records along the lines of “Girl.” In a matter of two years, Le Youth has already discovered his identity as a suave talent and one of the coolest cats in electronic music.

SNBRN

“Sunset house” commander, SNBRN, blazed his way into the spotlight over the past couple of months with his bass-infused revivals of R&B/hip-hop classics. The LA producer injected Mark Morrison’s “Return of the Mack” and 50 Cent’s “21 Questions” with deep summertime vibes to make them ready for any party. After releasing his first official remix just weeks ago, we can anticipate that SNBRN has a lot more in his back pocket to show the world.

Lost Kings

The Lost Kings entered the dance music conversation with a remix of Disclosure’s “Latch” that earned itself Sirius radio play — as an unofficial remix. From there a barrage of expertly crafted electro followed gaining the attention of Dirty South who sought them out for official remix duties. There latest output, a stunning rework of Hayley Kiyoko “This Side of Paradise” hit number one on Hype Machine and kickstarted a flood of well-deserved buzz.

Shiba San

Dirtybird and Cuff affiliate Shiba San changed the way we listened to music when “Okay” began making waves earlier this year. Claude Vonstroke and Tchami are just a few advocates of the track, which eventually became Summer 2014’s most-played anthem time and again. San’s proficiency in the future and deep house terrains has brought about additional wonders such as his re-imagining of Deadmau5 and Kaskade’s “I Remember” or more recently, of Destructo’s “Dare You 2 Move.” As the Parisien continues to explore different spectrums of the emerging genres and what they have to offer, Shiba San is well on his way up the electronic music hierarchy.

Bixel Boys

When it comes to creativity few artists break molds as often as the Bixel Boys. The LA-based duo have been champions of cool long before the future bass trend was widely-adopted and there ever-evolving sound is a beacon of hope in a sea of drivel. Dancefloor and music-focused, the pair are responsible for a handful of genre-blurring remixes that scoff at the status quo. Their brand, #FREELIFE, has taken the dance music world by storm successfully elevating the two far beyond the DJ decks into an EDM brand name.

Justin Jay

After earning a coveted spot on Claude Von Stroke’s Dirty Bird Records roster, Justin Jay has been delivering the groove to dance-floors around the world. The 21-year-old took the Dirty Bird Underground stage for his HARD Summer debut, lighting up his hometown with his funky tech-house style. Justin Jay has made a quick rise up the tech-house ladder with his EPs, “The Jaguar” and “Static,” and we can expect him to be right up their with the industry leaders in the coming year.

STWO

The smoothest of criminals, STWO delivers sex-smothered R&B grooves defined by undulating bass lines. A batch of incredible originals including “Lovin You” and “Syrup,” the French talent made his mark in bedrooms the world over. A slow and methodic release schedule to match his pensive production style, STWO will continue to cast his spells as the new year gets going.

The Dealer

The UK’s latest disco phenom, The Dealer, paired bouncy UK garage with silky smooth top lines on his breakthrough “Right Beside You.” What started to catch fire after his remix of “Pushin On” stole dancefloor attention, has since become an uncontrollable blaze – razing his competition with ankle-grabbing disco chops. Catchy as all hell and fringe enough to warrant extensive plays at multiple depths, The Dealer is poised to emerge as a top contender in 2015.

Alison Wonderland

Females are certainly the minority in the trap world, but Alison Wonderland is one of the few doing work to make sure the world knows that ladies can get down with the 808s as well. With a heavy sound from down under, the Australian producer caught waves for productions like “Cold” and “I Want U,” and has been championed as one of the next hot things in the trending trap sound. If the Calm DownEP serves as any indication, Alison Wonderland will certainly see a great amount of peer and fan support alike for her tasteful tracks.