Dancing Astronaut’s 25 Artists to Watch in 2017
Dancing Astronaut's 25 Artists to Watch in 2017
Every year, the pool of new talent seems to increase exponentially. With music production tools more accessible than ever and independent imprints giving major labels a run for their money, the barriers to entry for new artists have essentially been obliterated.
Standing out from the crowd, however, is an entirely different story. As the number of new artists grows, so do the challenges of delivering a truly unique product. With this in mind, we’ve chosen 25 artists who caught our attention in 2016. Furthermore, these are artists who show undeniable promise for 2017 and beyond.
At the end of the day, bear in mind, this is just a small piece of the pie. There are countless artists pushing the envelope right now who deserve your attention. Do your own research, attend their shows, and continue to support the next generation of artists.
Yotto
Anjunadeep has a knack for selecting the next generation of amazing house music producers, and with Yotto, they’ve found a real gem. The Finnish artist had a remarkable year to say the least, from churning out inescapable originals like “The Owls” and “Aviate” to landing official remixes for Rufus Du Sol and Coldplay. Having proven his tenacity for pristine dance music production, Yotto is primed to have an incredible 2017.
– Michael Sundius
Enrico Sanguiliano
Enrico Sanguiliano isn’t exactly a newcomer; the Milan native has been building his name for years now. In 2016, however, Sanguiliano cemented his appeal as one of the foremost producers in the techno sphere. With chart-topping tracks like “X-Pollination,” “Moon Rocks,” and his stellar remix of Moby’s classic “Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad,” it seemed as though everything Enrico touched turned to gold. In 2017, Sanguliano will undoubtedly be one of the most in-demand producers in the underground.
– Michael Sundius
K?d
Enigmatic newcomer K?d is proving to find success through anonymity while allowing his music to speak for his artist project. First gaining comparisons to Porter Robinson after his remix of Daft Punk’s “Doin’ It Right” and spellbinding originals, he’s since come forth with numerous techno and electro-tinged cuts demonstrated on remixes of Hunter and Justice. With a confirmed collaboration with Rezz coming next year and now taken under the wing of dance powerhouse agency AM Only, K?d is sure to be one of 2017’s most curious rising stars.
– Austin Evenson
Oona Dahl
Florida native Oona Dahl blossomed among the transformational circuit this year, building upon momentum established over her time in the scene to become an integral addition to many festival and party lineups — including Woogie Weekend & Burning Man. Her mystical way of arranging ethereal, dreamy melodic pieces caught attention of her peers in a large way in 2016, leading her to sign her first EP on the legendary imprint, All Day I Dream. As Oona’s popularity continues to grow, we can only expect an even more bountiful year for her in 2017.
– Christina Hernandez
BlackGummy
BlackGummy made his live debut in early 2016 and by the end of the year cemented his arrival with his festival debut at Escape. The mysterious producer has already shared the stage with Eric Prydz, deadmau5, Nero and Feed Me; and is part of the upcoming new wave of mau5trap and their launch of the random label party brand set to expand across the country in 2017. What’s more, BlackGummy has a forthcoming 3rd EP set for release in early 2017 with major festival announcements also around the corner.
– Lucy Davidson
Raito
Raito hasn’t yet become a household name in the techno community, but it seems to be only a matter of time before he takes over the underground. The French producer, real name Médéric Martin, has carved out a niche in purveying his expertly-crafted brand of spacious, forceful techno. In April, Raito released his virulent Giant EP via Proxy’s Mako Records; five months later, he provided his debut Boysnoize Records EP, Moon Dance, an immutable tour de force which will likely earn him a consistent spot on Alex Ridha’s roster. Last, but not least, Martin released the biggest track of his career thus far in August, when he teamed up with REZZ to release the hauntingly heavy “Alien.” With a forthcoming BNR release looming closely on the horizon, and the high profile support he’s received from artists such as Justice and RL Grime, Raito is poised to enjoy a career year in 2017.
– Will McCarthy
Photo credit: by Zoé Martin
Joyryde
If the name and artwork weren’t clue enough, Joyryde is big into cars. It’s no wonder then that the producer’s particular brand of pulsing deep house vibes provides for the perfect soundtrack for a night spent driving irresponsibly fast (which we do not condone, killer accompaniment or otherwise). With a year that has already featured numerous originals — and common appearances in mixes from some of the industry’s biggest artists — Joyryde is set to have a truly monstrous 2017.
– Mike Cooper
Echos
Portland duo Tal Richards and Lexi Norton, known as Echos, kicked off 2016 with a spellbinding feature on Illenium’s track “Afterlife” followed by their massive trap-induced “Silhouettes,” indie seducer “Tomorrow” and their vicious Monstercat collaboration “Cold Skin” with Seven Lions. With heavy, cinematic production and Lexi’s siren vocals, the singer-songwriter-producer outfit’s originals seeped into the souls of electronic and indie music fans alike garnering them millions of plays on Soundcloud and Spotify, including their skin-crawling debut EP Echos. Tal and Lexi capped their explosive year with a sold-out west coast headline tour at iconic venues such as The Roxy in Los Angeles and San Francisco’s Rickshaw Stop.
– Jordan Diaz
Khen
A young Israeli talent, Khen became one of the most-talked about new artists of 2016, establishing his prodigiousness with his incredible debut album One Day Of Independence, whose debut single “Children With No Name” topped progressive charts and became a peak-time weapon for a vast amount of fellow artists in their sets. So long as he continues to meet this impeccable standard he’s set for his music, Khen’s notoriety will only grow exponentially throughout 2017.
– Christina Hernandez
Callie Reiff
16-year old New York native Callie Reiff began playing the drums and producing at age ten. Six years later, she’s receiving nods from Anna Lunoe and A-Trak, and has opened for Brillz and Snails at EDC NY. The teenager has been taking New York’s underground scene by storm; expect to hear more of her name in 2017.
– Lucy Davidson
Bearson
Releasing several singles and remixes that easily amassed millions of plays, budding young Norwegian producer Bearson had a busy year in 2016 solidifying his name as a force for good in the developing tropical scene. Along with his own music, Bearson helps run emerging imprint Next Wave Records, which has seen such far-reaching releases as Louis The Child’s single “Fire,” and Jerry Folk’s “To My Soul,” which gave the label another year of exponential growth to match that of Bearson’s own trajectory.
– Toby Reaper
Deapmash
Hailing from Caen, France, Julien Saillenfait is one of the brightest rising stars of techno’s darker realm. Saillenfait released his first EP as Deapmash, Complex, via Clubwerks in late 2014. Since then, Deapmash has been a veritable juggernaut in his craft, effectively mastering his signature sound — a melange of sonorous techno and industrial traits which translate expertly into a big room setting. Perhaps Saillenfait’s most exciting accomplishment of 2016 was his full-fledged integration into the Boysnoize Records family; in July, Deapmash released his debut BNR Trax EP, the seismic Subwave, two collaborations with BNR staple Madame (“Hardened” and “Contact”), and a solo original, “Tribal,” on the BNR Trax 50 compilation. Saillenfait’s most recent EP, Dimension (released on the Spanish Stale imprint) saw him reprise his extraordinarily compatible partnership with fellow BNR up-and-comer Raito. With three confirmed EPs on the way in 2017, the future is looking bright for this dark horse.
– Will McCarthy
Tim Penner
Since becoming a notable act to watch by the dark progressive world in recent years, Tim Penner spent 2016 further cultivating the high reputation he’s earned for himself and racking in even more key gigs throughout the year. This year saw the Canadian releasing two particularly notable pieces: his remix to Andre Sobota’s “Futurammer,” and his emotive memorial track “Gabriel’s Flight,” which has earned support by the likes of Guy J and Hernan Cattaneo. 2017 is already looking exciting for Penner fans — more music is certainly set for release, including some made under a “brand new project” that he announced over Facebook at the end of December.
– Christina Hernandez
Desert Hearts
Since their inaugural festival in November 2012, the Desert Hearts crew’s “House. Techno. Love.” mantra clearly resonated with fans over the years, launching the Southern California brand to international heights in 2016. With each of its co-founders locking down gigs at illustrious festivals such as Mysteryland USA, Burning Man and an all-day time slot at Symbiosis, the crew aren’t looking to slow down soon, with upcoming appearances in Brazil and Costa Rica and their own staple spring festival in 2017.
– Jordan Diaz
Cubicolor
Garnering worldwide attention for their lush, dreamy melodic sound, it’s hard to believe Cubicolor are still being dubbed up-and-comers by media and music critics two years after emerging on the scene. Lauded by the likes of Pete Tong, Lee Burridge, Sasha, and Danny Tenaglia (to name a few), the Netherlands trio have proven time and again that they’re anything but amateur. 2016 saw them release their debut artist album Brainsugar on Anjunadeep and 2017 looks just as promising.
– Amanda Mesa
S U R V I V E
Netflix’s original sci-fi series Stranger Things succeeded in reigniting interest in ’80s, synth-driven electronic music. The artists behind the soundtrack, Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein, became icons in their own right, bringing new attention to their actual artist project, S U R V I V E. Now, bolstered by the success of Stranger Things, the four-man Austin-based group to which Dixon and Stein belong will be making the festival rounds in 2017, including a much anticipated stop at Coachella.
– Michael Sundius
Photo credit: Alex Kacha
StéLouse
StéLouse found SoundCloud fame in 2014 and 2015 and since then has only been building his crossover appeal. Now signed to Casablanca Records, the Denver producer has been churning out glistening indie-infused records like “Let Go” and “Been So Long.” With the backing of a major label and some serious firepower set to drop in the new year, StéLouse is gearing up for a big 2017.
– Michael Sundius
Unlike Pluto
Unlike Pluto’s rise to prominence in 2016 has been fostered by a tireless work ethic and some serious production chops. This year, the prolific melodic bass producer dropped over 6 originals on both Mad Decent and Monstercat, amassing millions of plays and a nationwide tour schedule. Known for lush soundscapes and soaring top lines, Pluto’s approach to the genre is unique enough to be poised for dominance in the new year. Next up in 2017? New music on Lowly Palace and slots at some of the year’s biggest festivals.
– DA Staff
Notaker
Notaker took a number of significant steps this year toward ssolidifying his spacey, bassy, progressive sound. This year saw his first two releases on Monstercat, the groundbreaking mid-tempo adventure, “Infinite,” which he followed up with instantly classic progressive house track “Gems.” Both Monstercat releases were very well-received by the Canadian label’s avid audience and serve as a sturdy foundation for 2017 to be even more of a breakout year for the young producer.
– Toby Reaper
Mark Johns
If Mark Johns isn’t on your radar yet, that’s bound to change in 2017. Dubbed by Skrillex as the “singing Singaporean,” the twenty-three-year-old songstress is OWSLA’s first vocalist signee, and her 2016 debut on the label, Molino, fully introduced her riveting blend of poetic lyricism and melancholic songwriting sensibilities. With strong ties to Skrillex’s camp and solid connections to both the Moving Castle and Next Wave collectives, expect Mark John to experience a widespread breakout in 2017.
– David Klemow
Whethan
Ethan Snoreck, better known as Whethan, may have only just graduated high school this month, but the Chicago-bred producer has already hopped in the studio with Skrillex, released a collaboration with dubstep icon Flux Pavilion, and toured with Flosstradamus. The 17-year-old prodigy’s sound is incredibly diverse, ranging from indie future bass like his flip of Opia’s “Falling” to accessible dance-pop like his debut original “Can’t Hide” to speaker-breaking bass like “Savage.” With his first headlining tour slated for early 2017 and major co-signs already under his belt, it’s only a matter of time before Whethan becomes a household name.
– Austin Evenson
Shall Ocin
Argentinian-born producer Nicolas Adobos is one of techno’s most exciting artists to watch as he begins to scratch through the surface of the genre’s underground. Having operated for several years under the “Paneoh” alias, Adobos now produces as Shall Ocin. Signed to Maceo Plex’s Ellum imprint, Adobos’ takes on techno and tech house are expectedly entrancing, but also inherently ominous. Equally daunting and debonair, Adobos’ releases thrive within the Ellum catalogue and beyond; in 2016, the producer reaffirmed his skill on Marc Romboy’s Systematic Recordings with his stellar Sonic Hall EP. Shall Ocin’s most scintillating endeavors in the past year, however, are arguably his meticulous remixes and masterfully-crafted performances. Most notable among Adobos’ remixes of the past year is his joint effort with Maceo Plex – an entrancing remix of Joy Wellboy’s “The Magic”; meanwhile, his performances at Lightning in a Bottle and ADE’s DGTL festival are among Shall Ocin’s most impressive sets of 2016.
– Will McCarthy
Crankdat
Crankdat brings an interesting dynamic to the table that is bound to flourish with due exposure in 2017. The 19-year-old wunderkind is pushing the boundaries of bass music in new directions. His heavy-handed sound is fresh and enticing. He has dabbled in hip-hop and bass house, but all the while manages to invoke an authentic UK dubstep feel to his productions. With a remix-heavy catalog, expect a slew of original work from Crankdat this year as he’s expected to bring head-banging back in a big way.
– David Klemow
KRNE
KRNE can be a bit of cypher. One release will unleash ribcage-rattling subbasses and raucous, buzzing synth lines that sound destined for the main stage at festivals around the world. The next will curve abruptly to the future, with wavy sounds and brighter atmospheres. This dichotomy, combined with the skill to pull of both with aplomb, have KRNE riding a rapidly quickening wave to stardom in 2017.
– Mike Cooper
ANNA
Brazilian producer Ana Miranda is perhaps the most quickly rising techno artist of the past year. Since initially garnering traction in 2014 with a series of releases on Pleasurekraft’s Kraftek imprint, ANNA reached new heights in the last year with a seemingly never-ending stream of acclaimed releases. Now widely known for her unforgiving, ominous style, ANNA was voted as ninth best techno artist in Beatport’s 2016 poll, while her Diynamic-backed single, “Odd Concept,” was the site’s fifth best-selling techno track. Boasting a rigorous touring schedule and releases on major imprints such as Turbo and Suara, ANNA had a formidable year in 2016, but shows no signs of slowing her indomitable work ethic.
– Will McCarthy