The Top 25 Breakthrough DJs Of The Year 2024
The new wave of DJs soundtracking life-affirming dancefloor moments
At the start of each year there’s always that feeling of anticipation for the months to come on the dancefloor and which new heroes of club culture will emerge. The mere thought of all the bangers we haven’t heard yet, that are going to soundtrack our happiest moments, is enough to get the juices flowing. 2024 has delivered plenty of thrills on that front, with developing sounds emerging, purveyors of devilish blends coming to the fore, important DJs bringing shine to their local scenes, and even veteran selectors finding newfound levels of success. There’s no avoiding the fact it’s been another tough year for grassroots music and venues, but we’re grateful new and deserving artists are continuing to come through and connect to dancers in fresh and exciting ways. Long may it continue. In the list below, we celebrate our top 25 breakthrough DJs of the year (in alphabetical order).
Read this next: The Top 25 DJs Who Defined The Year 2024
1 Arthi
2024 has truly been a breakout year for Arthi. This year's highlights range from a sold-out four-week Phonox residency that welcomed the likes of Lil Silva, Laelo Black and Katy B to Brixton in April to a recently completed debut Australia and New Zealand tour. In between all that she has been flying the flag for Rinse's 30th anniversary, bringing her signature mix of UK funky, garage and bass to its Carnival, Glastonbury, Boomtown and Drumsheds line-ups.
The DJ's party series, aptly named Arthi Hard, has gone from strength to strength too. Expanding outside London, dates at Edinburgh, Leeds, Bristol have all been a resounding success. The polymath, who until very recently moonlighted as a technology correspondent for Sky News, has also delved into the world of production this year. Her debut single, 'Run It For Me' with vocalist Razor came out on Rinse in late October and she has more exciting collabs lined up for 2025. Skies are clearly the limit for the South Asian superstar and we can't wait for what surprises she's got in store for us in 2025.
2 Atmos Blaq
It’s been an absolute joy to watch the breakthrough of Soweto-born DJ Atmos Blaq (real name Samukelo Shembe). When his 2023 hit ‘Kwa Mama’ went viral after airtime from Kaytranada, it was clear Shembe was on his way up. Not only did ‘Kwa Mama’ cement the young producer as a key figure of the emerging 3-step sound (a new strain of African dance music pioneered by Thakzin around 2022), but it also led him to land a guest mix on Benji B’s BBC Radio 1 show, with the revered host claiming to have played the song in “every single set” that summer. So it’s fair to say Atoms Blaq started the year in a good position.
And it did not go to waste. 2024 was filled with debuts for the Afrotech and 3-step DJ, with first-time shows in London (for Sondela Recordings), the Netherlands, Switzerland, Dubai, Croatia and Ibiza, where he played at Ushuaïa for the Defected Records residency. Having released a monumental amount of music this year (much of it via Stay True Sounds), his remix of ‘This Is What It Feels Like’ by &friends and Phina Asa (released in January on Armada Music) has reached over 1.5 million streams on Spotify.
In May, he returned to the BBC airwaves with a mix for ‘1Xtra's Rave Show with Jeremiah Asiamah’, while August saw the artist play alongside Scorpion Kings, Vigro Deep and Thakzin at London’s Piano People festival, putting him on a par with some of the leading figures of African electronic music.
He also contributed his 3-step expertise to Mpho.Wav’s debut album ‘Book of Wav’, with the track ‘ATMOS WAV I’ being selected as one of Mixmag’s best tracks for September, and, more recently, collaborated with Major League DJzon ‘The 3 Step Ritual’. With dates on the horizon for January 2025, we can’t wait to see where this innovative DJ will go next.
3 Azyr
Move over meaningless 2010-16 era Tory soundbite, there’s a new Northern Powerhouse in town. Yes, while the North of England never did get its promised economic boom (or even a high-speed rail link between Manchester and Liverpool), it has ended up producing one of hard techno’s fastest rising stars — Blackpool’s very own Azyr. Having taken his first steps to 160 BPM stardom in 2023 following his heavy Boiler Room stream, which garnered over 2.5 million views on YouTube, this year looked primed and ready to see this Teletech-affiliate become a fixture of the European techno circuit. Moreso, he has become a one-man mayhem movement; appearing at Tomorrowland, Awakenings, Time Warp, Creamfields, Duro Festival… you name it, Azyr has probably had thousands of people jumping up and down taps aff there. Speaking of, this year also saw Azyr undertake his biggest show-to-date, playing to a 5,000-strong crowd at Glasgow’s Riverside museum, while tickets for his February 2025 headline show at Manchester's 5000-capacity Factory International sold out in less than 24-hours last month.
So what is it about this 24-year-old breakneck purveyor that has us all hooked? It could be the fact that hard and fast music has continued its chokehold over electronic appetites this year, it could also be that fans are as enraptured by his down-to-earth off-stage persona as his sweaty on-stage one. But regardless, the way in which his combination of latent hardstyle, psytrance, Schranz and techno manages to toe-the-line of being vigorous, rapid while also maintaining a consistent sense of rhythm at the core of his sets is irresistibly danceable… even if you feel like your heart might explode if you try. While Azyr as an artist is continuing to smash through the very definition of a breakthrough, and we expect his 2025 will pack even more of a punch, he is undeniably taking hardstyle as a whole with him. Get those ankle straps ready folks, you’re going to need them.
4 Beatrice M.
For a prolonged period, queer or femme expression and dubstep were not exactly phrases often uttered under the same breath. But a new generation of artists, led by the likes of CCL, Mia Koden, Introspekt, and of course, Beatrice M. are reframing what weighty, 140 BPM halftime riddims can look, and sound, like. Beatrice’s style specifically incorporates deep, stripped-back techno sounds into their palette, creating a ruminant, headsy fusion that they dub “siblingstep”. It’s a potent tonic, and has led to a packed year of bookings, shared bills with scene veterans including Riz La Teef and Kahn & Neek, and a ripping-hot seventh edition of Mixmag’s ‘The Mix’.
And they are also simultaneously fostering the next generation of breakout stars. Via their label BAIT, the French-British DJ has been pushing the deeper corners of bass music, with releases from the likes of Carré, Soa420, Ambit and more over the past 12 months. It's been a big year. “I still can't believe it. I want to cry. Like, it's my dream job,” they told Mixmag in April. “I'm also really happy that I'm not bored of it, I was worried I would, but it's just always fun.”
5 CRRDR
Seatbelts on, because just thinking about the year CRRDR has had is a dizzying experience. It’s been nigh-on impossible to keep up with all that he has achieved, but the headlines are leading a multi-disciplinary cultural movement called Latin Core, a transcontinental relocation, debut vinyl release and worldwide tour.
Latin Core is a blend of turbo club sounds and post-internet aesthetics, drawing from Latin American styles, particularly accelerated guaracha from his native Colombia, as well as the likes of gabber and metal, wrapped up in a bow of playful presentation. The breakneck sound and accompanying memes have been catnip to a new generation of ravers thirsting for fast-paced music and disaffected dispositions.
This year its pioneer Francisco Corredor, AKA CRRDR, moved from Colombia to Berlin shortly after a tour of Brazil and debut in Paraguay, and became an instant hit in the European club circuit, immediately picking up bookings across Germany, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, Czech Republic and even as far as Almaty, electrifying dancefloors with something viscerally fresh.
He studies Digital Art in Berlin, and his toying with aesthetics has been a factor behind his rise, with a hyper-online aesthetic approach that includes memes about how to dress at his events, slogan merch and calling out big DJs who don’t pay for music. On the flip side, he shows a wanton disregard for copyright law, sampling whatever he pleases for chaotic tracks and edits, raising the flag for pirate culture on his own terms.
Tune into a filmed set on Rinse France or Kiosk Radio and you might see him holding a phone displaying messages like “Sorry bb, but latincore stays on during sex” or “Latinx music not only is reggaeton”. Though, as the latter might indicate, he’s not all winks and grins, providing reflective commentary on the experiences of Latin American creatives during interviews or expressing solidarity for people living under corrupt regimes like his neighbours in Venezuela. Having spent the last few months on tour across the US, Asia and Australia, his impact is only growing.
6 EMA
EMA puts the dub in Dublin. The Irish DJ specialises in low-end club music from the lineage of soundsystem culture, and has been repping all things bass in the city via her club night and label Woozy since moving back there in 2019 after a stint in Berlin. Her sets are expertly crafted excursions that are rooted in subs and wubs but venture out into other styles that feed into soundsystem pressure and transportative dancefloor moments. If you won’t take our word for it, then how about Mary Anne Hobbs’, who selected EMA to feature in the ICONS Mix series on 6 Music. Her skills have been variously showcased throughout the year in a series of standout mixes, spanning her regular Rinse FM residency to shows for the likes NTS, The Lot, BBC Radio 1, and contributions to esteemed series such as Truants and Ilian Tape.
This year she’s asserted she belongs among the best in the game, playing alongside the likes of dBridge and CCL at Woozy’s home club Tengu, as well as legends such as Digital Mystikz and Pearson Sound beyond its walls. The latter booking was at the Sinai Soundsystem-powered HVYWGHT 6th birthday at fabric which stood out as one of our best nights of 2024. She also took Woozy to New York for a party at Nowadays, with bookings at other internationally revered clubs such as Prague’s Ankali, Wuppertal’s Open Ground and Paris’ La Station — Gare des Mines (alongside fellow bass bubbler on the rise Beatrice M.), as well as festival sets at the likes of Love International, Outlook and AVA, reflecting her increasingly sought-after status.
Woozy also put out the latest instalment of its ‘.5’ compilation series, aiming to increase focus on women and non-binary artists within soundsystem music. And EMA’s continual commitment to diversifying the scene has also been reflected in the DJ workshops she co-organises for FLINTA* people with Skin&Blister and her knowledge-sharing at community event panels on topics such as Gender Inequality and running a label. From her sounds to her values, she’s making a weighty mark on dance music.
7 EVEHIVE
While EVEHIVE has been embedded in Brazil’s underground electronic dance music scene for nearly a decade, 2024 marked the year things went global. Repping Rio’s very own baile funk, as well as the vibrant sounds of São Paulo’s ballroom culture, the DJ started the year on a high with his first international Boiler Room in Johannesburg. Playing alongside the likes of Kampire,DBN Gogo, Masters at Work, Shimza,and Scorpion Kings, EVEHIVE demonstrated their mastery over diasporic African rhythms, as well as harder techno sounds.
This stand-out B2B set with BADSISTA was followed by his first European tour, introducing the artist’s heavily percussive Latin club rhythms to cities such as Berlin, Dublin, London, Paris and Lisbon, including sets at Tresor, Colour Factory, and Outra Cena. This put the Rio-born DJ on the minds of promoters all over Europe, and another tour was planned for Autumn, with shows scheduled on a number of esteemed radio stations including Berlin’s Refuge Worldwide, London’s Rinse FM and Brussels’ Kiosk Radio. EVEHIVE was also selected byJyotyto play her ‘We’ve Been Here Before’ show in Paris.
Meanwhile, back at home in Brazil, the artist born Evellyn Tavares remained connected to São Paulo’s thriving queer scene as one half of Global Kunt, a label and party series specialising in vogue beats and ballroom events. He is also part of the Latin American branch of The Iconic House of Ninja, an international ballroom and vogue community. As a producer, EVEHIVE has been exploring a wider array of sounds outside his native Brazil including Afrobeat, amapiano and the variety of musical subcultures that exist within Latin America – all while channelling the raw and vibrant energy of São Paulo's DIY club scene.
8 Fafi Abdel Nour
For Fafi Abdel Nour, the Syrian-born, Groningen-raised and now Amsterdam-based DJ, dance music – and specifically dusty, soulful ’90s house and techno – is a means to express himself and create his own communities and spaces. Discovering it was what led to him starting much-loved Groningen LGBTQ+ party BUTTS nearly a decade ago, the spirit of which he is now sharing on some of electronic music’s most important safe havens – from Bassiani to Berghain – as he has become a pacesetter of the Dutch new school. He’s also been holding down a residency at Amsterdam venue Club RAUM, founded by local queer party institution SPIELRAUM, ever since its April opening. And unlike some of contemporaries, he never gatekeeps his tracks, often sharing some of his favourite digs that he played at the weekends on Instagram with his ‘Records that I love’ series. Good vibes only.
9 Heavee
It’s been some 20 years since Chicago-born DJ and producer Heavee first dabbled in production, making his first music on Funkmaster Flex's Digital Hitz Factory game. 10 years later, he debuted on Hyperdub’s 10th anniversary compilation amongst all-star label affiliates, and another decade later in 2024, released his first record with the seminal UK imprint. His Hyperdub debut, ‘Unleash’, offered a look into Heavee’s early influence from video games, and even landed alongside an expertly curated choose-your-own-adventure style online game. Despite years of graft and a near two decades of dedication, 2024 was the year Heavee cemented his name in the scene as one of the most enterprising breakthrough names, bringing to life his own take on footwork and juke. This year has seen him pick up regular shows across the US and beyond, spanning gigs in Miami, Amsterdam, London, and New York, and with plenty more releases under his belt – including an EP on Moveltraxx and a self-released, full-length record landing earlier this month – Heavee shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.
10 Kia
Psychedelia in dance music is one of those fleeting, ephemeral pleasures that is usually the domain of a handful of grizzly techno veterans. But traversing BPMs, drum patterns and styles – across trance, techno, drum ‘n’ bass, dubstep, broken beats and more – deep trippiness is the thread that holds Australian DJ and Animalia head honcho Kia’s sets together. It’s led to a truly global year for her, playing across the global East (East and Southeast Asia, Australia) and West (Europe, US and Latin America), with a summer festival season that saw her take on the likes of Freerotation, Sustain-Release Year Ten and a standout set at Draaimolen where she warmed the floor for psychedelic figureheads Voices from The Lake (Donato Dozzy & Neel). “One of my most memorable and meaningful sets to date,” she reflected afterwards. “I’m very grateful to have had the opportunity to play the Saturday late afternoon set, before my biggest electronic music inspirations.”
11 K Motionz
After ending 2023 with a few shows across the UK including a b2b with Sammy Virji, K Motionz was on a mission to go global. Now flying to the US and Ibiza and beyond, this Brummie has become the drum ‘n’ bass scene’s newest and most in-demand artist. Clawing his way up the line-ups of DnB Allstars and Don’t Worry About Henry, he is reaching that top spot. 2024 has also seen him complete his biggest UK headline tour with his Crowd Control event series and reach the stages of Glastonbury and Creamfields. On top of this, his recent set in Mixmag’s Lab LDN has enraptured the internet, especially for debuting his latest release ‘Beamin’’ with Songer. Learning to DJ at 11 to now becoming one of the most talked about artists of the d’n’b world, K Motionz is the scene’s newest sensation.
12 Loris
Loris has come to the fore as the only female Palestinian DJ in Mexico City. Being raised in Saltillo, north-eastern Mexico, with Palestenian heritage, she noticed the tight links between both cultures' music from the percussion to the accordion improvisation plus the similar tempos used. Fast-forward to the present day and Loris runs Zoco, a party series that brings sounds of the diaspora to Mexico City. Founded in 2022, Zoco has welcomed the likes of DJ Plead, Azu Tiwaline, DJ Haram, Noise Diva, Amor Satyr and Siu Mata. One edition this year welcomed Loris' compatriot, the leader of Palestinian techno, Sama’ Abduldadi. Loris continues to combine Latin and Arab soundscapes in her productions, releasing the 'Acid Bloom' and 'mechanism of cool' EPs this year. She also performed a showstopping stream at Club Furia's Keep Hush takeover with her recent NAAFI x Boiler Room show set to drop soon. Outside of CDMX, Loris has played in Berlin, Brussels, Leeds, London LA, Paris and San Francisco in a truly breakout year for the artist.
13 Lovie
Lovie is someone whose name has become inextricably linked to New York’s dance music scene, playing regularly at venues like Good Room, Public Records and Nowadays. Since moving to the city in 2020, the The Lot Radio resident has been steadily rising through the ranks, exchanging opening sets for headline slots and taking her carefully curated selections further afield. This year, her in-depth knowledge of electronic music garnered attention from music heads worldwide such as Benji B and Gilles Peterson, both of whom put her on the bill for their parties.
Meanwhile, at home, NYC house icon Timmy Regisfordbooked her for one of his legendary Shelter parties alongside himself, Colored Craig and Kilohpatrah Jones, and tastemaking duo Soul Clap put her on a line-up next to Derrick Carter, Waajeed and LADYMONIX for the Brooklyn edition of their ‘House Of EFUNK’ event series, calling her one of the “heroes of the future”. She also played alongside deep house innovator Ron Trent at Musclecars’ Coloring Lessons Juneteenth Block Party.
This recognition among the scene legends and pioneers is testament to Lovie’s intricate knowledge and honed skill as a DJ; her ability to span decades within one short hour, remaining deep, soulful and spiritual throughout. Travelling to Europe in May, she performed at Paris’ Djoon and London’s Colour Factory alongside her friend and fellow DJ Honey Bun. As a pair, Lovie and Honeybun run Soul Connection, a party that frequently presents entirely Black-femme line-ups.
When she isn’t digging through dance music or putting on parties, Lovie soundtracks calming ambient nights at various venues around New York, with a particular focus on creating a more inclusive space within the scene for Black and POC listeners.
14 Max Dean
A name that has been recurring on line-ups is London’s own Max Dean. Following in the footsteps of Chris Stussy and Josh Baker, Max is continuing to carry the torch for soulful, deep, tech-house. Just three years since his first official release with ‘Back To You’, this year alone, he’s dropped the EP ‘Fascinator’ as well as ‘Reckless’ and his latest single ‘Feel Much Better’ featuring UK rapper Nafe Smallz and legendary producer Timbaland. 2024 marked the year anniversary of his NEXUP RECZ label and beyond his own label, Max has had several high charting releases this year on FourThirtyTwo, Moxy Muzik and Positiva. With such highly-anticipated releases come highly-anticipated gigs as Max Dean becomes arguably the most exciting and hotly tipped newcomer on the tech-house circuit. Say it with me: Deano, Deano, DEANO!
15 MCR-T
After breaking out of the confines of Berlin’s techno circuit in 2022 with his hyperactive horsegiirL-featuring hit ‘My Barn My Rules’, fusing hyperpop and hardstyle, MCR-T has been on an upward trajectory ever since. Amassing nearly five million listeners across his discography on Spotify alone in 2024, the Berlin born-and-bred producer is a purveyor of fast-paced, hot and heavy rhythms and sultry beats, commonly found on line-ups alongside the likes of DJ Gigola and Clara Cuvé. Despite battling an illness that curbed his touring for a short period over summer, MCR-T quickly got back on the road completing laps around Europe and North America, taking his renowned ghettotech style and live vocal performances around the world weekend after weekend, and releasing a string of new singles throughout the year. Though he’s called 2024 one of his “most challenging years yet”, MCR-T finishes on a high – rounding out December with the release of his debut album, ‘≠ Not The Same’, and the launch of a brand new, “first of its kind” hybrid live show.
16 Mu540
Mu540 first came onto our radar when one of his trap funk productions was featured in Baile LDN’s list of crucial tracks telling the history of São Paulo's baile funk a couple of years ago. In 2024, the Brazilian DJ and producer’s impact has spread further around the globe and been hard to miss. Relentless touring in his homeland, including major b2b sets with Deekapz and Mochakk, has been complemented with a foray into Europe, spanning dates across Portugal, Spain, France, the Netherlands and UK, with the latter a headline slot at London’s beloved Fervo Flexo night.
Having previously been known to blend baile funk with styles such as trap, drill and rap, this year he expanded to fuse influence from house, a sound whose followers in Brazil often view baile funk snobbily for its favela origins, aiming to challenge audiences, bridge the gap between the scenes and put respect on funk’s name with his ‘4x4’ EP.
Taking part in a Brazil-France Artistic Exchange Program, that saw him paired with spoken word artist, poet and singer Lisa Ducasse, and clocking in studio time with Wyclef Jean, are further evidence of the kind of experimental openness that is seeing him gain fans across borders.
17 Nasthug
Historically, it’s been easy to associate Tokyo’s electronic music scene with the more highbrow shades of techno or chinstroking drone and ambient of the city’s listening bars. But over the past few years, nasthug – born and raised in Chiba by her Japanese mother and Jamaican father – has been moulding the local underground into her own image, via her distinctive blends of baile funk, Jersey club, dancehall, UK funky and more. And ever since her viral Boiler Room in December 2023, she has been taking those sounds far beyond the Japanese archipelago. Recent months have seen her take on London, Barcelona, Seoul and Taipei following earlier tours to Australia and China, all while leading the charge during weekends at home.
18 Nectax
Off the back of last year's impressive 'Voycheck' release, Nectax has emerged as one of the most exciting DJ/producers in the UK. The Newcastle native's speedy productions take from all corners of UK rave heritage and blends it with cutting-edge sound design to create what the Overview label describes as "thinking man's filth." The breakbeat scientist is one third of Tyneside party collective and record label Stereo 45, who have enjoyed a similarly successful year. Kicking off 2024 with curation at Boiler Room's NX Newcastle takeover, the trio have released EPs from Worsleyy, Jamiu, Dyslecta, Napes, plus a V/A featuring residents Sketchy Rida and Nectax himself alongside jungle heavyweights Tim Reaper and Dwarde. On the solo front, Nectax has put EPs out Future Retro, Motive Hunter, and DJ Flight's play:musik label and played in Poland, Netherlands and France as well as all over the UK.
19 Ogazón
Slick, suave records from deep corners of the house and techno continuum have seen Berlin-based, Luxembourg-born Ogazón become one of 2024’s hottest tickets. Her vinyl-only, groove-focused style has been an antidote to the heftier four-to-the-floor sounds that have dominated bigger stages, while her long sets are built for the journey. Come the year end she will have been a part some of European dance music’s most important and circled dates of the year – Dekmantel Ten, Berghain 20 Jahre, etc. – including huge B2B sets alongside Berlin’s long established guards Marcel Dettmann and her “forever musical soulmate” Ryan Elliott. Pass the baton.
20 OG Shez
What a year it’s been for Mumbai’s OG Desi hip hop selector, OG Shez. Having already become a regular fixture throughout India’s burgeoning underground club scene and a much-loved broadcaster via her Boxout.fm residency — 2024 saw OG Shez go global, making her UK debut at London’s Dialled In before heading to Manchester’s Ramona Radio Rave, and Dubai’s Dejavu club. Returning to the Mixmag Lab following her knockout set in Goa last year, she treated a packed crowd in Bengaluru to her typically high-energy mix of Desi rap, UKG, Jersey club, Afrobeat and Baile funk — she’s also been rubbing shoulders with some of music’s biggest names in 2024; warming up for Dua Lipa, Flowdan and Jyoty. Whew.
22 S-candalo
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again – there’s something so refreshing about the kind of wide-ranging, cavernous, sweat-inducing sets that are taking hold throughout dance music’s most innovative spaces. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Berlin, where the new school of artists are seemingly forgoing the typically techno-centric sound, for a new sonic identity — one that puts heft on decadent house euphoria, tingling breakdowns and mind-bending melodies. Colombia-born sibling duo S-candalo’s combination of ‘90s Paradise Garage-esque cuts, hypnotic loops and beaming queer anthems has earned them the rightful position as the jewel in Berlin’s new, understated-yet-energetic crown. While Tania and Dominik Humeres-Correa, AKA THC and DHC, are making moves in their own right — together they have become a must-see for underground aficionados; stealing the show with performances at Body Movements, ION Festival, Lost Village, MELT, XRDS and Club Raum’s SPIELRAUM Weekender at this year’s ADE. While back in Berlin, they have become a regular fixture at Panorama Bar, Ohm and Else. S-candalo is the set the cool friend in your group is mithering you to catch, they are the set you accidentally wandered into and ended up losing four hours without realising, and now you’re scrolling through ticket websites working out when/where you can catch them next. While the pair had a big 2023 - with their feverish Boiler Room at Primavera Sound and a handful of debuts across the UK and Europe - this year has seen them set the groundwork for their S-candalous global takeover.
22 Silva Bumpa
The speedy g renaissance is showing no signs of concluding anytime soon, and while originators such as Big Ang and Jeremy Sylvester have been getting some well-earned love across the UK’s dancefloors, there’s also a new generation of bass specialists taking our nightclubs by storm. Enter: Silva Bumpa. Having been catapulted from Yorkshire scene favourite to one of the flagbearers of his genre in just 12 months is no mean feat — though Silva Bumpa, AKA Harry Eagle, seems to be taking it all in his stride. 60+ shows across Europe and the UK, check. A raucous appearance at Mixmag’s Lab LDN, check. Debuts at Outlook, Boomtown and Glastonbury, check. An Australia and New Zealand tour, check. Kicked off a residency at Rinse FM, check. His own UK “All Night Long” tour, check. He’s done it all by paying tribute to his heroes — combining classic Niche cuts with newfangled, house-inclined acapellas, buoyant dancehall samples and more from the UK hardcore and rave continuum. A good Northern lad flying the flag for the music he grew up on across the globe, what’s not to love?
23 Skyla Tylaa
Having spent a good chunk of 2023 on the road with Wizkid for his Made In Lagos Tour, it makes sense that this year Skyla Tylaa would be looking to carve out her own path. And boy, has she done that. A veritable triple threat, who brings her expertise in everything amapiano and Afrobeats to the decks, alsoa skilled choreographer, and a producer too, dropping her own remixes with more on the way — perhaps Skyla Tylaa was always destined to make it big. But in little under 12 months this Nigerian-born, UK-raised selector has played everywhere from Wireless to Miami Basel, Australia’s Promiseland to Ibiza’s Eden, performing to thousands at Afronation after making her BBC Radio 1 debut — finishing off the year with a bumper African tour. She is the moment!
24 Tatyana Jane
Born in Douala, Cameroon, and raised in the south of France, Tatyana Jane is combining her heritage to deliver sets that explore music from her roots alongside contemporary elements of broken rhythm. A typical set from Tatyana is packed with curveballs as she manages to jump from Jersey club to dubstep while managing to throw in a bachata tune. Her reason for playing with so many genres and with so many influences is to reflect her mood in her sets. This approach to DJing has seen her gain support from some of the biggest names in dance music such as none other than Skrillex. In fact, the pair went back-to-back earlier this year in Berghain’s Panorama Bar which Skrillex described as his “best b2b ever”. As 2024 continued, Tatyana jumped between gigs to the radio waves of Rinse FM France to London’s NTS Radio hub before bagging one of her biggest shows to date, the Paris Olympics Closing Ceremony. Joining the likes of Kavinsky, Justice and Busy P, Tatyana performed a set of deep bass to 80,000 people in a moment that you could call once-in-a-lifetime.
25 Toccororo
Cuban-Spanish rave sweetheart TOCCORORO – real name Claudia Fersanch – has been onto big things in 2024 with her freestyle fusions of bass, raptor house, and guaracha. Drawing inspiration from the expansive Latin club music underground, TOCCORORO has set her sights on world domination this year, booting off with a tour of Asia in the spring, followed by a stacked summer hitting festivals in Portugal, Morocco, the UK, and the Netherlands. Back home in Spain, TOCCORORO periodically brings her CAOTICA party to Barcelona’s Nitsa Club, bringing through a selection of energy-supplying peers. Two Boiler Room appearances saw the Madrid-based DJ host for Charli xcx’s landmark Amnesia show in Ibiza, while the second brought a rowdy back-to-back alongside Safety Trance in Johannesburg. On top of a momentous breakout year, TOCCORORO has made radio appearances in renowned places throughout Europe, landing on London’s NTS and Belgium’s Kiosk Radio.