EDC can be overwhelming, which means it’s far too easy to gravitate toward the familiar rather than seek out new faces. Let the following list serve as your guide to some of the more interesting under-the-radar DJs performing. In alphabetical order:
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Eats Everything
Bristol DJ Daniel Pearce is certainly an “omnivorous beat-maker,” as his bio says—but he’s also a mesmerizing purveyor of murky jungle, percolating electro, garage techno and traditional house music.
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Indecent Noise
Don’t want to deal with the crowd during Tiësto’s set? The veteran Polish trance and techno guru, whose meticulous live sets are legendary, is a smart option.
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Lady Faith
Hardstyle queen Lady Faith is not one for subtlety; her theatrical mixes are more like gothic tantrums marked by arena-sized techno stomps.
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Le Youth
Producer Wes James slices and dices sizzling ’90s techno and Eurohouse and slinky electro hip-hop—think Robin S. and Cassie—on sleek tracks that never drown in nostalgia.
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Madeon
French wunderkind and Lady Gaga fave Madeon has certainly learned from the best (Daft Punk, Cassius), but has a refreshingly exuberant take on disco-happy electro-pop.
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Mr. Carmack
This West Coast producer dissects hip-hop beats and hooks with the precision of a surgeon, and merges them with dank electro sludge—creating a sinister, funky and syncopated mix experience.
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Netsky
Belgian superstar producer Boris Daenen (aka Netsky) specializes in frantic drum ’n’ bass breaks that practically levitate over his haunting melodic house atmospheres.
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Jeremy Olander
This modern progressive house aficionado (who’s aligned with Eric Prydz’s Pryda Friends label) was on our EDC wish list last year, so his inclusion in this year’s lineup is great news indeed.
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Plastic Plates
Sure, neo-disco maven Plastic Plates has remixed Adele and Sam Sparro—but the Australia native really lets loose on his original compositions, where he can tease out fiery rhythms, sparkling grooves and diva siren calls.
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Tchami
French deep-house upstart Tchami first attracted attention with a Janet Jackson remix but cemented his reputation thanks to bass-hefty surges with nimble, inventive production.