Eight emerging artists you need to hear: November 2023

On Bae Blade’s debut EP ‘Mixed Feelings’, for London label Mutual Pleasure, the Dortmund-born DJ and producer fused several genres — and feelings — across four tracks, from sultry electro to sassy hip-hop, summery trance, moody breakbeat and swampy bass, peppered with commanding vocals at just the right moments. One speedy track in particular, ‘Busy Overthinking’, received plenty of radio love, with multiple plays coming in strong from Sarah Story and Tom Ravenscroft. It’s an infectious tune with a catchy hook, primed for day and night dancefloors.

Having toured as a professional photographer with hip-hop and indie bands, Bae’s musical taste stems from a portmanteau of genres and textures, which bleed into her productions and DJ sets today. Since beginning the Bae Blade project in lockdown, the German artist has landed a Rinse FM residency, a slew of guest slots on HÖR Radio and played revered clubs, including fabric, Tresor, PAL and Rote Sonne. In October, she played B2B with Juicy Romance at Partiboi69’s popular Area69 party in Warehouse Elementenstraat during ADE. As her booking schedule takes off, tune into her monthly show on Rinse, aptly titled All Bops No Flops, for a steely dose of electronic wonk and weirdness, always delivered with verve, Bae-style. NIAMH O’CONNOR

For fans of: VTSS, MCR-T, Partiboi69

Amapiano has become a regular fixture on the London nightlife circuit, and a staple both at home and abroad when it comes to flying the flag is producer, presenter and DJ, Rosey Gold. Although she only started learning to DJ less than three years ago, the self-confessed bass addict’s sets — composed of mostly amapiano, alongside gqom and Afro-tech — have taken the scene by storm. A feature on fellow South African DJ and producer Jay Music’s track ‘Kanye West’, quickly followed by the release of her debut EP ‘Deep Rooted’, has propelled her up the ranks of the amapiano scene both internationally and in London, where she’s currently based.

Having lived across South Africa, Ireland and the UK, being on the move is nothing new for Rosey. However, home is where the heart is. As South African music and culture transcends borders, she’s intent on promoting, prioritising and preserving talent straight from the motherland, whether it’s through her Foundation FM residency — the station’s flagship amapiano show, where she plays the work of young and upcoming producers from South Africa — or one of her eclectic club sets, like when she’s opening for ‘Mnike’ hitmaker Tyler ICU at Piano People. RAHEL AKLILU

For fans of: DBN Gogo, DJ Lag, Charisse C

Following his stellar warm-up set at DJ Mag HQ before Pan-Pot in June, Uakoz has remained on our radar, and for good reason. The London-based DJ and producer has just released on Dolma Records and has more music in the pipeline for ODD Recordings, Womb and Kevin Saunderson’s label KMS. Since breaking through on Pig&Dan’s imprint Elevate in 2015 with his EP ‘Handtrace’, further releases on Terminal M, Bedrock Records, Kneaded Pains, KMS, Planet Rhythm and OFF Recordings have highlighted his dynamic and driving textures within techno. DJ-wise, Uakoz’s sets traverse the full spectrum, from old-skool techno to deeper, more melodic vibes. His versatility as a selector has earned him bookings across London, including Junction 2 festival, and beyond into Europe and the States, joining line-ups with DJ Rush, Klaudia Gawlas, Patrick Mason and Monika Kruse along the way.

Growing up in Sicily and listening to punk, metal, rock and hip-hop, it was Uakoz’s sister — a dedicated clubber — who introduced him to dance music. Soon enough, he taught himself how to make music, before studying at Milan’s SAE Institute and then moving to London in 2013. He’s come into his own as an artist ever since, and long may it continue. NIAMH O’CONNOR

For fans of: Pan-Pot, SHDW & Obscure Shape, Klaudia Gawlas

Way out in the Indian Ocean, to the east of Madagascar and far from the clubs of Berlin, London or Amsterdam, a special kind of electronic music is thriving. In Réunion Island, composer and producer Jeremy Labelle is at the forefront of the movement, fusing Detroit techno and contemporary IDM with the traditional Maloya music of his birthplace. Maloya combines both Indian and African rhythms, and was banned by the French administration of the island until the late ’50s. It’s now recognised by UNESCO for its cultural significance, and over the past decade, Labelle’s vibrant electronica has championed the unique and beautiful sounds of Maloya across the globe.

His fifth studio album ‘Noir Anima’ is released in October via InFiné, and it charts an impressive breadth of moods and atmospheres. ‘Le fil vers’, featuring the Seychelles-born artist Hasawa, is like a lullaby penned by Mort Garson and Liaisons Dangereuses’ Krishna Goineau. At the other end of the spectrum there’s ‘L’homme félin’, where dreamy IDM meets traditional acoustic instruments and stirring synth pads. ‘Noir Anima’ is undoubtedly Labelle’s most club-focused album to date though – see the propulsive, kaleidoscopic ‘Ciel’ and the glitchy, almost-dub techno euphoria of ‘Entre-allée’ for emphatic proof. CLAIRE FRANCIS

For fans of: Aphex Twin, Jako Maron, Deena Abdelwahed;

She’s tearing up Miami’s club scene today, but the rising DJ and producer Amal Nemer dabbled in other creative endeavors before finding her after-dark stride. There was a stint as a model, and she pursued architecture, too — but since relocating from Barinas, Venezuela to the South Florida music destination in 2020, Nemer’s been all about the beats, and that focus is paying off. Recently, her dynamic tech-house productions popped up on labels such as Space Invaders and Nervous Records, and in September she debuted on Farris Wheel with the ‘Eraser’ EP.

Intoxicating peak-time grooves and progressive, Afro-house heat share the spotlight in this project, which was inspired by a mind-bending Solomun set that sent Nemer racing back to her studio on a mission to craft something magical. Three sessions later, she’d succeeded — and she’s got more ammo in the cannon. This month she returns to Gene Farris’s longstanding Chicago imprint alongside Chris Estrella with ‘Don’t Wanna Go Home,’ a percussive heater that will have those lyrics hitting different the next time they crest a dancefloor near you. MEGAN VENZIN

For fans of: Gene Farris, Will Clarke, Nala

Cavernous kicks, rich chords, glissading synth lines, spectral vocal samples, even a bit of sax — on the ‘My Light, My World’ EP, Ryan Clover takes a bit of a kitchen-sink approach to house, and the music is all the better for it. Released on Eris Drew’s new Ecstatic Editions label, the EP retains the vibe of eyes-to-the-sky rave spirituality that Drew and partner Octo Octa favor in both their DJ sets and via their T4T LUV NRG label, but (thanks in large part to those kicks) remains firmly grounded in the down-and-dirty.

Clover, who’s also a fab DJ, has been working this territory for a while, and one can hear the roots of the Brooklyn-based producer’s sound on older work like 2017’s ‘Right, Down, Right, High Punch’; his ‘Disrespectful’ EP, released on ARTS in 2021, was one of our fave house records of that year. But ‘My Light, My World’ might be his best work yet — it’s big-room material with heart, soul, and just the right amount of zonked-out weirdness. BRUCE TANTUM

For fans of: Jimpster, Anthony Naples, Daphni

Leonardo Di Fiore’s music exists between realms both analog and digital — and if you listen carefully, visceral and cerebral as well. The classically-trained Italian pianist spent his early years in Rome, where he developed a love for electronic tunes, and upon moving to Boston for college, that fascination became intertwined with his neuroscience studies. This led him to explore how sound shapes human perception of music, and years later, the left-field discography and sound design projects he produces as NOCUI draw from those findings.

The results are as intriguing and quirky as one might expect. Earlier this year, Di Fiore launched his Shapeless Culture imprint, where he’s been dropping a handful of his releases — the ‘Starlight Delight’ EP, for example, which arrives on November 2nd. The title track is a jazzy, piano house groove brimming with spoken-word vocals, warped synths, and spaced-out samples. This cosmic cut and its counterparts come as a follow up to this year’s ‘Anomie’ LP, which puts the Berlin-based producer’s more experimental side on full display. Outspoken about his commitment to being aesthetically non-committal, this year’s releases have been wholly surprising, and here’s hoping that trend never ends. MEGAN VENZIN

For fans of: Todd Terje, Max Cooper, Waajeed

As a DJ, Tatyana Jane’s been making waves in the Parisian electronic music underground for a while now, with an itinerary that might see her playing Rex Club one week, Badaboum the next, and then further afield, perhaps Germany or Amsterdam, soon thereafter. She also holds down a regular show on Rinse France, while making guest appearances elsewhere on your internet dial. (Put her set for the N.A.A.F.I crew’s CDMX Tapes show on NTS Radio on your list — it’s awesome.) Her sound tends toward the fierce, balancing rhythmic intensity and otherworldly vibes.

Even though the Cameroon-born artist has only a handful of releases to her name, her production skills are already on par with her DJing. Her sound can be dizzying, as with ‘Vertigo City’ on Lobster Theremin, or soothing, like 2021’s Larry Heard-esque ‘Good Bye Summer’ on France’s Beat X Changers. Tatyana’s latest, the recently released ‘Clavaria Formosa’ four-tracker on Boukan Records, might be her best yet: Infused with the spiritual vitality of her homeland, brimming with a full spectrum dancefloor energy, there’s a lot to love. BRUCE TANTUM

For fans of: Batu, Black Rave Culture, rRoxymore