United States

Superior Ingredients

The Roof at Superior Ingredients

The Then and Now of Amapiano: South Africa’s Latest Pulsating Dance Music Genre

Uncle Waffles

How Uncle Waffles Scored a Residency with BBC Radio 1

5 of Uncle Waffles' Most Outstanding Live Performances

Uncle Waffles' Rise to DJ Superstardom

[Op-Ed] Building a Bolder and More Vibrant House Music Ecosystem, For All

Debut

deadmau5 and Richie Hawtin Among Speakers for Beatport’s Inaugural ReConnect Summit in New York

South Africa

amapiano

barcadi

South African DJ and viral social media sensation Uncle Waffles makes her New York debut on the gorgeous Superior Ingredients Roof this December 3rd! In the wake of amapiano taking the world by storm, Uncle Waffles has risen to become one of the genre's fiercest champions. Amapiano began to gain international traction around 2019. Defined by a blend of percussive loops, enchanting melodics, energetic vocals, and elements of deep house and jazz, amapiano is arguably the biggest sound coming out of the African continent right now.

The 22-year-old artist born Lungelihle Zwane first stole the world's hearts in October 2021 with a viral video of her performance at Mint in Soweto, South Africa. Through the power of social media, she reached millions of viewers who helped her kick-start her career. The amapiano messenger is widely known for leaving audiences begging for more. Her unique style has earned her a loyal following among clubgoers and music lovers, receiving co-signs from renowned stars, including rapper Drake, Diplo, Major League DJz, Adam Port, &ME, and Rampa.

Uncle Waffles kicked off her European summer tour at Afronation in Portugal, playing alongside amapiano legends Major League DJz. Since then, she has given electric performances in France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Finland. Her impeccable taste also recently scored her a residency on BBC Radio 1, where she spent the month of September dropping the genre's biggest hits every Thursday evening over the airwaves for the tastemaking British radio outlet.

Red Dragon

In her hope to influence and share her love of music with the world, Uncle Waffles continues to push amapiano to the masses. The Swaziland-born DJ is so much more than just an internet sensation. She's a cultural ambassador and a champion of a unique musical art form showing the world the breadth of Africa's dance music contributions.

We are proud to have Uncle Waffles as a part of Gray Area's Debut event series. 

Learn more about our vision for Debut here

Gray Area's new venture, "Debut," aims to bridge the international house music community by bringing established and emerging artists to cities they've never performed in. This initiative seeks to expand artists' fan bases and provide fans with fresh, exhilarating musical experiences. Having played a role in introducing major artists and brands like elrow and Awakenings to new audiences in the past, Gray Area believes in the magic of first-time experiences. By promoting artists in new venues and cities, they hope to cultivate a thriving, unified house music ecosystem. Debut is not merely a marketing strategy but embodies Gray Area's commitment to fostering collaboration, unity, and musical discovery.

Debut: Uncle Waffles First New York Performance

United Kingdom

Omar+

Hank

Cole Terrazas

Gio Lucca

Sahil Morchi

Jules

Debut: Omar+ First New York Performance

detroit techno

minimal techno

outsider house

techno

Carl Craig

Dennis Free

Luke Hess

Moodymann

Detroit Love, Brooklyn Edition by Day

HILLS

latin house

tech house

tribal house

bass house

Crusy

Brazil

indie dance

WELKER

Slaycey

Takes Two

HILLS with Crusy & Welker

Denmark

danish electronic

danish techno

deep euro house

melodic techno

Kölsch

Slovenia

Brina Knauss

DUNE

Nuran

Kölsch with Brina Knauss

moombahton

Ape Drums

afro house

AWEN

Tiffy Vera

Firungi

ASMOT

Ape Drums with Awen [Hybrid]

Nigeria

afrobeats

afropop

nigerian pop

SPINALL

AQUTIE

Love Bonez

Sydni Luv

Donis

SPINALL with AQUTIE

deep disco house

fidget house

house

Justin Martin

lo-fi house

Laurence Guy

Ruthie Bandit

Player Dave

Jasa

BLUE

BLUE: Justin Martin, Laurence Guy, Player Dave

Sweden

Son of Son

melodic house

Henri Bergmann

KAÏ

Fireware

Debut: Son of Son First New York Performance

Jackie Hollander

Debut: Jackie Hollander First New York Headline Performance

Switzerland

Deer Jade

Deer Jade Presents I AM YOU

Joezi

MISH

Joezi with Darmon & Yung Omz

Mont Rouge

Mont Rouge & Guests

organic house

Maga

Sean Doron

Germany

german tech house

minimal tech house

Emanuel Satie

Scenarios

Scenarios New York

Netherlands

deep groove house

Ferreck Dawn

Ferreck Dawn & Guests

dutch tech house

Prunk

M-High

Chesster

Prunk with M-High & Chesster

DEVAULT & Guests

Fedde Le Grand & Guests

DJ Holographic

Van Der Laan

Skin

The Room at Superior Ingredients

Detroit Love, Brooklyn Edition by Night

Layla Benitez

David Lindmer

rshand

Warhov

Gray Area is pioneering the "Doubleheader" event series, drawing inspiration from back-to-back baseball games to showcase artists with similar styles but unique fan bases. By having one artist follow another and culminating in a collaborative back-to-back (B2B) set, Doubleheader aims to create a powerful platform for musical discovery and cross-pollination. Embracing the "B2B" spirit, the initiative seeks to introduce audiences to new sounds while strengthening the dance music ecosystem.

Debut: Uncle Waffles First New York Performance

Lineup