Cera Khin

Born in Tunisia and based in Berlin, the sounds of Cera Khin are hard enough to bring the roof down. Take a look at her Instagram to get a feel for her vibe: each video of her live performances contains enough energy to make you feel like you’re right there on the dance floor. Described as a hardcore-fueled signature style, Cera Khin’s thunderous beats have brought her to a diverse roster of regions worldwide since her 2016 debut, including Portugal, Colombia, the UK, and even in the United States. Expect high BPM madness across the genre spectrum during Cera Khin’s thrilling performances, where she often closes the night with gabber and hardcore. You can catch Cera Khin all over the globe in 2022, including performances at Bang Face Weekender in May, Rotterdam Rave Festival in August, and more.

Fatima Hajji

Celebrated for her status as a globe-trotting techno maven, there’s no artist quite as passionate about her craft as Fatima Hajji. The Spanish producer, DJ, and label owner is a trailblazer and a triple-threat with two decades of work under her belt. With a penchant for fast, threatening techno beats, Fatima continues to climb the ranks of the industry and command a crowd for headlining shows. In 2016, Fatima established herself as a curator and host by launching her record label and events imprint, Silver M, which will see the release of Fatima’s debut full-length album and a handful of new singles on the way. Quickly becoming a household name in hard techno, Fatima Hajji proves time and time again that she’s capable of taking this sound to the next level.

Catch Fatima Hajji at Quantum, Brooklyn on June 25th, 2022. Tickets are avaialble now


Clara Cuvé

Representing the promising sounds of the new school, Clara Cuvé is well on her way to closing the world’s biggest hard techno stages. Well-respected by peers and supported by brands such as Drumcode and Boiler Room, German DJ Clara Cuvé is a master behind the decks: she’s built her reputation as a hard-hitting selector with a true love for the music, continuing to announce show after show alongside some of techno’s major players, including Richie Hawtin, Joseph Capriati, and more. As she dips her toes into production, you can check out her first track, “Control,” via R - Label Group before we see more heat from her.




Juliet Fox

Get familiar with Juliet Fox before she claims her spot at the top. Aussie-born and Berlin-based Juliet Fox has stolen the hearts of techno connoisseurs throughout the rise of her career, never afraid to crank up the energy to the max. Performing alongside trailblazers such as Nina Kraviz and Adam Beyer, Fox’s experimental flair flows through her DJ sets with ease and fierce energy. Beyond her mettle in the DJ booth, Juliet is an accomplished producer as well, with releases on Drumcode, Filth On Acid, Toolroom, and more trendsetting labels in the scene. Dancing across house and techno into fast, hard beats, Juliet Fox will take the headlining slot sooner than we think.




CC Luna

For the hard techno fans who feel the urge to go even harder, look no further than CC Luna. Self-describing her sound as transcending, dark, and fiery, Stockholm’s CC Luna has embraced the industrial and hardcore end of the techno spectrum throughout her budding career. She’s a powerhouse producer with countless releases under her belt on hard techno imprints such as Dolma Red, CANCELLED, Modular Soul, and more. Outside of the studio, CC Luna delivers DJ sets, not for the faint of heart — you can regularly catch her alongside acts like 999999999 and performing as a resident DJ for DI.FM Radio and KINK VIBE. Crowned Stockholm’s Producer of the Year at the 2019 Elly Awards, there’s a reason her catalog has caught global attention from techno enthusiasts.




Lesia Karz

Make way for the hellish sounds of Lesia Karz. The Belarusian producer and DJ kicked off her project in 2016 and has become a workhorse in the hard techno scene, unleashing her original music on her imprints Eclipse Recordings and Black Square Recordings alongside Gene Karz. Lesia’s output is nothing short of incredible — take a look at her storied catalog, and you’ll find countless hard-hitting anthems fit for a seance on the dance floor.




Ayako Mori

Best described as a Swiss army knife in the rave scene, Ayako Mori has been holding down the underground in Germany. This Japanese powerhouse is the owner of three different record labels: Physical Techno Recordings, Kalmary Records, and Unbekannt, all the while producing her own club weapons and performing DJ sets across Europe. A regular name on Beatport’s hard techno charts, there’s a reason why Mixmag Asia described Ayako Mori as one of the hardest working creators on the techno circuit. Her most recent release, a remix of Chemtrailz’s “To Be Right Now,” puts her pounding hard techno kicks on full display and is sure to be a secret weapon in the scene this summer.




Juliana Yamasaki

A tried and true hard techno leader, Juliana Yamasaki has built this movement since she began her DJ career in the early 2000s. By 2006, Juliana launched her label Descontrol Techno before throwing parties in São Paulo, paving the way for hard techno producers and DJs today. In 2022, Juliana continues to be a driving force in the hard techno scene in multiple regions: she’s the label head for DCRYPTED TECHNO and continues to churn out heart-stopping releases. To get a feel for her earth-shattering style, listen to the title track off her Burning Fire EP via Odd Recordings — it’s an instant earworm.

8 Hard Techno Artists You Should Know

Cody Chapman of artist agency Wasserman New York is on deck to curate this track of the week. Chapman began his career as an independent agent in Toronto. Then, Paul Morris recruited him to join the legendary AM Only agency. Last April, he joined Wasserman as part of Paradigm's merger with the company. He manages the bookings for artists like Fisher, Chris Lake, Miane, Will Clarke, Gordo, Mochakk, Tchami, and Malaa. 

His pick is Yeah But No's "Perished (Trikk Selva Tensa Mix)." Trikk is a pivotal artist on Dixon and Âme's Innervisions label. The Portuguese artist has had a steady stream of releases since 2011 while actively avoiding the pressures of social media. 

"This is my secret weapon of the moment," Chapman says about Trikk's slinky yet powerfully emotive remix. "For those times when darkness and beauty clash just right. Long after sunset, well before sunrise, when the weight and unease of the right track knocks anyone listening to the floor."


We think Cody hit the nail on the head here.

Track of The Week: Trikk Remixes 'Yeah But No' by Perished

Gray Area welcomes Jacob Merlin, Chief Marketing Officer of 1001 Tracklists to curate this week's Mix of the Week. 1001 Tracklists is the internet's number one source for track IDs and dance music song data. Lauded by heavyweights like Spinnin and Tomorrowland, their platforms include the artist focussed Songstats platform making it easy for DJs and producers to know who is playing their music and where.

Merlin obviously listens to a lot of DJ mixes and he's chosen a smoothed-out house mix from Johannesburg, South Africa DJ, Kasango to get your day started.

"One of my go-to artists every morning is Kasango. His 'House Bound' monthly mix series has been a long-standing favorite (don't miss episode 015!) and his sets are always a perfect blend encapsulating Afro, deep, and progressive house to get your day started right," Merlin told Gray Area.

"We've recently been teaming up with another South African artist VANCO, and doing some co-branded mixes with various artists under his ALGRA imprint," he continues. "ALGRA standing for Acceptable, Love, Gratitude, Respect & Acknowledgement. The series showcases some of the top talents coming out of the country. Kasango's new mix for the series dropped last week is a must listen and track selection is so on point!"

1001 Tracklists Curates Mix of the Week: Kasango 'House Bound'

Curtis Jones has adopted many aliases over the years. Also known as Cajmere, Green Velvet is the force behind the seminal labels Cajual and Relief. And while his illustrious history stretches back to the '90s, he continues to slap legendary dance floor bangers today. 

The history of this dance music icon is extensive. He first fell in love with house music's energetic culture and lifestyle while studying chemical engineering at the University of Illinois. He decided to change his path in 1991, midway through a graduate school program. He dropped out of school to pursue his dreams as a producer. When he discovered how hard it was to sign records to labels, he created Relief Records.

Green Velvet's unique sound is signature for blending 80s electronic funk, crafting soundscapes that take you on an electronic voyage over lyrical terrains. His records always harbor maximum dancefloor influence while showcasing his legendary prestige.

The early releases vaulted the eclectic Jones to an echelon of utmost praise and worldwide distinction. Moreover, his early triumphs shifted the spotlight of global dance music back to Chicago, forming a sound considered a contemporary staple of the iconic city. 

Outside of his pieces, both Cajual and Relief helped nurture and present names like DJ Sneak, Boo Williams, and Mark Grant to the world. In the process, he ignited the third wave of Chicago house music.

Going on 30 years strong, Green Velvet is still a forceful figure in house and techno as an impressionist artist from the get-go. He is still steadily touring globally, regularly releasing heaters and delivering it all with signature tongue-in-cheek shenanigans. 

His tunes stand the test of time with lyrics and rhythms that still slam on the dancefloor—dabbling with bass and flirting with minimal techno in his sets and productions. He displays versatility and a selective ear that have kept him current as he a creator and selector of that soulful, funky, distinctive imprint that Chicago house left on dance music (and on Green Velvet himself) back in the day.

Below we have thrown down the top 10 Green Velvet (and Cajmere) tracks, which are only the tip of the iceberg of this musical genius.  

Catch Green Velvet and friends at La La Land Miami Beach on March 26 at the National Hotel in Miami Beach, Fl. Tickets are on sale now. 




"Percolator"

Cajmere, Green Velvet's alter ego, released this iconic track in 1992 during the second wave of Chicago House in the 1990s revival. This vocal-heavy tune embraces a minimal and raw sound with wild bleeps and an ever-catchy chant. He features himself on the vocals, repetitive drum patterns, and silly synth sounds. This track paved the way for free frame structure, not traditional in house music, and trail blazed the stricter sounds of ghetto house.     







"Flash" 

"Flash" has claimed its spot in history as one of the most recognizable and celebrated tracks ever to hit the airwaves, never ceasing to ignite a frenzy of insanity on the dance floor. Since its release, it has become a staple with its simple and pulsating synths. This song takes the cake for one of the greatest techno songs to come out of the 90s and notably even in the entirety of genre history as a whole, making light on the 'dark' counterculture of the rave scene where all the bad little kiddies do the bad little things.   







"Voicemail" 

A follow-up to 1997's hilariously classic tune "Answering Message," "Voicemail" saw the return of Green Velvet's signature fictional characters (some that we may know too well), Taniqua, LeShaun, and Tyrone, all chasing Green Velvet with their selfish agendas. With Patrick Topping teaming up on the beats, the original beats of "Answering Message" are replaced with a stylish thumping house groove, topped off with a bumping bassline.  







"Preacher Man"

"Preacher Man" features a long-spoken word sample of Clarence LaVaughn Franklin (Aretha Franklin's father!) overlaid on a driving, tweaking, peaking, and freaked-out acid groove. Still to this day, having the ability to make people go mental. With lyrics that better (cynically) extoll the pure debauchery and freedom that a nightclub can provide. In 2012 the 1993 classic was re-released with a turned-up jackin' factor but sounded fresh after 20 years.







"Bigger than Prince (Hot Since 82 Remix)" 

"Bigger Than Prince" is a grower. With the tunes meaning "Walk around like you're bigger than Prince," presumably calling out artists with an inflated sense of self-worth. Musically, though, it's a clever pastiche of the Purple One. Full of mewling, minor-key synths, and drum machine hits, the funk groove is impressively simple, wily, and faintly ridiculous, which has always been Jones' sweet spot. 







"La La Land" 

The wonky classic 2001 single "La La Land" released on Relief repeats the "Flash" template with loopy—wild beats and a hook utilizing his signature vocals supplemented by Walter Phillips. Since its release, the chart-topping song epic lyrics were remixed multiple times and claimed multiple acclimates. The club sing-along masterpiece is simple and straightforward, touching on drug use (you know something about those little pills), which some of us know too well-- looking for the excitement of La La land and the afterparty at whatever rave we find ourselves. 







"Shake & Pop" 

This 2006 electronic track with supporting vocals by Walter Phillips is full of danceability and energy with its simple instrumental beat. This track strays away from the deeper tech-house side of Green Velvet's style, showcasing lighter, more pop-house notes. The hit has the same vocal gimmick and popping beat, just like any of his other tracks having the mastership to make your move.   







"Satisfy (feat. Dajae) [Tiger Stripes & Pleasurekraft Remix]" 

Tiger Stripes and Pleasurekraft revamp of Cajmere's "Satisfy" brings the original tune to new ranks of funky weirdness. The fire remix plays up the underlying tribal tones of the original mix and accentuates the bass. Moreover, Dajae's vocals in the remixed version are slightly distorted robotically, along with the reduplication of the eerie cooing sound. Nothing short of sexy dancefloor magic.   







"Calm Under Pressure (feat. Maceo Plex)" 

Teaming up with fellow heavyweight producer Maceo Plex for a new release on Cajual Records for the 2013 track "Calm Under Pressure." The collaboration may seem oddly suited as their styles are divergent. However, this track came out finessed and solid with an effortlessly definable Maceo Plex bassline and a certain polish and finesse more attributed to Cajmere's familiarity in the studio.







"Brighter Days (feat. Dajae) [Underground Goodies Remix]"

Another early Cajmere house tune with vocals by the queen Dajae is a straight-up anthem that has been the blueprint for a thousand house tunes since its release in 1992. Compiled of an essential bumpy 909, chopped up soulful vocal, finished off with a whole lot of cowbell, a quintessential Chicago house masterpiece inspiring shufflers and house steppers alike to destroy the dancefloor. This track is an oldie but goodie, done just right.

Green Velvet's 10 Best Tracks

When Kai Cant launched Abode in 2014, he had a vision for its future. Still, he surely did not expect to be putting on international festivals, hosting a record label, and maintaining a residency in Ibiza. At the time of its conception, Kai wished to create an event series where vibe and sound mattered more than big splashy headliners. So, he centered his events around a stable of solid resident DJs, each uniquely selected for their individuality. Jimmy Switch was the first to play his shows, followed by the legendary GW Harrison. Soon after, Will Taylor, Jack Swift, Devstar, and Ellie Cocks joined the roster. With sounds ranging from garage to tech house and techno, Abode began to build a name for themselves as one of the most unique parties out there. 

Just two years after the first Abode event, it became clear that a record label was needed. The brand had quickly built up equity amongst house music fans, and the event’s unique bookings led to a clamoring for more. 

With the release of the Round My House EP by Rob Cockerton in August of 2016, Abode Records was born. Since its inception, Abode Records has maintained a position as a true tastemaker in the world of electronic music. Primarily focusing on house and tech house sounds, Abode has regularly delivered dance floor smashing records while also consistently being at the forefront of identifying rising talent.

The label saw immediate success, which led to further growth on the event side of things for the Abode crew. As their profile grew, so did the budgets and scale of events. Within a few years, Abode began to regularly throw large, festival-style events, booking the hottest names in dance music while also maintaining a residency at the legendary Amnesia club in Ibiza. 

A part of the experiential travel and party platform, Pollen, Abode is expanding even further to other parts of the world. Their upcoming takeover in Las Vegas is the first time American audiences will have the opportunity to experience the madness of an Abode event. And with a lineup that includes the legendary Abode residents and mainstays on the festival scene like Skream, Fat Boy Slim, Joel Corry, Claptone, Sonny Fodera, Solardo, and Jamie Jones.

We’ve gathered a selection of Abode’s finest house bops to get you primed and ready for a weekend in Sin City with the crew.




GW Harrison - When House Takes A Journey

“When house takes a journey, from jack, Chicago, to acid house….” Any true house music devotee now knows the iconic line of GW Harrison’s track. The Abode resident made his imprint on the label with this legendary tech house burner, layering a scintillating vocal hook over a tech house beat.  







Pass The Bottle - Pax

Released in 2019, “Pass the Bottle” combines soulful vocals with Pax’s signature low-end bassline. The track was a highlight for Pax in what was a career year, another signifier of Abode’s ability to identify rising talent. 







Will Clarke - Tricky

Will Clarke is now firmly cemented in the world of techno after completing a masterful transition out of funky tech house. However, the switch only began a few years ago. 2019 saw WIll take small steps into experimenting with techno. “Tricky” was one of the first clues that he was experimenting with a new sound, implementing a hollow driving bass sound alongside a vicious build-up. 





Ellie Cocks - Like Tupac (Josh Butler Remix) 

Ellie Cocks, one of Abode’s first residents, is a regular on the label. She typically brings her unique brand of banging techno, but this Josh Butler remix of her track takes it in a completely different direction. Reminiscent of the Josh Butler sound, the remix features vibey tech house drum patterns, creating a perfect late-night track. 







Caal, Baum - Chinese GIrl (Eskuche Remix)

Eskuche made a name for himself as a master remixer. Here, he layers a thick bouncing bassline over the repeating vocal sample. “Ima just do my thing” rings back and forth through your ears as the track becomes increasingly intoxicating. The slippery acid synth line is the perfect icing on the cake, perfect for the big room party and the intimate club.  





Eli Brown - Get it Together 

Eli Brown is known for bringing higher BPM and a bit of that bangin’ warehouse energy to the world of tech house. That said, his offering on Abode is a more typical tech house offering, containing punchy vocal samples with a high energy build leading into a low-end drop. 







Cozzy D - The Upside Down (Mark Knight Remix)

Anytime Mark Knight pops up as a remixer, one must listen. So he naturally does not disappoint with his remix of “The Upside Down.” High energy house music at its finest, Mark Knight brings his soulful piano-laced sound to the track, creating a proper hands in the air and a smile on faces vibe.







Franky Rizardo - The Block

Franky Rizardo’s music knows no boundaries. He has often crossed genres throughout his career, although this early entry into Abode Records represents a more minimal tech house approach. Smooth drum patterns accompany a chopped-up vocal sample to create a straight groover. 







Sonny Fodera, Flash 89 - The System

In 2018, Abode records struck gold with this Sonny Fodera collab with fellow Aussie Flash 89. Another example of their prime talent spotting, the label inked Sonny to a track right as he was blowing up across stages worldwide. This is a proper tech house banger, bringing Sonny’s signature big room sound uniquely. 




Amine Edge & Dance, Clyde P - Make it Mine 

Perpetual tastemakers Amine Edge & Dance and Clyde P collaborate for a masterful release on Abode Records. Showcasing the very best in tech house, this track is a masterclass in rhythm. Synth and vocal stabs hit all the right notes while a bassline as stiff as a strong drink maintains the core.




We put all of these tunes together on one epic playlist. Check it out.

The Very Best of Abode Records

Ultra Music Festival will make its highly-awaited return to its Bayfront Park home right in the heart of downtown Miami from March 25-27. As one of the most internationally recognized festivals today, Ultra never ceases to amaze attendees with its extravagant, cutting-edge stage and production design year after year, especially regarding their RESISTANCE underground concept. 

Following the success of RESISTANCE Island back in 2019 at Virginia Key, the festival's monumental techno brand is back at it this year with a brand-new format tailored specially for its grand return to the picturesque Bayfront Park. This year's RESISTANCE layout will be located on the northern part of the scenic festival grounds and will include the renowned Carl Cox Megastructure and the debut of The Cove.

 This year, RESISTANCE Miami has curated one of the most star-studded lineups full of house and techno's finest to date, and there are a few select acts on the roster you won't want to miss out on. Industry mainstays and festival-goers alike travel from all over the world to witness the beauty of Miami Music Week and Ultra Music Festival every year. These standout RESISTANCE performers are ecstatic to reveal their exceptional talents to the festival's sea of electronic music lovers. 

 

Carl Cox Debuts His New Hybrid Live Three-hour Performance

Since premiering his Carl Cox & Friends Arena at Ultra back in 2004 and helping establish the RESISTANCE concept over the years, Carl Cox has prospered into a legendary UMF staple. Throughout the years, he's been mesmerizing attendees with his exemplary techno sounds and avant-garde stage designs at the esteemed festival, and this year won't be much different. 

While the internationally acclaimed producer is pretty much always expected to play at UMF, this year, he's premiering a distinguished Hybrid Live three-hour set for the first time. A concept everyone's been raging about since the news dropped. 

Following his Friday night DJ appearance at the Megastructure stage, you can find him back in the same spot on Saturday night as he closes out the evening with this one-of-a-kind live production that's bound to make Ultra Music Festival history. Trust us. This is a set you won't want to skip.

 

Italian Composer and Multi-instrumentalist Giorgia Angiuli

Italian-born techno superstar Giorgia Angiuli is an exceptional musician, composer, and multi-instrumentalist who's been crushing the game lately. Intrigued by all things electronic music from a young age, she's blossomed into a genuine prodigy of live instrumentation and alluring performer by exposing her unparalleled talents to music lovers throughout her music career.

Aside from her spectacular musical sensibilities, she's phenomenal at intertwining a wide array of instruments and synths ranging everywhere from keyboards to saxophones into her live sets. Her exceptionally dazzling sounds are the perfect fit for a RESISTANCE performance. Giorgia Angiuli has never been and will never be an ordinary musician, and this upcoming Ultra performance will only demonstrate that notion further.

You can also catch Giorgia Angiuli at the Descend Pool Paty - Wednesday March 23, 2022 at The National Hotel.

 

Filth On Acid Label Head Reinier Zonneveld

Reinier Zonneveld never ceases to amaze fans with his electrifying, techno-driven melodies during each of his performances. The self-taught Dutch musician's devotion to music production and experimenting with various techniques to curate a matchless live performance concept was the best decision he could've ever made for himself. Inspired by all things music and a few life-changing warehouse rave experiences, he expresses his two passions flawlessly through every note. 

Throughout his career, prodigious artists like Carl Cox, Riche Hawtin, and Moby recognized his unique approach to electronic music. He is a master intertwining deep and melodic tones with heart rate-inducing acid techno in a live setting. His artistic vision is profound, leading producers like HI-LO, CamelPhat, Carl Cox, and Sharam to collaborate on his Filth On Acid record label. It speaks volumes that he is such a sought-after producer—seeping across genre lines and working with artists like Patrick Topping, Armin van Buuren, and Ferry Corsten.

Zonneveld's musical talent truly shines through his captivating live performances, which you'll luckily get to see for yourself at the Megastructure on day three of the festival. 

 

Awesome Soundwave Label Resident Christopher Coe  

Distinguished techno producer and Awesome Soundwave label co-owner Christopher Coe continues to permeate the scene with his forward-thinking mentality and exemplary artistic vision. From the moment he and Carl Cox crossed paths, Carl just knew that he was unique and had something significant to bring to the table. After DJing for years, he decided to set his DJ career aside and focus entirely on performing live.

Coe always felt this burning desire to take his performances to a whole new level and create something the world had never seen before, and he did precisely that with Awesome Soundwave alongside Carl Cox. Their intention for the imprint was to support and release live electronic artists' music all in one place as the concept of live electronic performances continued to flourish. He'll completely blow Ultra attendees away with his intriguing (and typically improvised) live sounds on Sunday evening of the RESISTANCE production. 

 

 

 

 

Sought After Berlin-based Mixing Engineer Hannes Bieger 

Profound musicality and brilliant technical ability have made Berlin-based producer, sound engineer, and live instrumentalist Hannes Bieger one of techno's most in-demand artists. He's spent over a decade exploring his many talents in the studio and out, crafting a beautiful and 

impeccably curated sound. His deep-rooted love for music and the realization of how powerful and moving it can be has gotten him to where he is today. 

Also a recognizable artist on the Awesome Soundwave roster, Bieger showcases his inimitable adherence to sound design through each relentless beat and mind-bending record. While he is a veteran DJ, he prefers to build breathtaking live sets led by top-tier analog synth and drum machines. No matter where in the world he resides, his performances will always be top-notch, and his upcoming live RESISTANCE performance alongside his Awesome Soundwave peers is bound to be nothing short of legendary. 

 

Buzzing Prodigy Moritz Hofbauer 

This year, RESISTANCE Miami is proud to present Boris Brejcha's FCKNG SERIOUS label stage takeover over at The Cove on Friday of the festival, a label which buzzing prodigy Moritz Hofbauer is a tremendous part of. The German-born musician has been enamored by all things music since his childhood. His ambition and curiosity led him to specifically discover a passion for deep house and melodic techno. 

Aside from being one of the newest members of the FCKNG SERIOUS family, Hofbauer has remixed tracks for artists like Township Rebellion, Ben Böhmer, and Nils Hoffmann, all who have acknowledged his burgeoning sound wholeheartedly. Now that he's established himself within the club and festival scene across Europe, the time has come for him to bring his talents to Miami alongside label mates Ann Clue, Deniz Bul, and imprint leader Boris Brejcha himself to kick day one of RESISTANCE on a high note.

Ultra's Resistance Stages Are More Than DJs

Canadian brothers TWINNS and Siberian native MARE have been collaborating on saucy house gems since 2020. But their latest offering on the Los Angeles-based Ghetto Ghetto label is some of their naughtiest dirty house yet.

Stark and moody "Body" is a dark house gem that's all thumping drums and grinding 808s. Accentuated by thick horn stabs and left-field sound design, the peak hour club jam is just the latest example of how they can twist and turn minimal elements at their will.

Identical twin brothers Kevin and Chris Delgado started their career on Deorro's Panda Funk Records in 2015. Their sound has since evolved into groovier, more club-friendly territory earning them sync deals with MTV and over 10 million streams worldwide.

MARE, too began his career in the big room realm earning support from big names like David Guetta, Afrojack, and Tchami. However, the pandemic gave him a fresh perspective on his sound, and MARE emerged with a decidedly housier sound.

Track of the Week: Dark and Bouncy 'Body' by Twinns & Mare

To call Spanish hard techno artist Fatima Hajji a rising talent would be inaccurate. She’s been serving up blistering hard techno to European audiences for two decades. Reinjecting techno with the raw hardcore rhythms of rave, the multi-label boss, composer, and animal lover has become a leader in pushing the techno movement forward.

Her performance for Wonderland Festival 2021 in Zaandam, Netherlands, distills her sound over 75 minutes of grinding hardcore beats. Some of the high moments? With energy like this, they are all high points but dropping an exclusive edit of “A Drug From God” by Chris Lake and NLP over a 135 BPM acid beat is the kind of moment that you wish you could experience live.

There’s a reason a Hajji is one of the most booked DJs on the techno circuit. She’s been honing her DJ skills since 16 when she surprised her friends and family with her first DJ gig at a Madrid club. Even then, her skills as a selector were finely tuned. She easily won the DJ contest and, after two years, was a figurehead in her city. 

These days you can’t name a lauded European festival or venue she hasn’t played. From Awakenings to Tomorrowland, Berghain to Privilege and Eden, every time she steps up to the decks, she emits trademark energy, joy, and confidence that was even apparent 20 years ago.

Catch Fatima Hajji live at Quantum, Brooklyn on June 25th. Tickets are available now.

Set of the Week: Brutal Techno from Fatima Hajji

We're pleased to welcome Will Clarke to curate our Track of The Week. A longtime friend of Gray Area, his body of work speaks for itself. Over the last two years, the veteran DJ and producer has built his label All We Have Is Now into a powerhouse techno imprint with a clearly defined sound. Clarke told Gray Area, "I'm trying to write songs that have a bit of a meaning." He continues that mission with "Dale" by Dubesque, the first release from the extended family of All We Have is Now artists.

"I have been in touch with Dubesque for just over three years now. I discovered his music and was introduced to him from Dense & Pika's label Kneaded Pains on which we shared a compilation release together. Ever since then I always play his records in my sets and we would constantly send each other records asking for feedback or pretty much fan boying over each others music," Clarke said about the Austrian producer. 

Dubesque is a decorated producer. He spent years as a touring DJ before hanging things up in 2014 to spend time with his family. He's produced under various aliases and worked behind the scenes as a ghost producer, composer, and sound designer. His music has exploded with releases on Chris Lake's Black Book, Soilardo's Sola, and Born Dirty's Way Way in recent years.

Clarke continues, "One of those records he sent me was a track called 'Dale.' To cut a long story short I started All We Have Is Now in 2020 and from the outset I always wanted to sign other artists to the label. However before I signed any artists I first wanted to work out how to actually run a label so I used my own music as a test subject. We are now two years in to All We Have Is Now and it now feels like the right time to start to building a family of artists. Dubesque told me that 'Dale' was still available so it just felt right that this was the one. So I'd like to welcome Dubesque to the All We Have Is Now family and I'd like to introduce 'Dale' as the first signed track on the label! Enjoy."

Will Clarke Curates Track of The Week: Dubesque - 'Dale'

We tapped forward-thinking Femme House founder LP Giobbi for this Mix of the Week, a vibrant live set from DJ Tennis for Sunday Sunday. With fresh tunes, driving basslines, and groovy beats, this two-parter is perfect for any day of the week. 

“DJ Tennis is one of my favorite producers and DJs and has become a true mentor of mine in this industry. I always learn something new about DJing after attending a Tennis show so getting an eight hour set is like a full course of knowledge! Even though I didn’t get to attend this particular party, you can feel the energy shifts in the dancefloor throughout the day based on the mix and are immediately transported to a joyous flowing dancefloor!” said the producer-activist about the Italian producer.

Recorded live at Sunday Sunday, Manfredi Romano, aka DJ Tennis, perfectly encapsulates the Life and Death label founder’s range within electronic music production and DJing. Sets by DJ Tennis often carry an intimate, warm feel to them. And with over two decades of experience to draw from, this mix from DJ Tennis includes elements of post-rock, synth-heavy electronic cuts, and plenty of good vibes.

Sunday Sunday is a venue in Mexico City notorious for its consistently vivacious crowds and Sunday Funday energy. The alfresco rooftop party is only steps away from the capital city’s vibrant Downtown area and only hosts the freshest regional and local acts. Check out more live mixes on Sunday Sunday’s Soundcloud.

LP Giobbi Curates Mix of The Week: DJ Tennis

From Frankie Knuckles’ first live iterations of house music in Chicago’s warehouses, to the crafting of techno by Detroit’s Belleville Three, the origins of dance music are undeniably Black. Yet, of the current top 5 performing Beatport tracks, not one is released on a
Black-owned label. 

The white appropriation of Black genres, from jazz to hip-hop and beyond, on an institutional level, is no new issue. The erasure of Black people specifically from house, techno, and everything in between is however a largely ignored and ever-increasing phenomenon, driven by an, often willful, generational ignorance of the history of dance music. 

This is not to say that dance music should be halted in its natural evolution, or that dance music should not be produced by people not identifying as Black. Rather the existence and
platforming of non-Black dance music should not come at the cost of detracting these platforms from the marginalized communities that birthed it. Supporting Black-owned labels encourages a positive trickle-down effect, besides directing funds where they are most needed, whereby it directly supports the power of Black artists to platform and shape the future of dance music.   

Cajual Records 

Distributing various forms of beats, this label has been particularly iconic in its ownership of some of the notorious sounds from Chicago, where it is based. The label, which is close to celebrating its 30th anniversary, is owned by Curtis Jones, known also as Green
Velvet or Cajmere. The label stood out amongst other major labels of its time, namely Trax and DJ International, for its fair treatment of artists and community focus. Cajual features tracks by some of dance music’s most influential shapers, including the late Paul Johnson and Glenn Underground.

Apron Records

Julien Steven, the London DJ once known as FunkinEven, wears a multitude of hats
amongst which owner of Apron Records label. Having become somewhat of a ‘cult’
electronic phenomenon, the label features avantgarde sounds, such as Shanti Celeste’s
trippy techno and Space Ghost’s astral house. Apron Record’s latest release showcases a different side of the experimental label, with the mellow funk, soul, and house of Jarren’s album Antera. 

 





Sound Signature

Founded in 90s Detroit, this label is a must-listen for those dedicated to getting back to the origins of house music. Label-owner and DJ/ producer, Theo Parrish, is vocal in his championing of Black sounds and these come to light on his label where Detroit Techno meets jazz, disco, and Chicago house. A particular highlight of the label are Leron
Carson’s tracks released on Sound Signature between 2001 and 2021, these were in fact recorded in the late 80s, while the mysterious, to this day unknown, figure of Leron was still a teenager. 

 





Mahogani Music

Mahogani Music is another longstanding Detroit label. Alongside staying true to its geographical origins with hearty techno, this groundbreaking label also features classic house, disco and experimental R&B. Mahogani Music was founded by the legendary Moodymann, that is Kenny Dixon Jr, who has been one of the greatest advocates of keeping house and techno true to its origins, especially with regards to platforming
Black artists. Artists include Amp Fiddler, Flo Real, and Andrés.





Mother’s Finest

A discussion of dance music labels cannot forgo a mention of Berlin. Once a party held in the city’s infamous Griessmuehle, Mother’s Finest was launched by the party’s founder, Franklin de Costa, as a label in 2020. The label inaugurated its launch with a 15-track compilation, bringing breaks, dubstep, and ambient to a very Berlin techno backdrop. A later release focuses on the frantic energy and vocals that Nasty King Curl has to offer.





Deep Root Records

Based in New York city, this label was founded by Haitian-born Francis Mercier
and Ajamu Kambon. Releasing an eclectic mix of deep house and afro house, Deep Root has garnered support from some of the dance music industry’s most influential names, including Pete Tong, Black Coffee, and Blond:ish. Besides hosting the tracks of house music legends like Roland Clark and Rowetta, the label platforms the releases of up-and-coming talent from around the world, such as Brazil’s REFEL and Kenya’s Idd Aziz.





Founders of Filth

Prominent member of the second wave of Chicago house, Felix da Housecat, founded this label in 2017, in Montreal. He announced the launch of the label as “an imprint where no rules apply” and has stayed true to the depiction, releasing a steady stream of experimental house and electroclash. The label has released many of Felix da Housecat’s own masterpieces, often alongside equally adventurous artists such as Röyksopp and Chris Trucher. 

 





Boukan Records

Cergy-based Boukan Records is run by Bamao Yendé, resident at France’s Rinse and central figure to France’s modern dance floors. The label merges UK garage, breakbeat, kuduro, batida, and house, bringing signature warmth to the dancefloor. Don’t miss the label’s popular “Tumba Tic Tac” track, from Amor Satyr, a Brazilian-French collective combining Afro Beats and UK Jackin’. 

 





Purveyor Underground

This Toronto based label is headed up by Demuir, an internationally touring DJ at the forefront of jackin’ house sounds and committed to re-politicising house music. Purveyor Underground is at the heart of this mission: its dotted logo is a direct nod to the underground railroad, where quilts were hung from windows to aid slaves to freedom. With tracks featuring Gettoblaster, Missy, Darren Marshall, Phil Weeks, and more, the label offers a riveting education in house.






 


Kiwi Rekords

Conducta, real name Collins Nemi, has a distinct focus on moving sound forward, rather
than reminiscing the past or falling into electronic purism. This was his motivation founding UK-based garage label, Kiwi Rekords. Founded in 2019, the label has already proved immensely successful, tapping into a modern British sound with feel-good, high-energy releases from the likes of Sammy Virji, Oppidan, Germi, and many more.

10 Black Owned Dance Music Labels You Should Know

A pivotal moment in central and Eastern European geopolitics, the fall of the Berlin Wall radically impacted the city overnight. East and West Berlin, formerly divided physically and bureaucratically by the wall, were suddenly reunited thanks to mounting pressure and a misread press statement. Beethoven's Ninth Symphony "Ode to Joy," was played throughout the emotional city, chosen because of its poignant message:

"We enter your sanctuary infected with fire. Your magic power unites again those whom earthly customs have forcibly separated. All men will be brothers again under your gentle wing."

Naturally, the transition to living outside the GDR was not as smooth or idealistic as many had hoped. East Berliners faced high unemployment rates for the first time and found themselves lacking an education in the advances of the Western world over their 28 years of separation.

"They wore clothes from another era, drove Trabants and emptied supermarkets. They particularly wanted to buy video cameras and bananas." Aldo, a Berlin immigrant, remembers.

Nonetheless, it was somewhat the shambolic chaos of the sudden change that allowed for the creation of the spaces where East and West Berliners would not only co-exist as equals but co-create the new Berlin's legacy: techno. In fact, the fall of the wall and subsequent dissolution of GDR-controlled companies gave way to a host of disused warehouses and industrial spaces. Coupled with the legal uncertainty of a political grey area, these spaces were quickly claimed as transitory, pop-up club nights. Early iterations of the most influential techno spaces all had their origins here, including Berghain, Tresor, and E-Werk.

"A host of abandoned spaces opened up in East Berlin, spaces that would become crucial to the new Berlin." states Alessandro, who was working in Berlin TV during the 90s. "These spaces became a genesis for trendy places in Berlin. It all happened very quickly. Many projects were born in that time, purely because of the free spaces."


Yet the real driving current of Berlin's techno renaissance was the unleashed desire of East Berliners to undo years of repression. During the strict cultural canvas of the GDR, an East Berliner would have been lucky to receive the occasional American record as contraband. Their radios were censored, and a few enthusiastic fans of electronic music described walking beside the wall to attempt to pick up foreign signals. Now, they feasted on the west's rich collection of contemporary music, searching for the hardest sounds possible to combat the sensory censorship of the previous years. 

They also came into contact with West Berlin's notoriously alternative population. A haven to draft dodgers, this suspended city was also a punk paradise and the former residence of self-proclaimed punk Godfather, Iggy Pop. In addition, West Berliners celebrated Homosexuality with a yearly Gay Pride Parade, or CSD, since 1979. And West Berlin's inhabitants enjoyed a quasi-bohemian lifestyle, with no curfew on bars and clubs since 1949 - both aspects that would later be crucial to the city's dance music industry. With that, East and West Berliners came together almost like a ticking techno bomb with restless energy for harder sounds and wilder parties, with strong parallels to the Black origins of techno in Detroit: freedom being the crucial denominator. 

Detroit was not the only precursor to Berlin's techno scene. Germany itself boasted a rich background in electronic music. Kraftwerk was already producing computerized, experimental sounds back when Detroit was still producing cars: these four German-come-robot-librarians were responsible for the 1974 worldwide hit "Autobahn." 

Frankfurt had subsequently reached the forefront of electronic music in the 80s, and even Dusseldorf's DAF championed the electro-punk scene. Yet, the new sound of Berlin was not a continuation of this but undeniably a new creation born of the city's new unity. It was apocalyptic, with unlit bunkers, stark sounds, and fashion creating an ominous end-of-the-world atmosphere. Cyberspace, held at the second UFO venue - an abandoned Penny supermarket in Schöneberg - was an early rendition of this apocalyptic techno. Tekknozid did the same, albeit in the East itself.

"The first time I accidentally discovered techno music, a friend of mine took me to Tresor. Neil Landstrumm was playing. Before this, I had never heard techno. Wow! This was different. It just took me." states Marat, who went on to DJ at Tresor from the early 2000s.

Marat playing his first gig at Tresor.

Perhaps key to the influx of Berlin's techno tourists was the Love Parade. Founded by DJ Dr. Motte as a peaceful dance protest for 'Friede, Freude, Eierkuchen' (Peace, Joy, Pancakes) in 1989, the event ballooned after the fall of the wall attracting as many as 1.5 million ravers in 1999. 

Indeed, by the late 90s, Berlin's techno parties had become a thriving tourism industry and had changed the city for good. Illegal parties grew into legally-established nightclubs and became, to differing extents, commercialized. Every Berliner's favorite phrase that "Berlin is not as it used to be," is a warranted complaint in the face of the rising costs of a city where artists could once live and work almost for free.

"You had the feeling that there is a place for everyone," Marat remembers. "Of course, the future taught us that that's not true, what with gentrification and so on. But here's the fun part: the party's still not over."

Peace, Joy, and Pancakes: How a Post Wall Berlin Became Techno's European Home

It's always a blessing to see a DJ really work it. Not just playing breakdown to breakdown, but really getting after it and crafting a narrative with the beat. Los Angeles-based HoneyLuv does just that in this mix for LP Giobbi's Femme House and Killed With Kindness.

Born in Cleveland, HoneyLuv got her start spinning R&B and hip hop. And it shows as she breezes through bass-forward house, thumping tribal, and high energy disco beats from Proper Villians, Mark Knight, Illyus & Barrientos, and of course her own club busting productions. 

There's a clear distinction between dance music DJs and open format DJs who play house music. Those who move into house music, just do it better. There's swag in the style and an undeniable precision that carries over from learning on some of the hardest music to mix. HoneyLuv stands out because not only does she know her way around the decks, she's a dynamite producer as well with releases on Insomniac Records, Thrive, and Popgang.

Mix Of The Week: HoneyLuv's Blazing Tech House for Femme House

French performer and producer Rodriguez Jr. has spent over twenty years a the forefront of dance music, absorbing myriad styles and enlivening each with his expertly tuned ear. He started as a mentee of the legendary Laurent Garnier as an artist for the esteemed F-Communications imprint. 

Through the years, he's reinvented himself first as part of French electro duo The Youngsters and then again as a solo act and imaginative purveyor of melodic house. His powerful live performances bring his studio to life for the dancefloor as he weaves together a patchwork of vivid synth work and indulgent rhythms. 

Worakls "Nikki" rework raises the slow-burning cinematic epic into a transcendental dance floor groove. Rodriguez Jr. lays down a thumping beat with just enough shuffle to move your hips to. Layered atop are disco-tinged string hits and a grinding bassline groove—it crescendos into a lush orchestral break before laying the powerful back on for a strong finish.

The original track is from Worakls acclaimed debut album Orchestra. It came accompanied by a music video pulled from the French short "Nikki Marianne," for which he wrote the score. The intensely emotional video with his original further proves how the young artist can translate the breadth of human emotion into a sonic masterpiece.

Track of the Week: Rodriguez Jr. Remixes Worakls 'Nikki'

Whether you love smooth deep house or pounding industrial techno, all electronic dance music originated in the black communities of Chicago and Detroit. We wouldn't have house music without innovators like Frankie Knuckles and Marshall Jefferson, nor would techno even exist without disruptors like Juan Atkins and Kevin Saunderson. Black pioneers are the lifeblood of the dance music that we know and love today, which has grown over the years to encompass an incredible array of sub-genres and scenes across the globe. 




Frankie Knuckles

Widely renowned as the Godfather of House, Francis Warren Nicholls, Jr. - aka Frankie Knuckles - is often credited as the originator of house music. After moving from New York City to Chicago in the late 1970s, Knuckles got a regular stint DJing at Warehouse, a nightclub now enshrined in history as one of the birthplaces of Chicago house. Knuckles developed his style there, fusing disco, indie soul, European synth disco, and more into what would later become house music.

After buying his first drum machine in 1983, Knuckles crafted the quintessential essence of the early Chicago house sound: stripped-back drum machine rhythms underpinning vibrant disco classics. In addition, knuckles went on to raise funds for AIDS, homelessness, and educational charities. On Aug. 25, 2004, the Mayor of Chicago proclaimed the date Frankie Knuckles Day. He commemorated his seismic influence on dance music by naming a section of Jefferson Street, not far from the original location of Warehouse, after him. He passed on March 31, 2014, leaving a legacy that stretches across the globe.




Marshall Jefferson

Another instrumental figure in the early Chicago house scene is Marshall Jefferson. Starting as a record producer in the Universal Recording Studios of Chicago, Jefferson met Larry Sherman, the owner of TRAX Records. Massive releases from Jefferson, such as "Move Your Body" (1986), helped bring TRAX Records into prominence and catapult house music onto the world stage. "Move Your Body" was the first house track to incorporate pianos. He followed that up with a torrent of groundbreaking material. In 1987, Jefferson produced "Acid Trax" by DJ Pierre, which galvanized the development of the acid house movement worldwide. 

Follow Marshall Jefferson on Twitter | Instagram | SoundCloud




Larry Heard

The velvety tones and soulful deep house melodies are largely rooted in Larry Heard - aka Mr. Fingers - a mainstay of early Chicago dance music. His 1986 track, "Can You Feel It," was one of the first deep house records ever made. Heard built the classic tune using the Roland Juno-60 synthesizer, the Roland TR-909 drum machine, and two cassette decks. A marvel of modern simplicity with an inimitable vibe, "Can You Feel It" soon attained legendary status. In 2017, Mixmag included it on their "Best 20 House Classics from Before 1990" list, and in 2018, Time Out ranked it at Number 5 on their "20 Best House Tracks Ever" list.

Follow Larry Heard on Instagram | SoundCloud







Kerri Chandler

Equally vital in the origins of deep house is the New Jersey icon, Kerri Chandler. With timeless tracks like "Climax 2" (1993) and "Where Is Love" (1995), Chandler played a pivotal role in the development of house music throughout the 1990s. Chandler grew up in a town that pulsed with the energy of multiple music scenes, from funk and soul to jazz and hip-hop. His music drew life from these sources, consistently possessing an infectious groove and a spiritual beat, eventually earning him the title of the 'Stevie Wonder of house music.' A technical wizard with a flawless eye for detail, Chandler played a mind-bending, hour-long, reel-to-reel tape mix for Resident Advisor in 2020. 

Follow Kerri Chandler on Twitter | Instagram | SoundCloud




Paul Johnson

A prolific creator and an undisputed inspiration to all DJs and producers, Paul Johnson, knew how to get people moving as soon as they entered the club. Yet another Chicago legend, Johnson uniquely wielded both the ability to slot the perfect disco sample into a classic house tune, as well as the ability to layer up a hardened "ghetto" beat track. The result was a pioneering artist whose music won the admiration of fans in every nation. His 1999 house jam, "Get Get Down," made the charts in 14 countries. Despite losing both legs, Johnson continued to DJ and produce and maintained an unbeatable work ethic; at times, he wrote up to six full tracks in a single day. 




Juan Atkins

The true pioneer of Detroit techno – and, by extension, techno itself - is Juan Atkins. Born in Detroit in 1962, Atkins teamed up alongside Rick Davis as Cybotron in the early '80s. Together, they dropped the 1982 electro track "Clear," which also marked the birth of what became 'techno music.' Unlike previous electro tracks, which merged aspects of Kraftwerk with hip-hop, "Clear" was an amalgamation of techno-pop and club music. 

After leaving Cybotron to work alone, Atkins released his most impactful material from 1985-1987. In 1985 he founded his label, Metroplex Records, which became a cornerstone in the history of Detroit techno, and launched his first single as Model 500: "No UFOs." Along with singles like "The Chase," "Night Drive," and "Interference," these records flew off the shelves. 

Atkins' sound was futuristic, mechanical, and brooding, eliciting thoughts of late-night drives down the I-96 freeway and big, bellowing factories. By the late 1980s, Atkins had taken Britain by storm. His music largely inspired acts like 808 State, A Guy Called Gerald, LFO, and Black Dog. 

Follow Juan Atkins on Twitter | Instagram | SoundCloud




Kevin Saunderson

Motor City is where innumerable techno greats emerged. While attending Belleville High School, Atkins befriended Kevin Saunderson and Derrick May. The three musicians were among the few black students in their high school and would go on to be known as the Belleville Three - the inventors of Detroit techno. 

Kicking off his career in 1987, Saunderson paired Detroit's raw, metallic sound with the warm humanity of house music which, at the time, was exploding in popularity a few hours down the I-94 in Chicago. Coupled with the elated vocals of Paris Grey, he released tracks as Inner City. Merging the magnetic glow of pop melodies with the driving rhythms of Detroit techno, Inner City saw huge success amongst both underground and commercial scenes alike, earning 12 UK top 40 hits and selling over six million records worldwide at their peak. Saunderson is also intrinsically linked with Detroit's flagship Movement (previously Detroit Electronic Music Festival / Fuse-In), having produced the event in the mid-2000s. 

Follow Kevin Saunderson on Twitter | Instagram | SoundCloud




Robert Hood

The Belleville Three paved the way for the second wave of Detroit producers, who evolved techno in the 1990s into uncharted territories. Robert Hood is the creator of minimal techno: a stripped-back, pure approach to the genre that prioritizes soul and experimentation over showy posturing. Alongside Jeff Mills and Mike Banks, he was an early member of the Underground Resistance label (UR), which shaped the future of modern techno. Underground Resistance artists soldered acid and industrial sounds onto a blend of Chicago house and Detroit techno. All recorded on a gritty four-track. 

The label formed the basis of underground electronic scenes worldwide due to their anti-corporate and militant political ideology. Despite leaving UR in 1992, Hood remained hostile towards all economic threats to inner-city communities and continued to fuse his musical projects with social activism throughout his career. 

Follow Robert Hood on Instagram | SoundCloud




Jeff Mills

Jeff Mills is a man who requires no introduction. Known the world over as one of the biggest names in techno, his bulletproof, sharp-edged productions, and blindingly-powerful DJ sets took the genre to new heights during the 1990s. The meatiness of his sound on early UR-related releases like "The Punisher" and "Seawolf" was later refined and polished. After leaving the label in 1992, he switched from the rudimentary four-track to higher-quality recording and production methods. With its hypnotic chimes and thumping kick drum, "The Bells" (1997) is now one of the best-known techno tracks in existence. 

Follow Jeff Mills on Twitter | Instagram | SoundCloud







Carl Craig

A living example of musical experimentalism being boundless, Carl Craig has molded Detroit techno into countless new forms. From his early releases in 1989-1992 into the present day, Craig has never failed to look at dance music from unorthodox perspectives. His 1992 Innerzone Orchestra cut, "Bug in the Bassbin," triggered the evolution of drum'n'bass. Craig later transformed "Bug…" into a live jazz composition in 1996 and wove jazz into his 1999 Innerzone Orchestra album, Programmed.

He was one of the first to combine techno and classical music in a mesmerizing way with his LP, Versus (2017). The record saw him collaborate with orchestral pianist Francesco Tristano, French orchestra Les Siècles, conductor Francois Xavier Roth, and producer Moritz Von Oswald. In 2000, he launched the Detroit Electronic Music Festival and has since started his own non-profit, the 501-C3 Carl Craig Foundation, which acts as a platform to facilitate the growth of young musicians in Motor City. 

Follow Carl Craig on Twitter | Instagram | SoundCloud

10 Black Pioneers of Dance Music

Kaleena Zanders is a singular artist. She has a distinct soulful sound, a catalog of successful dance records, and a thriving fanbase. Yet within the music industry, she and a plethora of other immensely talented artists are relegated to the category of "electronic music vocalist."

It is true that Zanders and contemporaries like HALIENE and Anabel Englund initially made their mark contributing vocals to tracks from other electronic artists. However, they are far more than their voices, and it is time they get proper recognition for their art.

"I'm an electronic artist period. 'Vocalist' implies that we're separate. That we're providing a service," Zanders tells Gray Area. "I'm tired of blowing up other people and not having my own career." 

On October 27, 2021, Zanders made an Instagram post speaking her truth on the matter.

"EDM Vocalists are artists, songwriters, collaborators, producers, and are just as much an integral part of the dance experience," Zanders wrote in the caption. "So basically, when y'all see a dance vocalist/artist with their own slot or set SHOW DA FUQ UP."

In reality, that's what it will take for artists like Zanders, Englund, and HALIENE to receive proper respect. They have certainly done more than enough for the scene, and people need to show up for them. 

Among Zanders, Englund, and HALIENE, they have created cherished music that lives in the hearts of millions. Their voices are the connective tissue between the mortal world and the invisible realm of sonics in a genre that is mostly made with computers.

"When there are vocals, melody, lyrics, the song becomes personal. It becomes imprinted in your mind," Zanders says.

Furthermore, that kind of humanity and relatability has translated to significant commercial success. 

Zanders has collaborated with artists like SNBRN, LP Giobbi, Chris Lake, and Breathe Carolina to produce songs with tens of millions of plays on Spotify.

Two of Anabel Englund's vocal collaborations, "Underwater" with MK and "Waiting For You" with Yotto, became Billboard #1 US Dance Airplay Singles. 

"Don't Wanna Fall," by HALIENE, Seven Lions, and Last Heroes hit number 20 on Billboard's Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales Chart. "Rush Over Me," the joint track from HALIENE, Seven Lions, ILLENiUM, and Said The Sky, reached 35.

Their contributions to dance music are immeasurable. Yet booking agents, talent buyers, producers, and fans continue to overlook them as relevant solo acts. It's time that the status quo be changed. 

Zanders has experienced significant pushback in the realm of live gigs. Her Instagram post described her experience as an artist and explained why HALIENE's solo live set at EDC Las Vegas 2021 shouldn't be an anomaly.

"She had to fight to be there," Zanders says of HALIENE's performance. "We're electronic artists, why do we have to fight to stand there on stage and do what we do with songs people already know?"

It's a fair question. The answer hinges on profit. When talent buyers book a show, they have to account for all the venue and staff expenses while ensuring the fans enjoy themselves. Every booking is a risk, and to mitigate risk, talent buyers at dance venues will frequently adhere to expected formats such as programming an entire night of DJs.

"It really comes down to the agents and the promoters who are booking what works for that customer, for that environment." says Mark Harris, Englund's manager. 

Many in the industry have told Zanders that she needs to DJ if she wants to play live gigs. They insist she has to put her name first on her collaborations. And that she needs to be the "focal point," all, so agents and promoters think she's a fit for a club environment.

"Hearing all these conversations of what I should be doing and how I should be doing it really started to make me jaded," Zanders says. "I should be able to, at the very least, do some opening sets for DJs. Or at a festival I can do a 2PM or 3PM slot. What makes a difference if I have a DJ and I'm singing?"

The formats Zanders mentioned are far from uncommon in the grand scheme of live performance but are a departure from the norm within the dance environment. The programming is still almost entirely DJs at major dance festivals like EDC Las Vegas, Electric Zoo, and Ultra.

Remember, the idea of DJs being the centerpiece is a new phenomenon. They used to be hidden from view while everyone focused on the dance floor. No one would expect a live vocalist with a DJ. The shifting of that needle has opened opportunities for artists like Zanders to rise, but the culture of the past has yet to catch up to her new form of artistry.

"Dance clubs, dance shows, dance festivals. It's very DJ-driven and very DJ heavy. So it's just the culture of what it is," says Harris. "Clubs are totally different than live performance rooms. Two different vibes." 

Zanders calls Los Angeles home. It's a massive city with dozens of venues, from clubs to live performance rooms to stadiums to arenas. With so many spaces and such a strong music culture, many, like Avalon Hollywood, for instance, have naturally come to adopt a widespread pallet of programming. 

Avalon has a history as a live performance room. It hosted the Beatles first West Coast appearance in 1964, and artists like Soundgarden, Nine Inch Nails, and The Beastie Boys in their heyday have all blessed the stage there. It now frequently caters to DJs. At the time of writing, Walker & Royce, Ben Gold, and YehMe2 all had upcoming events.

The booking team at Avalon is comfortable taking risks on different formats. On November 13, 2021, Zanders opened for Cedric Gervais. This may be a "gamble" for other venues, but they showed up for her. The fact that she made her name through her voice was not a concern at all.

"We've done far more dangerous things than that," jests says Brig Dauber, Entertainment Director at Avalon Hollywood, over Zoom.

Zanders performed with a backing DJ on the night in question while she sang her tracks. Carle Clayburgh, Artist Relations Manager at Avalon Hollywood, recalls that the night was a smash hit. A packed house. Bartenders and other staff members texted her about how much they loved the set.

"A lot of the crowd was there for her," says Clayburgh. "I knew she had a catalog of her own songs, and she's such a personality and she's such an entertainer. It was never a question of 'What if she only sings?' because she's so much more than a vocalist."

Dauber mentions that he did expect Zanders to "DJ a bit" after the fact of booking her, but he was glad she didn't.

"She is bridging a gap. Most vocalists stay vocalists and that's it. She really partied with everybody and that added another dimension," says Dauber. 

So, as it turned out, booking Zanders was not a risk. On the contrary, it was hugely profitable, and the dance crowd loved it. After all, before performing her own set at Avalon, Zanders had proved her metal performing as a guest numerous times. She's performed at Sound Nightclub for Space Yacht, EDC Las Vegas with LP Giobbi, and Coachella with AC Slater.

AC Slater and LP Giobbi are just two of the dozens of producers with whom Zanders has provided vocals on a collaboration. Amongst the producer community, she is more than just well known, she is in demand, but producers can still do their part to show up for her.

Because she gets labeled an "electronic music vocalist," other producers often see Zanders as a means to an end. They want her voice to help their track, and that's it. They don't see her as a fellow artist.

"The amount of people who will hit me up every day or every week, it's harassment," Zanders says. "I could say 'Hey I'm not doing any features right now.' I could say 'I'm working on my solo stuff.' I could say anything and people will still ask, but that's how important a vocal is."

For producers, showing up for Zanders and her fellow artists is to treat them as equals in the process. To understand their value and respect the time and effort they give to you.

Zanders has built that relationship with the ascending house music duo, Win and Woo, made up of Nicholas Winholt and Austin Woo. Together with Zanders, they produced "Right In Front Of Me," their 2019 single on IN/ROTATION, and at the time of writing, have several works in progress coming soon.

Winholt first met Zanders through J. Worra, an impressive house artist who collaborated with Zanders for "On The Run." Instead of immediately asking Zanders to sing on one of his productions, Winholt invited her to work on music together, putting time into both of their projects.

"[Zanders and I] hit it off in general. I liked her vibe," says Winholt. "It's more fun if you can make a friendship out of it first. I think the deeper you get to know somebody, the easier it is to get those ideas out."

After being on the receiving end of disrespect from producers for many years, Zanders has set down certain principles for collaborating. First and foremost, she is always in the room with the producers. They create the music together.

"I like to be in the room with the person because then it establishes that track is ours. It says 'I'm going to listen to you and what you like, and you're going to listen to me and what I like.'," Zanders says. 

When Zanders is in the room, she also contributes to components beyond her vocal, engaging in what she calls the "Rick Rubin style" of producing. She doesn't press the buttons, but she knows what she wants from the track. She knows where she wants the hi-hats, the string-line, and how everything should support her voice.

"Whether it's her song or our song or a song for somebody else she definitely has her own ideas that she wants to hear," says Woo. "It's really nice to have someone who's vocal about what they want in the creation process because outside of that it's just our perspective. She's also good at doing the opposite. If we have vocal ideas like melodies she's super receptive to those, too."

At the end of the day, it's about trust. When there is a foundation of trust, collaborative relationships continue, and everyone benefits equally, as is the case with Anabel Englund.

Englund has collaborated repeatedly with artists like Jamie Jones, MK, and Lee Foss throughout her career. Englund and Foss have not only worked together on music, but the two have shared bookings on international tours, with Foss DJing and Englund providing live vocals.

"When I work with producers I am very trusting of their capabilities & I seek to work with them specifically for their personal style and flavor," says Englund in answers provided over email.

Personal style and flavor are also why fans enjoy Englund and Zanders. That's why so many producers want to work with them. That's why their music has reached millions of people and led to real charting success. That's why everyone goes crazy when they come out on stage.

So, while they continue to give their entire soul to their craft, the dance community can do their part to deliver these opportunities. Buy the ticket to their show. Check out their set at a festival. Stream their music. Follow them on social media. 

Larger forces within the music industry pay attention to these metrics, and the community has the power to lift these artists who have given so much to the scene. Essentially, as Kaleena Zanders would say, "SHOW DA FUQ UP."

Why Dance Music Vocalists Should Be Headliners

This week we welcome Alex Castillo, booking manager for elrow. He started his journey at 19, working in nightclubs in Barcelona. He then moved on to Amnesia, Ibiza, where he spent nearly a decade moving up from a street team promoter to working for their exclusive artist agency, Black Spider. 

When he started operating his own MBA Agency managing the bookings for Laidback Luke, Hardwell, and Armin Van Buuren, he met elrow CEO Juan Arneau. He accepted a job managing artists for elrow and took on more responsibilities little by little. He's an invaluable part of the team now, working directly with artists and managing many aspects of their worldwide tours.

He's picked Dutch artist Jooris Voorn's January 2022 open to close set from Fabric, London. Voorn kicked off the first Saturday of the year at the legendary London institution with a six-hour journey. All-night sets are (sadly) not something that dance music DJs regularly take on. Voorn reminds us that it's something we need more of. One DJ sets the tone, tells the story, and carries us home.

"I can't deny I feel a special sentiment for Joris Voorn. As a booker, he's one of those who makes your life easy. You can sleep peacefully as you know he's always a safe bet. He always delivers. Never fails, "Castillo says. 

"As a clubber, I've always enjoyed listening to his long sets, big time. He can take you into a real journey and proof of that is this fantastic set he has luckily recorded at Fabric London. He's a perfect music curator and one of the best [at] reading the dance floor, always driving you through different music styles, house, progressive, techno … it doesn't matter, he just never disappoints."

Mix Of The Week: Jooris Voorn's Open to Close at Fabric London

We're happy to welcome Victor de la Serna, Bookings Director for elrow, as this week's guest curator. Victor is a driving force at the Spanish experiential party brand. He is in charge of all artist bookings for elrow's many worldwide events. He's also a direct line of support for elrow CEO Juan Arnau helping to guide the creative and logistical future of the company. He's an industry veteran who established and managed the Australian and Spanish editions of DJ Mag and spent over a decade as a resident DJ and booker for parties at Pacha and Ministry of Sound. 

For this week's pick, Victor tagged in one of elrow's resident artists, Bastian Bux. His recently released Kriminal Fried Chicken EP wonderfully encapsulates the vibe of an elrow party. Here's what Victor had to say.

"Bastian is definitely one of the most knowledgeable producers I know out there and he demonstrates it with two house cuts ready for the dance floor. "Kriminal Fried Chicken" is built around an unconventional vocal sample and a powerful beat. The track crosses over genres and is suitable for a wide range of DJs and audiences. "Clickbait" is an introspective track halfway between minimal vibes and classy tech-house. Synth layers and robotic vocals do the dirty work. Enjoy at very high volume of course."

Track of the Week: Bastian Bux 'Kriminal Fried Chicken'

When we talk about dance music, it is essential to honor its Black forefathers in Detroit, Chicago, and New York. It is also vitally important to celebrate and uplift the next generation of Black talent keeping dance music alive and moving it forward. While there are more artists than we can count on both hands, Gray Area has chosen 10 rising Black dance artists you should be watching and grooving to.


TSHA 

You probably already know and love London-based DJ/producer TSHA. In 2021, she released her vibey, sunny OnlyL EP, was named BBC Radio 1's "Future Artist," and made her Essential Mix debut. TSHA's productions are versatile, warm, and inviting, drawing on house and R&B and adorned with gorgeous layers of sound (her eye-catching album art is an excellent visual compliment).

The self-taught producer signed with legendary UK label Ninja Tune in 2020, who released her last two EPs. TSHA self-released her debut EP, Dawn, in 2018, which she followed up with the Moonlight EP on Counter Records.




DJ Holographic

DJ Holographic is the new generation of Detroit-bred artists keeping the city's rich legacy of experimental and cutting-edge techno and house alive and thriving, along with its funk, soul, and R&B roots. She dropped her debut EP, Parallel Shifting, three banging tracks with Alex Wilcox, in 2020 on her Hitchhiker imprint. Last year, Detroit forefather Carl Craig tapped her to deliver the Detroit Love Vol. 5 mix album on Planet E, to which she brought a groovy blend of house, R&B, and techno to, along with her powerful original track "Faith in My Cup."

DJ Holographic has found fans around the globe with her funky, joyful, and energetic DJ sets, which she's brought to Movement, Smart Bar, Panorama Bar, Output, and many more legendary dance spaces.




Ash Lauryn

Detroit-born, Atlanta-based DJ, producer, and music journalist Ash Lauryn has made it her mission to support and uplift Black artists in dance music. Seeing a lack of representation for younger Black producers in electronic music, she launched her Underground & Black blog, which she's evolved into a full-on platform including an annual Movement party, a monthly NTS Radio show, a podcast, and more.

Lauryn's sound is rooted in the rhythms and creativity of her hometown and her deep love for house music. She dropped her debut EP, Expressions, with Stefan Ringer in 2020 on Ringer's DIY Atlanta dance label, FWM Entertainment. She followed that with 2021's Truth EP, also on FWM.




HoneyLuv

Cleveland-born, Los Angeles-based DJ/producer HoneyLuv knows how to get the party going. Starting as an R&B and hip-hop (one of the hardest genres to mix) DJ in LA and across the US, she revisited her love of house music and began to make waves in the dance community with her banging house, tech house, and techno sets. She also had a past life as an NCAA basketball player and a sailor in the Navy.

As a producer, she put out her powerhouse debut single "F R E E" in 2021, which sounds like an artist's statement of sorts: "Free the people, free us all, free your mind, just let go." She followed it with a string of remixes, collabs, and another banging solo track, "PAIN."




Life on Planets

Baltimore-bred Life on Planets is the lively, soulful house project of singer, guitarist, DJ/producer, and astrology lover Phill Celeste. His music is a sweet blend of house, funk, R&B, and soul, bolstered by his rich voice, specially crafted to make you move and feel. His joyful music is made not just to get the dance floor going off but also to help revelers envision a brighter future, with lyrics that celebrate love, friendship, hope, and other-worldly dimensions.

He's been putting out groovy tunes as Life on Planets since 2014, always adding more vibes to his prolific catalog. In 2020, he dropped the Only You EP on Soul Clap Records, led by a captivating cover of Steve Monite's Afro-disco classic of the same name. His latest release, "Nomad Lyfe," is a pure groover driven by a thick, funky bassline.




Brandon Lucas

Inglewood-bred singer, producer and DJ Brandon Lucas brings his gospel and R&B roots (he grew up in the church and was once in an R&B group) with captivating house beats. In 2020, he gave a taste with his inspiring debut single, "Got That Hope," featuring words from none other than Dr. Cornell West. (He first connected with Dr. West in 2008 to help him build an online presence). Along with the single, he launched his Purple Label Sound imprint, for which his vision is to uplift fellow rising house music producers of color. He's since dropped a handful of vibey, energetic house tracks, all bolstered with his warm, deep vocals. The most recent bop is "Trippin (Vocal Mix)," featuring Life on Planets.




AMÉMÉ 

AMÉMÉ is a self-taught DJ/producer from Benin living in Berlin and Brooklyn. His music and DJ sets incorporate African rhythms with house, which is really the genre's foundation. He runs One Tribe, a global music, party, and fashion brand centered on creating community and good vibes.

The powerhouse West African artist has DJed at hotspots worldwide, including his home cities, Ibiza, Miami, Paris, and Black Rock City, and will be making his Coachella debut this year. He dropped his debut single, "Talk To Me," in 2020 and has delivered a solid, always-lively string of originals, remixes, and collabs, including his Gaou EP in 2021 and "PATCHIDO" with Don Bello Ni in 2020. Of the latter, he explains, "the main vocal of the song comes from my culture. It's a traditional chant that people sing everywhere."




Marytn Bootyspoon

In addition to having one of the best names in dance music, Montreal's Jason Voltaire, a.k.a. Martyn Bootyspoon, brings a playful sense of humor and up-front sexuality to industrial techno beats. He credits his sense of humor to his hometown: "There's a lot of slapstick and tacky things that happen in Montreal," and ghettotech producers DJ Assault and DJ Funk as early inspirations.

He served up his first dose of dance floor sexiness with the Silk Eternity EP in 2018, dropping an EP and more singles every year. His most recent are the self-released acid housey Incognito Tabs i EP and the bright, upbeat house jam "As Clear As Day" on LuckyMe.




NEZ

NEZ has already made a name for himself in hip-hop as half of the production duo Nez & Rio, whose credits include regular collaborator ScHoolboy Q's 2014 hit "Man of the Year" and A$AP Rocky's "Lord Pretty Flacko Jodye 2." In 2020, Nez stepped out on his own as a solo artist, dropping the swagalicious bop "Wild Youngster" featuring ScHoolboy Q. He made his live performance and festival debut with an energetic set at Lollapalooza 2021. He then unleashed a series of bouncing DJ sets across the country, including opening for Seth Troxler at Circoloco's LA party.

As a solo artist, Nez sings, raps, and produces his infectious beats, tapping collaborators from hip-hop and house to bring all that vivacious energy to dance music. In 2021, NEZ dropped the Midnight Music EP, featuring Felix Da Housecat on "Lift Off" and Flo Milli and 8AE on "To The Money."




Tony H 

Panama-born, Seattle-based Tony H makes bouncing tech house, melodic house and techno gems released on Desert Hearts, Dirtybird, Observatory Music, Space Yacht, and more. He founded his own Late Night Munchies imprint in 2015, adding the techno-focused arm Munchies After Dark more recently, and is the label manager for LA's Space Yacht. He also hosts The Drive-Thru mix series on SoundCloud, highlighting other rising dance acts. He balances all this with a busy DJ schedule, sharing his energy regularly at shows in his home city, San Francisco, Chicago, and other dance locales.

He's an effortless multi-tasker, and his complimentary sonic dexterity is evident across his productions, which date back to 2014. His most recent single, "Shoulder Pop," for Late Night Munchies, is a driving eight-minute tech house burner. His groovy three-track 2021 Desert Hearts EP, She Moves The World, proves his diversity in sound. Featuring the disco-tinged title track, tech house heater "Get Physical" with swaggy lyrics from Icausetreble, and '90s house nodding "Little Pieces" elevated by Ingrid Hakanson's captivating vocals.

10 Rising Black Artists You Should Know

Some styles of music take their name from the places that germinated them. Such is the case with garage, the vocal-heavy, R&B-indebted, East Coast-identified house style that emerged alongside the trackier Chicago version. Its namesake is Paradise Garage, a club located for a decade, 1977 to 1987, at 84 King Street in Manhattan. Fifteen years later, Mel Cheren, a prime investor in the club, called the opening night a “disaster”—the sound equipment was stranded in a snowstorm. But once the Garage was truly ready, it gained a large and devoted clientele due to its DJ, Larry Levan.

Levan’s sets at the Paradise Garage were typically slower in tempo than Frankie Knuckles or Ron Hardy in Chicago but full of enough singular drive and drama to garner him a cult. “When I was going to the Garage in early days, Larry didn’t always blend the records together,” the late Boyd Jarvis said in 2013. “Sometimes, he just stopped and turned another one on.” 

Larry Levan @ Paradise Garage

But Levan’s feel for drama carried even the jankiest segues. As Josh Milan of Blaze recalled, Levan “was the first DJ I heard to play different music. He would play a slow record or a Curtis Mayfield record. That to me was important. That was his contribution to my musicality. When I realized that you could do that sort of music in a club situation that opened up a new world.”

In the studio, he could knock out tracks and remixes that sparkled as they carried
on. A twelve-minute rinse-out of Instant Funk’s “I’ve Got My Mind Made Up” (1979) cut to the knuckle before teasing out a full build for maximum effect, while Taana Gardner’s “Heartbeat” (1981) became a master class in suspension of tension. They’re also prime progenitors for what would come to be called dubbed garage. 

But despite the style’s name, garage was defined by another DJ at another club. Tony Humphries was the resident at Newark, New Jersey’s Zanzibar 1982 until late 1990. While there, he began to move away from the more abstract elements of house in favor of something more traditional. 

Tony Humphries at Zanzibar

“I would focus on more of the gospel part or more of the jazzy part or melodic part if there is a rhythm or guitar to it,” he told Jonathan Fleming in 1995. “The more it sounds closer to a real band or something from the past, then the more I’m gonna lean towards that.” 

In his house history Pump Up the Volume, Sean Bidder noted that garage was a “conservative brew of soulful vocals, snappy hi-hats, and 4/4-pinned beat.” It took off “largely thanks to records by Adeva, Paul Simpson, and Blaze, who’d make tracks specifically for Humphries to play, in much the same way that others had tailored their tunes for Levan years earlier.”

They also tailored it to the clubbers who went to Zanzibar expecting to sing along. “House music lost its black audience and gained a big white audience when it became instrumental,” said writer Frank Owen, who attended the Paradise Garage’s final night in 1987. “Vocal house was very much in tune with that tradition of R&B, of the church. That was all jettisoned.” But not at Zanzibar, where vocals reigned supreme. New Jersey vocalist Adeva had the right idea in 1989, when she told Owen in Spin, “Perhaps they should call [garage] Zanzibar music.” 

Barbara Tucker

Just ask the house-music singer and choreographer Barbara Tucker, who frequented Paradise Garage and Zanzibar. “Really, downtown Jersey is the capital of house music,” she said in 2013. “Unlike New York or Baltimore, it’s not strange for you to hear somebody blasting house music constantly in their car.”

After the Paradise Garage closed, many of its regulars began spending their weekends dancing to Junior Vasquez at the Sound Factory in the early 90s. “It was like there was a void when the Paradise Garage closed and we wanted to fill it with a party that was special, so that’s why we decided to do a members only party,” Vasquez recalled. “We didn’t think anything big was gonna happen but boy was we wrong!”

Todd Edwards | Credit: Red Bull Music

Another Jerseyite, Todd Edwards, would foreshadow garage’s next wrinkle. Inspired by MK
(Marc Kinchen), the Detroit-bred producer who made sampled snippets into instruments of bubbling syncopation, Edwards took the approach to dizzying levels, first on a series of remixes, many for garage artists, such as his reworking of Da Mob feat. Jocelyn Brown’s “Fun.” In the UK, DJs (particularly DJ EZ) began speeding up these tracks—the stepping stone to UK garage. But that’s another story.

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