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Fei-Fei
High-octane dubstep from LA
GETTING death threats after a set would make most DJs think a change of career might be in order. But since being bombarded with abuse after daring to play bass music at AVB’s A State of Trance 550, LA-based Fei-Fei has gone from strength to strength. The trancer-turned-bass vixen has been putting out stadium-sized industrial dubstep in the US, earning props from Benga and Bassnectar, and will release ‘Torture’, a collaboration with Footsie of Newham Generals, next month before playing at Bath’s NASS festival in July.
Fei-Fei ‘Hold On’ is available free from Play Me Records
Maribou State
Soulful Hertfordshire duo
Despite living in rural Hertfordshire where they record tracks in their ‘Shack in the Back’ home studio, Maribou State have crafted a soulful, modern sound. The duo combine deep bass and cut-up vocals with pure, soulful house, of which SBTRKT would be proud. Having remixed The 2 Bears and Crookers, Chris and Liam have a collaboration lined up with Groove Armada vocalist Saint Saviour, their debut EP ‘Native’ will be out on Southern Fried later in the year and they’ve got a main-stage slot at Secret Garden Party.
Maribou State’s ‘All Blue’ EP is out on June 4
Huoratron
Finnish electro-goth warrior
Huoratron is a Finnish producer intent on breaking boundaries, fusing styles and making music that would give your gran nightmares. Combining elements of industrial black metal with crunching dubstep and electro-house, it comes as little surprise that he’s good mates with Skrillex and will remix Korn’s new single. His album ‘Cryptocracy’ dropped last month, and at this rate he’ll be scaring the elderly up and down the country in no time.
Huoratron’s debut album ‘Cryptocracy’ is out now on Last Gang
Chubby Dubz
Berlin based deep house double act
Chubby Dubz? I know what you’re thinking. A couple of portly blokes have got together to make dubstep tunes. Quite the contrary. Chubby Dubz are Berlin based producers Oliver $ and Gene Siewing, and specialise in the most all-consuming type of deep house. Oliver $ is famed for last year’s Moodyman-sampling and Beatport chart-topping ‘Doin’ Ya Thing’, while Gene Siewing has been able to pull a crowd from Brooklyn to Berghain for years. Put them together and you’ve got a marriage made in deep house heaven.
Chubby Dubz ‘Drifting Away’ is out now on Loungin’
Dukebox
Dubstep hook-up comes correct
Manchester-based dubstep producer MRK1 has been bubbling away in the scene, consistently putting out ear pricking productions, for nigh on ten years now. Put him with multi-talented MC and singer Doctor, and you’re in for a treat. The duo, going by the name of Dukebox, have put out several blistering, rave stab-sprinkled dubstep anthems in the past few months as well as making The X Factor runner-up Rebecca Ferguson listenable: no mean feat.
Dukebox feat KT Forrester ‘Pressure’ is out on May 21 on Delicious Donuts
Pixel Cheese
Hard-hitting electro-house from Poland
The vocal that interrupts Pixel Cheese’s remix of ‘Irresistible’ by Nervo – “Motherfuckin’ big fat bass!” – suggests subtlety isn’t the producer’s forte. But what Pixel Cheese lacks in subtlety he makes up for in big, booming, knock-you-to-the-floor anthems. The 18-year-old Pole has already racked up remix work for Steve Aoki and a bootleg of a David Guetta track that racked up YouTube hits in the millions. Expect to see him playing in front of 50,000-strong crowds in 12 months’ time.
Nervo ‘You’re Gonna Love Again’ (Pixel Cheese remix) is out now
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