Eight artists taking American dance music to the next level in 2016

It's 2016 and the game is changing in America.

The booming, main stage sound is making way for innovative dance music made by a new wave of artists. They're ahead of the curve and, in a very short space of time, been making some serious waves.

Here are eight artists and acts who are taking things to the next level Stateside. Creatively, they choose the road less travelled and leave dance music different to how they found it. Ranging from futuristic bass music to alt pop and straight-up techno, it's time to get familiar with the following....

Chicago duo Louis The Child emerged last year with a series of SoundCloud-dominating uploads. In that respect, the pair – aka Robby Hauldren and Freddy Kennett – are already pretty accomplished and they're now set to make a proper mark on 2016.

A couple of future-bass heads, the duo are part of a new generation that's picking up from where artists like Flume left off. They've got a lush, pop-tinged sound and are behind a handful of remixes as well as a brilliant original production, 'It's Strange'. Excitingly, an official EP or LP release is yet to come, so more music from Louis The Child is bound to drop soon.

They're wrapping up their It's Strange tour of North America and will be making their Coachella debut later this year.

Lee K embodies the matured US rave kid's newfound taste in slick, groove-fuelled techno. The young newcomer from sunny Southern California isn't afraid to lay down dark, full-bodied tracks and her impeccable taste has seen her make as many waves in Europe as her home country.

She's the latest addition to the ENTER. roster and has more than a few Ibiza appearances under her belt. She's also helping spearhead crossover festivals in the US like CRSSD and Splash House, which both welcome a refreshingly diverse roster of musicians. Lee K isn't going anywhere but up in '16.

Watch her Lab LA session from 2015 here.

Kiiara's voice is unforgettable.

She flows over subtle, delicate basslines and synth manipulations on her tracks and has captured the attention of big-time tastemakers like Annie Mac and Zane Lowe as well as producers Felix Cartal and Hotel Garuda. Soulful originals like 'Gold' and 'Feels' are positively 100.

If Ellie Goulding showed us anything about the potential possibilities that come from starting off as a dance music lyricist, we can only do our best and simply hang on for the ride ahead. Kiiara is a top contender to rocket past her title as an "up-and-comer" and become an undeniable presence very quickly this year.

Upon the release of 'In Return', ODESZA championed an impeccably unique and bright sound that uplifted electronic music with an entirely new genre of it's own. Now, coming from ODESZA's own Foreign Family Collective output is Jai Wolf, a New York native who is building upon what his label-heads have started with a new and inspired vigour.

His debut track 'Indian Summer' came only six months ago, but already showcases the depth Jai Wolf possesses as a young producer. Where the big room genre that made up EDM once stood, Jai Wolf now commands, and American audiences are warmly welcoming the shift in sound.

It's a bit of a cheat to call Julia Govor "American" but we're going to do it anyway (artistic licence and all that). She's lived many lives before becoming a techno DJ, having been raised in a Navy family in Russia before going against the grain and getting involved with electronic music, first in Moscow and now New York, where she's making a massive impact.

In 2016, she's set to release a slew of singles, including an original of hers called 'Open Possibility' that is set to arrive on the vinyl-only label Mind Series in February. Last year, she played The Lab LA and she got listed in our 16 artists to watch in '16, too!

Watch her Lab LA session here.

Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern met at an art gallery while attending Brown University together and have been making music together since their graduation in 2014. The two have been digging their into both the indie and dance music scenes, defying boundaries of language by offering up some of their very first songs in Portuguese.

Now based out of New York, the eclectic pair are currently on tour with The Knocks in the US and have already been the subject of an Essential New Tune, hand-selected by Pete Tong. And finally, new music is on its way as the duo prepare to release their debut EP 'Soft Animals', slated to land later this year.

Louis Kha, Mikul Wing and Jake Carpenter aim to make Autograf more than simply just a musical moniker. Mixing live elements with inspirations drawn from art and beyond, Autograf embodies much of the direction that the American dance music scene seems ready to embrace.

In 2016, Autograf will continue their seemingly relentless touring schedule with an extensive Metaphysical Tour that will guide them all the way through the first bit of the year. Before the end of 2015, Autograf also announced a deal inked with Counter Records, a monumental move that hopefully alludes to the forthcoming arrival of their debut album.

Watch Autograf in The Lab NYC here.

Los Angeles-based and New York-bred, Lauren Lane had a blazing 2015. Playing everywhere from DC-10 to Coachella, she gave her 2014 'Cool Kids' EP release a proper showcase and is ready to take 2016 again with an anticipated compilation.

Coming very soon, Lauren plans to unveil 'Diary Of A Madwoman' on Eats Everything's Edible imprint. Far from a newcomer to the scene, Lauren's release arrives at the right time and place as the US finally readies to offer a matured ear for underground sounds this year, giving her an upper hand on truly dominating as a shining American techno pioneer in 2016.

Watch Lauren Lane in The Lab LDN here.

Valerie Lee is Mixmag's West Coast Editor. Follow her on Twitter

Patch Keyes is a freelance illustrator based in Bristol, follow him on Twitter