November: Six artists you need to check out this month

Redlight Radio’s Carista looks set to be the next DJ to emerge from the fertile breeding ground of Amsterdam’s club scene. Hailing from nearby Utrecht, she has a rare talent for selection. In three rapturously received sets at Lente Kabinet, Dekmantel and Selectors she whipped up crowds with a blend of timelessly soulful house and certified party hits. With autumn dates across Europe, we strongly suggest you see her in action.

[Photo: Laisa Maria]

Carista plays London spot The Cause on November 23

East Side Ancients is a collaboration between Strategy and Best Available Technology, friends from Portland making rule-breaking sounds. They create warm, enveloping electronica that evokes driving around a deserted city in the wee small hours. The duo’s experimental, 10-track debut LP ‘Buried Legends’ was made with samplers and FX pedals and fuses techno, dub and ambient, with shades of punk and industrial for good measure.

‘Buried Legends’ is out now on digital and cassette via Loon Moon Tapes

VONDA7 grew up on hip hop and r’n’b, soon discovering French house and techno. During time spent in the UK she soaked up garage and Caribbean sounds, and later dived head-first into disco in Amsterdam. She draws on all that when turning out multifaceted tracks for Last Night On Earth, Monki’s &Friends and now her new label, art|werk. Euphoric techno bangers, high tempo disco reworks, heartbroken and acid-laced downtempo pop – she’s done it all.

The ‘Pure Intentions’ EP is out now on art|werk

Nongi Oliphant took up DJing in 2015 after her uncle sold a life’s-worth of vinyl. Feeling she’d missed out on a treasured collection, she vowed to buy them all anew. Now living in Manchester, the Banana Hill and Dimensions DJ Directory resident is making a name for herself as SNO, dextrously switching between jazz, soul, afro-beat and highlife, and suffusing her sets with hip hop, latin, disco and funk. At this year’s Houghton Festival, Midland described her set as ‘a revelation.’

Hear SNO on Reform Radio, 7–9pm on the third Tuesday of every month

Amine K is a leading figure in North Africa’s dance music scene, and his sphere of influence is growing. The Moroccan’s homeland informs his output, and he’s a favourite at Oasis Festival in Marrakesh, loved as much for his huge smile as his groove-fuelled sets. His new Sol Selectas EP, ‘Tiniri’, is an immersive desert haze made with label boss Sabo, and pairs Moroccan instruments with robust beats. Matthias Meyer also goes deep and atmospheric on a rework of the title track.

‘Tiniri’ is out now on Sol Selectas

DJ and producer Elkka champions freewheeling dance music and forward-thinking sounds through her music and the femme culture collective she co-founded with fellow DJ Ludo. Elkka and co throw raucous parties celebrating women in dance music and supporting club-land’s LGBTQ community. Recently, she’s been recognsed for her productions, four-track EP ‘Full Circle’ arriving on femme culture in September. Warm, sunkissed, dreamy and drum-laden, it combines motifs from house, r‘n’b, leftfield pop and club.

Elkka’s ‘Full Circle’ EP is out now