The Top 25 DJs Who Defined The Year 2023 - Features - Mixmag
Features

The Top 25 DJs Who Defined The Year 2023

The DJs who represented the best of dance music in 2023

  • Words: Patrick Hinton, Megan Townsend, Gemma Ross, Becky Buckle, Tibor Heskett | Design: Keenen Sutherland, Tomi Tomchenko
  • 12 December 2023

While the world continues to feel like it’s spinning off its axis amid intense and troubling times, clubland has shown it can still provide a place of respite in 2023, as well as the energy to fight back. Whether you’ve chosen to embrace the chaos with hard ‘n’ fast thrills, disconnect from this plane and raise your soul to a higher power through spiritual sounds, resist the powers that be, authentically embrace your heritage, or feel at home among your people, the dancefloor has helped inspired joy, solace and determination. It’s not immune to wider issues, and after riding the euphoria of full-time clubbing’s return in a post-lockdown world across 2022, there’s been some reality biting with economic turmoil and internal disputes. But at its best, dance music remains an antidote, standing up for the marginalised, organising community efforts to enact meaningful change, and providing the escape of discovery via inventive sounds and new musical movements. In the list below, we salute 25 DJs who have brought light to the year (in alphabetical order).

Credit: Akshay Rathod

1
Bullzeye

Dating back to at least the ‘60s and moving through milestones such as acid house innovation and Goa trance, India’s influence on electronic music has been incalculable. This side of the Millenium its dance music scene has been growing from strength to strength, with the spread of events expanding and the infrastructure for artists solidifying to the point where a career as an underground DJ is viable. Having started out DJing in 1999, Bullzeye has grown simultaneously and become an influential figure in Indian dance music, with the year he’s just had reflecting his popularity and the hunger for the powerful, progressive techno and uplifting house he plays. In his vast home country Bullzeye has played almost every major city, including Goa, Kolkata, New Delhi, Pune, Raipur, Chennai, Khimsar, Guwahati, Jaipur, Manali, Bhopal, Shillong, Hyderabad, Udaipur, Nagpur and his hometown Mumbai, where one booking saw him play to 12,000 people at the monumental Sunburn Arena event, marking his biggest ever crowd. He’s also put in work towards supporting the country’s next generation, serving as a mentor at DJ Rummy Sharma’s music production education camp The Bootcamp-Goa, been sought after in Europe with bookings in Amsterdam, Berlin and at the world’s largest techno festival Awakenings in Hilvarenbeek, where he drew a packed out and ferocious crowd opening our very own Mixmag Lab stage on the first day. On top of all that, he’ll cap off his year with a first-ever solo EP titled ‘Kreature’ landing on December 22 via Movement Records.

Credit: Niels Friedel

2
Chris Stussy

Who didn’t chant the words ‘Up The Stuss’ this year? Dutch DJ Chris Stussy has been a powerhouse for keeping the magic flowing through house music and introducing younger audiences to the sound. An assured figure behind the decks, his seamless sets have a timeless quality to them, spinning the raw grooves and sultry atmospheres of OG Chicago house with fresh evolutions of the sound, including many of his own deep, slick productions. Stussy has really found his rhythm in 2023, reaching household name status in the electronic world, stepping onto the stages of Coachella, Warehouse Project and Circoloco, with fans pouring in each time his USB hits the decks. The millions of views and plays he’s earned via online platforms like TikTok also underscore his success in waving the flag for house music among a new generation.

3
DBN GOGO

If you’ve been anywhere around the amapiano circuit this year (as most people have), you’ll no doubt be familiar with the flawless sets of DBN Gogo. Hailing from Durban and raised in Pretoria, her major breakthrough came in 2021 with multi-platinum selling single ‘Khuza Gogo’, sparking off a high-flying few years. While toxic patriarchal attitudes among South Africa’s music scene have tried to knock her down, DBN Gogo is fiercely proud of her femininity and has refused to compromise who she is while working extra hard to reach the top of the game. Ultimately,her talent is undeniable, and with amapiano continuing its globe-conquering ascent across 2023, she has grown in tandem and is rightly heralded as one of the finest purveyors of the sound. This year she’s starred on bills including Piano People’s London showcase at the 15,000-capacity monster venue DRUMSHEDS, hosted her own gig at Paradiso in Amsterdam, and curated a mammoth event in Johannesburg this month enlisting the likes of Uncle Waffles, Musa Keys, and MrJazziQ. And if that’s not enough, DBN Gogo also marked Mixmag’s 40th anniversary in September by putting together an hour-long amapiano mix for our takeover on BBC Radio 1.

Credit: Jun Yokoyama

4
DJ Nobu

DJ Nobu entered 2023 having just nailed a set at Berghain’s legendary Silvester Klubnacht New Year’s party, and vowed to “work even harder this year”. The Japanese veteran has delivered and then some, cementing his position as an all-time great of dance music while showing signs that he’s still growing and becoming an even better force for good in the scene. He’s been pretty much everywhere around the globe, typically bewitching crowds with abstract, psychedelic techno that’s somehow introspective while feeling like it’s blowing your brain to pieces. But he’s also shown a willingness to learn and evolve his versatility, playing multiple house and disco sets, spinning trance and disco at Dekmantel Selectors, and locking in a b2b with Eris Drew at Rainbow Disco Club, inspired by “set[ting] out to challenge myself by pushing beyond my usual techno style.” However DJ Nobu plays, he leaves everything in the booth, becoming a ball of dynamism as he loses himself to the sound, putting in so much emotion that he was even brought to tears by a gig at London’s FOLD.

Some other select 2023 highlights (of which there are many) include a BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix, debut at Houghton, first tour of Colombia, final gig at De School, tearing up Movement Detroit, playing in a Barcelona bullring, and a whole host of extended sets, including an eight hour b2b with Wata Igarashi for The Bunker NY and even longer solo closing set at Berghain, after which he remarked it “reminded me how fun techno can be. It gave me a strength to keep pursuing my own style regardless of trends at the time.” That’s something he’s vowed to encourage, with a dedication to uplifting and inspiring a new generation of DJs close to home and further afield, taking time out from playing the world’s most famous clubs this year to tour the small Japanese cities Matsue, Hiroshima, Oita and Saitama, and declaring it his mission to “pass on music to the small towns in the country and abroad”. Having completed the 20th anniversary tour of his pioneering Future Terror party with two dates in Australia in February, he barelled into the 21st year in June with a focus on domestic artists. That aim to uplift a new generation was affirmed upon returning to play in Seoul and Hong Kong for the first time in five years in October and finding people he had inspired back in 2018 who had become DJs themselves. “It made me recognise that I have to be a good role model,” he reflected. We can’t think of many better.

Credit: Igor Pjörrt

5
Evian Christ

After spending the last decade bringing his apocalyptic trance experience to the masses, this year saw Evian Christ push the electronic world even further into the sublime with his captivating-yet-hair-raising DJ sets. Peak-time slots at Horst, C2C, Ephemera Festival and Draaimolen, have accompanied an ambitious all-year run of his beloved Trance Party and - following the release of his debut album ‘Revanchist’ in October - an all-encompassing live tour. Evian Christ’s ability to combine tongue-in-cheek references with world-ending drops would be enough to make him one of the most exciting DJs around, but combined with his once-in-a-lifetime lighting set-up, with blinding strobes and billowing smoke — he’s rewriting the formula of modern club performance. “You can’t find this on Spotify” he told us in his Mixmag Cover interview earlier this month, and he’s not wrong.

6
Hedex

Dedicated to the dubs, Hedex began DJing at the age of 16 and this year fought his way to the top of the drum ‘n’ bass food chain. Inciting swarms of skanking ravers to surround the booth where he plays, Hedex is leading the way for the latest gen of jump-up fans. Also an accomplished producer, his high-adrenaline tracks truly come alive in his explosive sets, which are attracting ever bigger audiences. After travelling the UK with his My Home Is The Rave party last year, in 2023 it’s transformed into an international sensation, conquering the US and Canada. Next up, an event at the iconic Wembley Arena in January which is already sold-out further indicates the levels he’s now hitting.

7
horsegiirL

Dance music continued to blur the lines between the underground and mainstream this year with the embracing of pop edits and outlandish new stars who look tailor-made to achieve viral fame. Perhaps the epitome of this movement is the grass-munching, pop-warping horsegiirL. Travelling the world from her home barn of Sunshine Farms to the darkest depths of Berlin, including a debut at Panorama Bar, the DJ has galloped onto the scene with some out-of-this-world sets — experiencing one is like entering a utopia of happy hardcore, Eurodance and the most addictive donk tracks with not a moment to catch your breath.

This year also saw horsegiirL - sometimes known as Stella - release single ‘My Barn My Rules’ with fellow agriculture enthusiast MCR-T which caught fire on TikTok, racking up millions upon millions of plays, and translated into real world success with plenty of club and radio play, while the launch her new headline party, Hayfever, completely sold-out London’s The Cause. The utter curiosity around this horse-headed DJ caricature has captivated an eager fan base who are desperate to capture her eccentric look and sets. She may be horsing around but saddle up for the ride because there’s neigh stopping her.

Credit: Declan Kelly

8
I. JORDAN

When we first encountered I. JORDAN helming the ambient-focused New Atlantis label and event back in the 2010s, we didn’t foresee their crowning upon the throne of high-octane dance music. But the Doncaster-raised DJ has strong roots in that world and really leaned into them of late to rip-roaring success. This year fans flocked to see them perform everywhere from Shanghai to Chicago to Glastonbury, often alongside SHERELLE as the pair hit off on a world tour and released their anticipated joint EP, ‘M1, M3 / GetOutOfMyHead’. I. JORDAN’s full-throttle sets aren’t for the faint of heart, as proved during their stellar Lab LDN performance in September, or on their brand new Rinse FM residency. Recent collaborations with the likes of Fred again.., Eliza Rose, and Romy have put I. JORDAN in the spotlight time and time again in 2023 since their come-up from the UK’s DIY dance music underground. The DJ and producer also launching the community-focused project Trans_Formation, set up to support trans and non-binary artists, and speaking up on the issues such as the damage capitalist structures have on dance music and and the need to liberate marginalised communities also reflects how they’re a force for good in the scene as well as force of nature behind the decks.

Credit: Vicky Grout

9
JAEL

JAEL’s sets unite a vast range of genres, all complementing each other with his signature vibe of uplifting dancefloors. “When I DJ, I like to play for everybody in the room,” he says, and he’s an expert in reading exactly what a crowd wants. From playing out his ‘Original Nuttah’ edit to some smooth amapiano or some raunchy Brazilian funk, JAEL takes you on a journey to the heart of the party. As a notable figure of the LA-based label and community Soulection, JAEL now ventures to different corners of the globe promoting the spirit of a vibrant, ecstatic and perfectly curated dancefloor. The Moluccan-born, Netherlands-based artist aims to keep serotonin high as he skillfully scratches the decks taking tracks to a new level, transforming the decks into an instrument by morphing DJ sets into borderline live sets with his unstoppable capabilities. You can never be certain about what JAEL might drop in, but you can trust that you’re in safe hands. (And, on the off chance, JAEL might even bring along his mum.)

Credit: Lou Faroux

10
Jennifer Cardini

Jennifer Cardini is about to mark 30 years as a DJ and demonstrated why her staying power at the top of the game is assured. The mix of sounds the French DJ plays - spanning house, disco and new wave to electro, techno and more experimental edges - is impactful and uplifting, conjuring a unique atmosphere on the dancefloor that’s at-times magical and always locked-in, making her an underground favourite among those looking for stimulating experiences. Bookings at many of the world’s finest clubs and festivals this year, including Panorama Bar, De School, Amnesia, Fuse, Lux Fragil, Nitsa, Paragon, Glastonbury, Mutek, Positive Education and Tomorrowland, attest to that. At the same time, she’s continued to build on her impressive career with new projects and achievements, including launching the mutltidisciplinary platform Færies Records with visual artist Lou Fauroux, putting a focus on disruptive art that challenges conventions, and helming the queer party series Nightclubbing, built upon the values of freedom, diversity, community and belonging that are so important to club culture. Capping off the year with her first ever dates across China and Taiwan this month, as well as heading to Thailand and Vietnam, reflects how her influence keeps on spreading.

Credit: Harp digital media

11
Jubilee

For fans of this NYC-by-way-of-Miami DJ, every blend is a reason for jubilation. Always repping those vibrant-yet-deep South Beach and East Coast bass sounds, Jubilee has rightfully garnered a reputation for her deliciously-upbeat yet wholly raucous sets, brimming with everything from Florida breaks to UK funky. While it’s difficult to overstate her impact across the last 10 years or so, this year has seen Jubilee bring her fun-loving sonic palette to more audiences than ever before — from Toronto to Osaka, from Delhi to Copenhagen; she performed in the middle of Times Square this August, tore up Berghain and continuously knocked It out of the park on her The Lot Radio show. What really sets Jubilee apart, is her unbridled enthusiasm for the craft that she loves — constantly highlighting venues across the world that she feels have done a good job, taking the time to shout out other DJs/producers, paying tribute to the pioneers who helped create the music she loves. A “DJs' DJ” in the purest of terms.

Credit: FUTUR X NOIR

12
Jyoty

It’s rare to see a DJ help “define” two consecutive years in a row, but not every DJ is Jyoty. A force of nature if there ever was one, Jyoty continued on her path towards world domination in 2023, starting the year on the cover of Mixmag and firing into even more sold out HOMEGROWN parties, a world tour, and a BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix. After relocating to Brazil earlier this year, Jyoty has worked tirelessly to hone in her sound for her newfound global audience — weaving through an endless array of references picked up during her last eight years as a selector, putting narrative and rhythm at the heart of everything she does. Jyoty has worked just as tirelessly to highlight the struggle of underrepresented communities, proving that her personal success will not prevent her from giving a voice to the most vulnerable — whether it is the people of Myanmar, Sudan, Congo or Palestine. A superstar DJ with a heart of gold.

Credit: Martin Kharumwa

13
Kampire

Uganda’s Kampire is as much a tastemaker behind the decks as she is a technical wizard, and this year she’s been unstoppable. Playing with the sounds and textures of dance music rooted in Africa, from gqom to kuduro, kwaito to Afro house, Kampire pays homage to her East Africa home and the hot pot of musical styles created there and around the continent. This year, she continued holding down a regular show on NTS, and remained a core member of the Nyege Nyege camp, with an eye-watering run of tour dates. Hitting almost every continent across the globe in 2023 with her dynamic performances - Europe, Africa, South and North America included - Kampire has been an remedy to the more troubling happenings around the world and in her home country. “It's been a horrible time for the community in Uganda,” she told fans in July. “So I don't take for granted the opportunity to create joy on a dancefloor with all of you.”

Credit: Condry Calvin Mlilo

14
Karen Nyame KG

Karen Nyame KG, known affectionately as KG to fans, is on a roll as of late. The Goddess of Rhythm didn’t get her name from just anywhere - KG hits the sweet spot between ecstatic club rollers and sexy, low-end selections (see her new EP ‘Red’ as an example), and takes her vocal-led dance music across the globe. Right at home in London, the DJ and producer hosts her own specially curated event series, consistently selling out in 2023, including hosting her very first extended set at Peckham Audio in October. This year, KG also launched a new label Rhythm In The City, named after her party, aiming to “break conventions and formulas in electronic music”. On top of a stack of remixes made for the likes of PinkPantheress and Kelela, 2023 proved a busy year for KG, hopping from club to club each weekend.

15
KETTAMA

Where do we begin? Evan Campbell’s year has been electric from the get go to the final whistle, beginning with North American and Australian tours and ending with an Underworld collaboration, playing pretty much every club and every festival there is in between. This year, KETTAMA has left no stone unturned and no thumping kick drum unplayed. His AVA Festival Boiler Room has already amassed almost a quarter of a million views on YouTube, with his distinct style that flicks between techno and ghetto house with heavy hip hop influences not just taking over worldwide clubland, but the internet to boot. The day after his set at AVA, the Steel City Dance Discs producer played to 13,000 people with Mall Grab, the man who “inspired it all.” That weekend has proven to be a microcosm of Campbell’s year: fucking big and fucking busy. And in true big and busy style, KETTAMA curated a G-TOWN day-festival in Ireland with his old pal Shampain this summer. As part of the Galway Arts Festival, the boys welcomed IMOGEN and Efa O’Neill to join them at the Heineken Big Top for an epic homecoming in one of the events of the summer. In a year where techno has gotten faster, thumpier and a bit more sexy, KETTAMA has become one of its new age flag bearers.

Credit: Zak Watson

16
Kitty Amor

Kitty Amor has a clear vision as an artist. She set out a primary facet of it when announcing the launch of her residency on Rinse FM in March this year, asserting: “Spreading the sounds of African Electronic Music and changing the palates of those yet to discover our sound is the mission”. She’s put in the work to that end this year, becoming one of the most visible and popular purveyors of the deep and melodic territory within the diverse Afro house umbrella, bringing the sound to some of the biggest stages in dance music. In London, where the UK scene is strongest, that’s included playing in fabric’s Room 1, at HERE for Til Two and as part of the venue’s Major League Djz residency, and joining Skepta and Jammer for their Más Tiempo label launch at KOKO, with a slot at their DRUMSHEDS takeover up next. But this year she’s also travelled further than ever before and made an impression on leading global dancefloors, representing African and African-inspired electronic music in Latin America for Tomorrowland presents CORE stage at Zanma Festival in Tulum and the debut edition of Panama Crossroads Festival, making her Glastonbury debut closing out the Lonely Hearts Club stage, playing Hï Ibiza’s Club Room for Vintage Culture’s residency, and making waves across the mother continent with an extended set in Lagos on her birthday, mini tour of South Africa, and a debut in Nairobi. Inking a deal with Defected Music Publishing and launching her Mahaba Music imprint, described as “an outlet to express the global influences of an ever-growing sound in electronic music without feeling boxed in”, and sharing a revealing portrait of her journey in life and music in the Who’s Kitty Amor documentary are further indication of the thoughtful, determined and influential artist she’s become.

17
Manuka Honey

A lover of everything sultry and slightly unstable, Manuka Honey has been infusing Latin club music with her distinctive charm for more than a minute; but it feels like the European scene has finally begun to open its eyes to the rich array of genres this US-born, London-based DJ has been repping her entire career, making 2023 feel like a full circle moment. Always exploring the varied sounds of the Latin underground, with a refusal to rest on the tried-and-tested reggaeton and guaracha, Manuka Honey instead works to introduce European audiences to undersung music: see her love of cumbia, shatta and even Mexican hardstyle. Her SUZIO parties have brought a femme-led edge to London’s Latin club offerings, while she has delighted audiences on the airwaves with her sexy-yet-fiery selections during her BBC Radio 1 residency. All-in-all, this year Manuka Honey has hit her stride, and got more of us sexy dancing in the club than ever.

Credit: Fabrizio Pepe

18
Mochakk

DJ dynamo Mochakk is like a hurricane on the decks. He’d been gigging around his home country of Brazil for a few years when his career took off internationally at the start of 2022 off the back of a viral TikTok showcasing his infectious energy. He’s built on that momentum to fire on all cylinders across 2023, becoming one of the most in-demand DJs in the world, with highlights of his extensive schedule including debuts at Coachella and Warung Beach Club, residencies in Las Vegas and Ibiza for Wynn and Circoloco respectively, playing sets for Time Warp in his hometown of São Paulo and its flagship Mannheim event, a b2b with Black Coffee at Hï Ibiza, whipping up massive crowds at the main stages of Sónar Barcelona and Kappa FuturFestival, helming five partes in six days at ADE, and a sold-out event and stream in Seville’s stunning Plaza de España for Cercle.

He’s confident in fusing his own identity in his music and projects, representing the continued global evolution of house and techno by bringing samba rhythmic flair into his signature sound, as well influence from hip hop, garage, funk, soul and jazz. The success with which that style is connecting is epitomised by by his track ‘Jealous’ topping the overall Beatport chart, being tapped for major remixes of Louie Vega & Anané and Groove Armada’s ‘Superstylin’’, and the launch of two new party series: Mochakk Calling, with sold-out events in LA, San Francisco, London and Amsterdam, and Tricks and Tracks, which “sits at the intersection between music, urban sport and fashion” with street art and live skateboarding among the offerings — he even recruited Tony Hawk for the announcement.

Credit: Sneaky Peak Photo

19
Mozey

When you sell out your headline Village Underground night in a matter of hours, you know you’re onto something. Mozey’s 2023 has been jam-packed with standout shows, Beatport chart-topping tracks and whacky music videos which perfectly encapsulate his seriously unserious approach to DJing. Known for his fancy dress, silly stunts and manic tunes, the past few years have seen Mozey become a massive hit for drum ‘n’ bass fans worldwide who just want to have a skank and a laugh. This, however, has been the year where he has been recognised by the royalties of the scene such as iconic duo Chase & Status, with whom the Romford-based DJ made ‘On The Block (feat. Sav’O & Horrid1)’, and the legendary Andy C, who he toured with in Australia. Highlight performances at fabric, Printworks and Warehouse Project have only cemented the feeling that this lad’s got serious party muscle.

Credit: Jimmy Mould

20
Sama’ Abdulhadi

Palestine’s Sama’ Abdulhadi is responsible for some of the most-listened DJ streams in 2023. Wielding club bangers galore, any Sama’ set is sure to excite the techno world, and if you caught her at any club from Miami to Tbilisi this summer, you probably felt that euphoria first hand. Endless events and a hard-to-track touring schedule peppered Sama’s life in 2023, a true luminary who brings an effortless cool to her sets, including a storming techno mix to launch the year in The Lab LDN. In 2023, Sama’ also provided DJ masterclasses to aspiring artists through Pete Tong’s DJ Academy, and put together the most recent fabric mix featuring 22 tracks including a new cut of her own. As the first Palestinian DJ and producer to break out of Europe, Sama’ Abdulhadi has used her voice this year as an important tool for protest against the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, even stepping back from shows to pay respects to the lives lost.

Credit: Stefan Grudic

21
Sammy Virji

Sammy Virji has been blowing roofs off the dance for a whole year straight. The garage and bassline DJ and producer started his year with a raucous tour across Australia and New Zealand and ended it with an announcement that he will be returning to the States for an extended tour in 2024, following this year’s seismic b2b with Skream, TEED and INVT at 1015, San Francisco. These tours reflect the growing global appetite for a UK sound that Virji, alongside contemporaries like Interplanetary Criminal and Conducta, has become a poster boy for. The feel-good garage guy has smashed his sets at Defected Croatia, Parklife, The Warehouse Project and a Village Underground show which he later called one of the best nights of his life. Collaborations with Flowdan, salute and Unknown T have spiralled Sammy Virji into a superstar and he is showing no signs of letting up.

Credit: Marilyn Hue

22
Skrillex

2023 has been the year where Skrillex got where water couldn’t. Be it playing at a sold-out Madison Square Garden (MSG) show with partners in crime Four Tet and Fred again.., going toe-to-toe with Blawan at one of Europe’s most highbrow and headsy festivals or… at a cosy record shop in West London alongside Flowdan, M1onthebeat, Peekaboo and Sicaria, this man has been everywhere, with his next move impossible to guess. The year has proved to be one of his most eventful, and one of his most successful. Two studio albums, released days apart from each other, the aforementioned sold-out MSG show and the surprise Sunday night closing set at Coachella’s main stage with his brothers-in-decks as OMG TBA have made it impossible to talk about 2023 without talking about Skrillex. A cut apart from his Bangarang days, Sonny Moore has shed off his brostep skin and is now rubbing shoulders with leading DJs like Peggy Gou, Jyoty, Skin on Skin and more, embracing a wider range of sounds that has landed him at Berghain, DC-10, The Warehouse Project and pretty much everywhere else. If it wasn’t clear already, this year has reaffirmed that Skrillex is a force of nature.

Credit: Aytekin Yalçın

23
SPFDJ

Did it just get hot in here? Better get some SPFDJ on. A fresh wave of ravers hungry for only the hardest and fastest dance music stormed through clubland this year and no DJ got them going quite like the Intrepid Skin label owner. Dealing in a fierce and ferocious techno realm where low tempo does not exist, this inspiring DJ has risen up further from the depths of Berlin’s underground queer scene to the likes of Dekmantel, Terminal V, Fuse, Awakenings and many more. Playing around 100 sets in a huge range of locations, SPFDJ has been the techno cyclone sweeping across the world. Even with the longest acrylics, she dishes out relentless hardcore which leaves no soundsystem safe. Truly a SpeeDy Fucking DJ.

24
Spinall

If we’re looking at DJs who have truly defined 2023, it’s difficult not to mention the powerhouse that is Nigerian selector SPINALL. Often renowned for his production work (this year saw the release of his ‘Top Boy’ album as well as his Wizkid collab ‘Loju’) SPINALL demonstrated his deft hand behind the decks in a series of packed shows: Sold-out KOKO, check. FOMO-inducing Boiler Room festival appearance, check. Performing in front of thousands at Perth’s Listen Out, check. A techno mash-up offering for the crowds at Tyler, the Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw, check. Part of the reason SPINALL can bring “the vibes from Africa to Atlanta”, as he puts it, garnering the same hype from hometown crowds in Lagos as Lower Manhattan, is that no one really plays with genre quite like him. More than comfortable to drop some dark gqom and Outkast’s ‘Hey Ya’ in the same five minutes, UKG and Afrobeats, ‘80s synths and trap. He’s a music aficionado first-and-foremost, an old fashioned selector and we absolutely love it.

Credit: Harley Madams

25
TASHA

Name another DJ that can close DJ Storm’s 30 years of Storm celebration and Berghain’s Klubnacht… we’ll wait. Tasha has done it all this year, with her mind-bending eight-hour set at the German techno institution and finale of the first lady of drum ‘n’ bass’ Gretchen night just two highlights of a jam-packed 2023 that has included an impromptu Glastonbury b2b with Mella Dee at the Temple stage, performances at Sports Banger’s megaraves at Glasto, fabric and beyond, plus the continuation of her 13-year-strong Neighbourhood party. At the most recent instalment of her long-running and much-loved club night, Tasha played together with Dutch techno phenomenon Steffi, recruiting Akua, dBridge, NIKS and a breathtaking live performance from Neil Landstrum to join them at FOLD. In the final Neighbourhood of the year, Tasha is set to go head to head with Josey Rebelle at The White Hotel, the second time the two UK dance music powerhouses will go b2b following a memorable set at FABRICLIVE earlier this year. Talk about ending the year with a bang.

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