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12 emerging artists you need to hear this November

The latest and greatest DJs and producers rising to the top this month. From psychedelic techno and frosty EBM to glimmering experimental pop and club mutations, here's November 2019's list of upcoming talent you should be keeping track of

DJ Clea

DJ Clea is a vital new voice to emerge from the ever-curious Swedish house scene. The Stockholm-based DJ and producer has most recently landed on Art Aflie’s label with two cuddly and cozy deep house tracks that are subtly detailed, with dreamy pads and lush earworm synths that gently lead you late into the night.

Her debut on Unknown To The Unknown/Hot Haus Recordings only came in 2018, but arrived with a fully formed, mature sound full of depth and emotion. Clea, who was formerly one of Sweden’s most read music columnists, is no overnight breakout, though. As well as working for Gilles Peterson, she has also been DJing locally for more than a decade, so draws on all those experiences when cooking up her most sublime sounds. She tells us she has plenty more tunes in the locker that are ready to roll, so we’re excited to see where they take us.

For fans of: Smallville Records, Axel Boman, Moomin

Manami

Bristol-based, UK-raised, Japan-born artist Manami will be known to those of you who frequent Mick’s Garage in London. It is there she is resident, and there she serves up a tasteful blend of electro, Italo, techno and house, all with the sort of weighty bottom-ends you would expect of someone living in the West Country capital.

When not in the club, she draws on a wider sphere of music on her Noods Radio show, 1020, which showcases her love of jazz. She’s been devouring it since youth, when she also trained as a classical pianist. Along with the likes of XOYO and Warehouse Project, she can also be found spinning at her own Bristol party Better Days. Next to this, she’s been making her own beats and promises that they will debut soon. As a result, 2020 could well be the year she fully, deservedly breaks out.

For fans of: DJ Nobu, Interstellar Funk

MoMa Ready

Wyatt D. Stevens, aka MoMA READY, hails from New York and draws on the city’s rich cultural heritage to make his music hugely characterful. From deep house to skateboarding, rave and jungle to techno, he makes tracks that are aimed at the floor but that drip with sensuality. They come on his own Haus Of Altr label with frayed analogy edges and smoky atmospheres that lend them a sense of irresistible realness.

This year alone he has put out two albums — the house-focused ‘The NYC Dance Project’ and higher velocity beats of ‘SOFT, HARD, BODY’ — as well as an EP called ‘A Demon’/’An Exorcism’ that was “born from a manic episode, produced in three hours”.  Built on inventive rhythms and a tension between euphoria and anxiety, it proved the producer is impossible to pin down and has a fantastic array of styles in his arsenal.

For fans of: Jus-Ed, Batu, Kerri Chandler

Aleksa Alaska

Based Romania’s capital Bucharest, Aleksa Alaska is a DJ dedicated to icebound experimental electronics, a long way from the minimal sound her country is known for. On her Subterranean Modern show on Noods radio, you can hear spooky, dark EBM with an edge frostier than the northern territory she’s named after.  Mixing raw techno thump with industrial grind and fuzzy post-punk guitars, Aleksa Alaska digs deep for her selections; when she’s in club mode, she can be found dropping anything from heads-down acid to Drexciyan electro and breakbeat.

Making regular appearances at her home city’s Control Club, playing alongside like-minded artists such as Identified Patient, recently she’s also been heard playing in clubs across Europe, with Berlin’s Tresor and ://about blank, and Amsterdam’s Noorderling experiencing her versatile DJ skills. In November, if you’re in Helsinki, head to Kaiku to hear why Aleksa Alaska is one of Europe’s fastest-rising DJs.

For fans of: Elena Colombi, Kris Baha, Identified Patient

Tutu

Gemma Planell is the Barcelona-based DJ best known as Tutu, and her wide-ranging sets, combining abstract electronics and the weirder corners of bass and breaks, have placed her at the vanguard of club music. Playing alongside such luminaries of abstract dance as Planet Mu’s upcoming Rian Treanor, Minor Science and Peder Mannerfelt, Tutu has appeared at Dekmantel and Sónar, performed at a Hyperdub party at White Hotel in Manchester, and recently did a Boiler Room set in her hometown.

Of particular note is a mix she recorded for the Female:Pressure collective; entirely comprised of tracks by women producers and artists, it’s a masterful and diverse blend, and a great introduction to Tutu’s style. Another excellent mix, recorded at Dekmantel and hosted by Red Light Radio, can be found on her SoundCloud: wait for the drop of Moderat’s ‘Sea Monkey’ and feel the spine shivers.

For fans of: Skee Mask, Afrodeutsche, Special Request

Rachel Noon

The world has long looked to the electronic music scene in New York for inspiration. Right now there’s a core group of artists doing exciting things in the city, and Rachel Noon is one of them. She co-curates Faire Mauvais Genre, a project that “explores queer club occurrences and seeks to elevate electronic music crews whose efforts are fertilizing underground communities”. Embodying the original values of rave — peace, love, unity and respect — her club-night Large Marge will return to Brooklyn in January; a party for her female-identifying, trans, and non-binary peers.

She’s also a resident of Unter, the queer techno rave that has become one of New York’s most integral parties. She started DJing in the ‘90s, but in recent years has truly been in her element, becoming a prominent name within the local queer dance community. “I get to experience spaces that, for marginalised people, suddenly feel full of possibility,” she says. Recently playing alongside the likes of Daniel Avery and FIT Siegel in NYC, she’ll be playing across Europe in December and there’s plenty more to come for 2020.

For fans of: SPFDJ, Volvox, Minimal Violence

Alicia Hush

Alicia Hush or Felicia Lush? It depends on the night. Alicia Hush is a Montréal-based producer delivering upbeat minimal house and techno; Felicia Lush is her downtempo, broken beat alter-ego, the one you hit up for something a bit more low-key. Alicia’s whimsical, energetic live performances have established her as an artist that will create and connect with a crowd.

Using the full PA arsenal, from heavy basslines to playful vocals, her minimal techno has a light, building buzz that will keep you moving and smiling. A MUTEK alumni, Alicia co-founded the Hushlamb Label Project, which she runs out of Montréal with collaborator Sarah Lamb.

For fans of: Akufen, Audio Werner, Fumiya Tanaka

Anakim

Southern California-born and raised, Anakim’s world is defined by “intergalactic underground sounds.” Poised at the center of Los Angeles’ thriving music scene, Anakim has released a series of haunting, dark techno and progressive house singles on major labels such as Mau5trap, Insomniac Records, EIN2, Artist Intelligence Agency, Krafted Underground and

Deer Deer Records. Recent festival appearances at Holy Ship!, Coachella, Beyond Wonderland, Nocturnal Wonderland and EDC Las Vegas have lent national exposure to his deep-space stylings; meanwhile, he maintains his local residency at Sound, Los Angeles’ top techno and house music venue.

For fans of:  Maceo Plex, Monstergetdown, Rinzen 

Chippy Nonstop

Chippy Nonstop is the real deal; infusing her wide array of influences into her vibrant mixing style, she stands out in the landscape of push-and-play electronic acts. Of Indian descent, she was born in Dubai, grew up in Zambia, and lived in almost every major city in the U.S., and is also a Canadian citizen. This rich palette of experiences has encouraged her to strive past the usual DJ fare; Chippy helped found Intersessions, a series of artist seminars which sought to address the gender and LGBTQ+ imbalance in the music industry. Leading DJ workshops, Chippy’s sonic endeavors strive for solidarity, safety, and self-betterment. 

For fans of: LSDXOXO, Ase Manuel, Nguzunguzu

Fiin

Over the last year, Fiin has slowly solidified his grasp on the Miami music scene. Emanating silky rhythmic house with a hint of tech, Fiin exudes the kind of confidence expected from house music’s newest risk-taker. The youngest ever resident at Heart nightclub, Finn can currently be found holding down at Wynwood Factory every Sunday for his Miami staple, Relic. Throughout 2019, Fiin has played alongside house titans, including Seth Troxler, Eats Everything, and The Martinez Brothers. Closing out the year he is set to release tracks on Hot Since 82’s Knee Deep In Sound label, with a remix from the house guru himself, and later, his first of 10 releases on the coveted Ultra Music imprint — 2020 is set to be Fiin’s biggest year yet.

For fans of: Marco Faraone, Joeski, Doc Martin

Khotin

Raised in Vancouver’s vibrant underground scene, Dylan Khotin-Foote — a.k.a. Khotin — floats between musical experiments, maintaining melodic undertones as he dabbles across genres. Since his 2014 Hello World debut, a steady cult buzz has been building around his work, with remixes on Pacific Rhythm, DFA, Public Release, and Normals Welcome, as well as self-released imprints on Khotin Industries and Waterpark. Hailing from Canada’s Pacific west coast, the region’s all-encompassing natural environment seeps into his tracks, embedding a playful organic atmosphere into the breezy acid and hybrid house. Recent projects like 2018’s ‘Beautiful You’ explore the more downtempo and ethereal, while subtly staying true to his dance roots. 

For fans of: Huerco S., Anthony Naples, Yu Su

Kyosi

Experimental indie-pop artist and producer KYOSi unveils a dreamer’s paradise through beats and song. KYOSi began producing music in 2008, while also managing a non-profit music studio for inner city youth in her hometown of New York City. A decade later, KYOSi’s ethereal vocals and unique style have caught the world’s eye, bringing her all the way from Brooklyn to cultural European hotbeds like Berlin and Prague. 

Her latest release is the emotionally charged ‘Negative Space’ EP, a three-track musical manifesto wrapped in dream-pop robes, that condemns the current political administration and explores the emotional impact of its injustices.

For fans of: Twin Shadow, St. Vincent, Neon Indian

Check out our recent emerging artists feeatures from September and October

Words:  Ryan Hayes, Jason Najum, Hellan Said, Anna Wall, Ben Murphy, Kristan J Caryl