From: Portugal
DJ style: “Energy-driven, from 120 to 150bpm, epic drops and a lot of fun.”
Best known for: “I’d love to say it was from my Cribs episode, but it’s for my trademark beats.”
Fave tune of 2018: Fisher ‘Losing It’.”
Breakthrough DJ/producer of 2018: “Timmy Trumpet, he can rock a crowd no matter how big — like he owns the place.”

One of Portugal’s highest ranked DJs of all time, Kura — or Rúben de Almeida to those who know him best — should need no introduction by now. This, after all, is his fifth consecutive entry into the Top 100 DJs poll, a clear sign of the continued demand for this European talent.

Having established a reputation for himself as one of the Spinnin’ Records family’s most innovative producers, fittingly 2018 got off to a particularly studio-focused start. His track with Olly James, ‘Fuego’, dropping in February to universal praise, and the man in question delivering a spring masterclass for aspiring talent in his homeland’s capital, Lisbon.

The standout moments didn’t end there, of course. ‘Young & Invincible’, with Jimmy Clash, ‘Kambo’ and the Mr Black and MC K9 collaboration, ‘Favela’, all ensured he had plenty of fresh original material to spin at major events like Ultra Miami, Tomorrowland and 7th Sunday Festival. This is before we mention dates in Beijing, Shanghai and Seoul, spreading his trademark powerhouse sounds across the world. “I’ve also been focusing on different genres of music, getting out of my comfort zone — it never felt so good,” he concludes.

Words: MARTIN GUTTRIDGE-HEWITT