Danny Avila

From:Madrid, Spain

DJ style:“Techno, tech-house.

Best known for:“‘YES B!TCH’, ‘Chase The Sun’, ‘PARADISE’, ‘My Crew feat. Flowdan’.”

Already 14 years into his career, Madrid-born Danny Avila has gone from strength to strength. He launched his label concept Mainstage Techno in 2022, and it’s been a platform to release his highly anticipated peak-time productions as well as other much loved artists including BAUS, Weston & Teston, Timothy Allen and many more. Like the name suggests, its releases are designed for big crowds, festival stages and massive warehouse nightclubs. He also launched Mainstage Techno Radio three years ago, a platform to share club-ready one-hour mixes, with over 100 episodes broadcast to date. His latest EP came on label 1605 in July, with two hard-hitting tracks — ‘Everything Done’ and ‘Medication’ — that he’s been rocking in his sets all summer.

This year he’s been working as hard as ever in the studio. “Delivering top notch music is essential to me,” he says. Highlights of his year include touring the USA with shows in Houston, New York, San Diego and Los Angeles, and an unforgettable sold out show in Argentina. “All the festivals have been sick this year too! It’s a great year and very happy everything is going in the right direction,” he tells DJ Mag. “I also traveled all over the world to play amazing shows for incredible people and fans. I couldn’t feel more blessed.”

Fave tune of 2024?

“‘YES B!TCH’!”

Rising star DJ/producer of 2024?

Most Popular

Faustix

From:Denmark

DJ style: “Big techno.”

Best known for: “Collaboration with Diplo, Faustix, Imanos and Kai called ‘Revolution’.”

Everything about 2024 was big and bold for Faustix. The Danish dance music lifer found a new sound over the course of the past year, where ropey and dramatic arpeggios dart in and out of brash techno kicks and every drop feels like barreling down a dopamine rollercoaster. Each release seemed to push the envelope further and further — from the soaring emotions of ‘Lead Me To Love You’ with vocalist Mougleta to ‘All My Friends Are Hot’, whose cheeky vocal flip (“All my friends are hot and only listen to techno”) was the perfect summer festival anthem. Add to that a teased remix of Belgian Stromae ‘Alors on danse’ and it’s clear that 2024 was, without a doubt, the year Faustix found a whole new groove.

While he’s certainly been busy in the studio, Faustix has also played everywhere — from 13,000 person raves in the middle of Copenhagen to gigs on the Faroe Islands. Faustix, in other words, hasn’t taken his foot off the gas for even a second. And, with each gig and release, he is testament to how much people still love pumping, hard-edged techno.

Fave tune of 2024?

“Dash Berlin ‘Till The Sky Falls Down’, it’s an all-time classic and still gets me