MORTEN

From:Denmark

DJ style:“Energetic.”

Best known for:“Future rave.”

Fave tune of 2022: “Massano ‘The Feeling’.”

Rising star DJ/producer of 2022:“Fred again..”

2022 has been a wild ride for everyone in electronic music: that merry-go-round has been spinning unfathomably fast in a bid to make up for time lost to a pandemic that nearly marked a career end for scores of artists, managers, promoters, agents, and many more involved in the industry. If the new world spins fast for most, though, MORTEN has been travelling at light speed since debuting at No.39 in last year’s Top 100 DJs poll.

His collaborative work with global titan David Guetta certainly has a lot to do with it. Together, the pair have carved out a niche in the ‘future rave’ sound, elements of progressive house, trance, and EDM melded together to create something that clearly resonates with today’s main stage audience, yet is also cloaked in an air of nostalgia. But chalking the Dane’s success down to that partnership alone is reductive, and ignores his near-15 years on the dance circuit and extensive back catalogue of solo hits, from ‘Højere Vildere’ to ‘No Good’.

What’s the best DJ set you’ve seen this year?

“David Guetta at Ushuaïa Ibiza.”

Name one great festival you played for the first time this year…

“Barcelona Beach Festival.”

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Cuebrick

From:Germany

DJ style:“Progressive house.”

Best known for:“‘Squid Game’ with Blasterjaxx.”

Fave tune of 2022:“James Hype ‘Ferrari’.”

Rising star DJ/producer of 2022:“Marten Horger.”

What’s the best DJ set you’ve seen this year?“Tale Of Us, Afterlife show at the Brooklyn Mirage.”

After finishing just outside of the Top 100 in 2021, this year German DJ and producer Cuebrick breaks in for the first time this year. He now sits at the top table of global dance music after standout shows everywhere from Los Angeles to San Francisco, Singapore to Bangkok.

While releasing big tunes on labels like Spinnin Records, Armada and Ultra Music, he also works as a radio-host on bigFM’s nitroX show, which is the biggest radio platform for electronic music in Germany.

This year he has worked on a new sound which he says “can best be described as a fusion of different elements from genres such as techno, hard techno, and trance. Hard techno kicks are the foundation, with classic trance synthesizers.” It’s a sound that has seemingly connected with fans, who will be pleased to learn Cuebrick has signed a deal meaning “Smash the House will be the main home for my music for at least the next two years.”

Name one great festival you played for the first time this year…

“Hypercat Festival at Noa Beach Club.”

What’s the longest DJ set you’ve