22Bullets

From:Bangkok, Thailand

DJ style:“Electro-house / melodic techno.”

Best known for:“‘Bang Bang’.”

As South-East Asia continues to grow in stature as a dance music hotspot, so too does 22Bullets continue to prove why he’s one of Thailand’s most celebrated and in-demand producers. As well as an extensive summer tour across Thailand, China, Indonesia, Taiwan, Japan and Korea, this year 22Bullets also released a project he’s been working on for some time now — his debut album, ‘Life Begins After Dark’, a moody and melodic ten-tracker that includes a hefty cast of collaborators.

The Bangkok-based artist, real name Varun Sony, boasts an impressive list of previous collaborators too, including David Guetta, Bebe Rexha, Fedde Le Grand, R3HAB, KSHMR, and Timmy Trumpet. Teaming up with other producers and being influenced by other genres adds an extra edge to his tracks, he explains, “letting me see things I have not imagined before, and really helping my craft to glow”. It will be interesting to see where the next artistic partnership takes this rapidly rising talent.

Hero of 2023:“Anyma.”

Fave tune of 2023:“Swedish House Mafia’s ‘Ray Of Solar’.”

Best DJ set you’ve seen in 2023:“Swedish House Mafia at Ultra Miami.”

What was the most exciting tech development of 2023?“AI. It’s such a game changer and an

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Le Shuuk

From: Stuttgart, Germany

DJ style:“Hard dance / electro / hardstyle / techno / EDM.”

Best known for: “The tracks ‘Sandmann’, ‘Toast Hawaii’ and ‘Konje’, as well as being a resident and face of WORLD CLUB DOME Festival.”

A mainstay of the electronic scene for almost 20 years now, Stuttgart native Le Shuuk is no stranger to the rigours of touring. In the last 12 months, he decided to overhaul his lifestyle, committing to exercising regularly and abstaining from drinking during his shows. As a result, the DJ and producer, who is a favourite of the German festival circuit, says that he is having more fun on stage than ever. He credits these changes with allowing him to connect on a deeper level with his audiences, as well as redefine his career goals and look with renewed focus to the future.

The new healthy habits clearly agree with him. As well as recently performing at festivals and clubs across Europe, and holding his own Le Shuuk & Friends parties in his home city, he continues to build on the momentum of tracks like 2020’s peak-rave, German language tune ‘Sandmann’ and 2021’s hypnotic ‘Goodbye’ (featuring Xillions). This year he had another star turn with the explosive ‘Konje’, a collaboration with B-Stylezz that combined modern techno and EDM with the traditional elements of Bulgarian folk songs, with the track receiving big support from the likes of Armin van Buuren, Amelie Lens, and Joyhauser.