Don Diablo

From:The Netherlands

DJ style:“Future music.”

Best known for:“Living in a Hexagon-shaped world.”

Future house pioneer Don Diablo says he’s been touring “more than ever” over the past 12 months. That’s meant club shows at Exchange LA, Pacha Ibiza, New City Gas in Montréal, Echostage in Washington, DC and London’s E1, and festival slots at Hungary’s Balaton Sound, Romania’s Neversea, Creamfields in the UK, and Tomorrowland’s original Belgian edition and its Brazilian offshoot (amongst many others). Don’s been busy in the studio too, with a new album on the horizon, and “a heap load of singles, remixes and edits to quench the fans’ thirst as much as possible” dropping throughout the year. This has included the roaring ‘Extended VIP’ of his collab with Azteck, ‘You’re Not Alone’, released via Don’s Hexagon imprint, the sultry ‘Feelings’ for Virgin, and most recently the glittering ‘Let Me Love You’ for Spinnin’.

Don’s empire has long extended beyond just his musical output and this year his popular Hexagon clothing line saw a new drop featuring a collaboration with his favourite TV show, ’80s-set teen sci-fi horror phenomenon,Stranger Things.(He’s previously collab’d on an official Star Wars line, a movie franchise that Don is a super-fan of). And having moved into the world of visual art, he’s also “been busy in my atelier working on new installations and art pieces for upcoming art exhibitions in 2024 and beyond”. Phew!

Hero of 2023:“Sam Al

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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.