GORDO

From:“I’m a Nicaraguan-American who spent part the majority of my childhood growing up in Guatemala before moving to Frederick, Maryland.”

DJ style:“It depends if it is a standard GORDO set or an extended set or a hybrid set.”

Best known for:“The recent release of my debut album, ‘DIAMANTE’. I think I am also best known for my party brand TARAKA as well.”

The big news for GORDO this year was the final release of his debut sixteen-track album ‘DIAMANTE’, a project that has been five years in the making. The album is packed with huge collabs including two songs with Drake and appearances including Fuerza Regida, T-Pain, Maluma, Leon Bridges, Larry June and many more. According to the man himself, it’s “the best collection of music I have ever released, and truly speaks to who I am today”. He also found time this year to drop a few non-album jams with Wachtel, Haustuff and Jeria too, taking in a variety of crossover dance and electronic styles. There’s a similarly broad range of genres on ‘DIAMANTE’, all of which reflects GORDO’s latest approach to DJing, what he calls “…my new ‘hybrid sets ’format, where I spin a variety of my favourite records ranging from 120bpm to 160bpm”. He’s certainly ha

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