Indira Paganotto

From:Spain/Italy

DJ style:“Psy-trance.”

Best known for:“My blend of psy-trance and techno, and I love pushing boundaries with my label, ARTCORE.”

DJ Mag’s May cover star leaps up the poll following another whirlwind year of non-stop touring, running her label ARTCORE Records, curating ARTCORE showcases worldwide, making music with the likes of Joseph Capriati (check out the pair’s ‘Mantra’ EP), and helming a residency at Ibiza superclub Amnesia as part of Capriati’s Metamorfosi series.

While Indira is hands-on with every aspect of her artistry, from teaming up with the innovative GEKKO Agency, with whom she works closely to design ARTCORE’s distinct visual aesthetic across the platform, to selecting rising talents such as VALENTINØ, La Kajofol and Interactive Noise to feature in ARTCORE’s esteemed catalogue, Indira has not let her own production plans slide. This year alone, the Gran-Canaria-based impresario released another psy-shaped EP ‘Gipsy Queen’ on ARTCORE, which she tells DJ Mag, was one of her “personal highlights”. The Spanish-Italian artist also released the galloping single ‘Blackbird SR-71’ on Cercle, where she showcased the track at Cercle’s immersive festival at the National Air & Space Museum of France. Despite her jam-packed tour schedule and many projects on the go, Indira gives every gig, release, and ARTCORE initiative her all, in true “psy-mama” style.

Fave tune of 2024?

“Probably my own EP that I have been playing at almost every show: ‘Gipsy Queen’ EP.”

Rising star DJ/producer of 2024?

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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