KSHMR

From:Berkeley, CA

DJ style: “Big room, psy, drum & bass, hardstyle.”

Best known for: “Combining world (especially Indian) instruments and cinematic sounds with dance music.”

2024 marks ten years of Niles Hollowell-Dhar in the Top 100 DJs list. In 2015, the DJ and producer stormed the biggest music poll for the first time, re-introducing himself to the world as KSHMR following years of success in hip-hop/electro duo The Cataracs.

The common thread throughout Hollowell-Dhar’s KSHMR project is his passion for fusing EDM with cinematic sounds and traditional instrumentation, bringing unlikely inspirations to the table and innovating the dance music scene. He also might be one of the busiest artists out there, regularly sharing production tips through his YouTube channel and speaking at industry events about his creative process.

In the past 12 months he took on a North American club tour, released a hip-hop album (‘KARAM’), scored a film, and dropped a number of singles (‘Out Of Control’, ‘Aawara’, ‘Happy’, ‘All Night’) and remixes (‘Take Me Home, Country Roads’, ‘Devotion’). Hollowell-Dhar also started on the fifth edition of ‘Sounds Of KSHMR’, which is expected to drop sometime next year. If that wasn’t enough, he did a huge summer tour, playing Ultra, Parookaville, Open Beatz, Creamfields Shenzhen, S20 and Sunrise Festival, to name a few. He may be ten years in, but in many ways KSHMR is just getting started.

Fave track of 2024?

“I love ‘BACKBONE’ by Chase & Status and Stormzy.”

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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