Paul van Dyk

From:Germany.

DJ style:“Advanced electronic music.”

Best known for:“Unique, driving, high energetic, emotive live sets.”

In 2024 Paul van Dyk had plenty of projects to keep him busy. His VENTURE X tour continued in Greece, Hungary, Taiwan, Colombia, Mexico and The Netherlands, during which he played hybrid DJ/live sets that ranged between techno, trance, progressive house and beyond. During the summer season, van Dyk was resident for SHINE Ibiza, one of Eden’s flagship events and the island’s premier trance night. Earlier this October he brought his Escape Reality show to Berlin Cathedral, performing an audio-visual ambient set in the altar area, in collaboration with the city’s Festival Of Lights. The set marked the 20th anniversary of the festival and the 30th anniversary of his evergreen tune ‘For An Angel’, which was recently re-issued on double vinyl with fresh remixes.

Beyond his full calendar of DJ gigs, he penned the summer anthem for SHINE alongside Amos, Riot Night and Matt Noland, ‘SHINE Together Now’, and ‘Love Is Enough’ with Sue McLaren, before unleashing the harder, heavier ‘Filthy Acid’, a more techno-leaning cut full of writhing 303 basslines. Paul van Dyk also found time to work on his forthcoming new album ‘This World Is Ours’, which will explore the pertinent theme of how AI will impact our lives in a variety of ways.

Fave tune 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