The Chainsmokers

From:New York (Alex) and Maine (Drew). Currently reside in Los Angeles.

DJ style:“EDM-pop.”

Best known for:“Grammy nominated, chart-topping singles.”

After nearly a decade of sustained crossover success, American DJ/producers Alex Pall and Drew Taggart’s pop sensibilities remain unimpeachable. The hits just keep coming for The Chainsmokers. Look at their six-track EP, ‘No Hard Feelings’, and accompanying smash hit single, ‘Addicted’ with Zerb and Ink, a rollicking pop/indie EDM joint that proved the Los Angeles-based duo’s staying power for the umpteenth time. Consider their darkly bubbling, briskly danceable crossover single ‘Don’t Lie’ with pop mogul Kim Petras. Think about their contribution to Coldplay’s new album ‘Moon Music’, a track titled ‘Good Feelings’ featuring Ayra Starr and disco iconoclast Nile Rodgers. But as two collaborators who’ve reached widespread acclaim throughout the broader pop music landscape, The Chainsmokers insist they’re crafting a deeper working relationship that isn’t so pop-centric. “We’re looking to go back to our roots next year and maybe do some more unofficial remixes to keep the releases coming between official drops,” they tell DJ Mag. Pall and Taggert are also seeking to impact the world outside of dance music via their Mantis VC private equity fund — but how that work might balance against potential studio time remains to be seen. Regardless, with an ever-expanding creative and financial portfolio it’s hard to imagine anything stopping The Chainsmokers’ continuing success.

Fave tune of 2024?

“Zerb ‘Mwaki’.”

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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