As clubs and festivals gradually reopened in 2022, producers and DJs continued their prolific output – many, like Four Tet who reinvented techno’s rules were on track for big things.
Bonobo’s Fragments was an experimental album straddling jazz and soundsystem history with Theo Parrish-influenced organic house productions from his label, as well as unclassifiable sounds such as Dora Jar and PawPaw Rod’s debut releases making an impactful statement about who they were as musical artists.
Himera
Himera is an emerging star in electronic dance music. His passion for this form is apparent in his music, which boasts classic jungle beats as well as experimental mixes. Himera’s work showcases all the possibilities that lie within electronic music‘s expansive realms.
Although many artists have had to curtail live performances due to the pandemic, there are plenty of up and coming DJs and producers pushing forward with innovative sounds. Here are six artists showcasing what to expect in 2022’s electronic dance music scene.
London-based producer Parris is making waves with his eclectic mixtapes. His debut album, Soaked in Indigo Moonlight, features fast beats interspersed with ambient and pop. Additionally, Parris has ventured into classical realms through commissions from BBC Scottish Symphony and premieres of amplified percussion orchestra pieces at La Jolla Symphony.
Himera-work group will perform Topias Tiheasalo’s Tasayo at Titanik Gallery on Thursday 23 May for several hours, exploring physical and spatial aspects of sound with passages of sparse beauty alternating with mass harmonic washes. Members of Himera include Marja Ahti (percussion and electronic instruments), Niko-Matti Ahti (recordings and objects), Topias Tiheasalo (electric guitar and baroque lute) and Rasmus Ostling (electronics/trumpet).
Swedish saxophonist Johann Arrias is active in improvised and experimental music. His approach emphasizes deconstructing traditional ways of playing his instrument to focus on its sound as an autonomous entity, using concepts and graphic notation as composition tools. He organizes concerts under his series KROCH as well as running his label Ausculto Fonogram; collaborates with various musicians such as Christian Wolff, Keith Rowe and Taku Sugimoto – featuring premieres such as his piece Umbra & Penumbra for amplified percussion and orchestra premiered at La Jolla Symphony orchestra in February 2021.
Nia Archives
Nia Archives is one of the UK’s most exciting new producers, known for her cutting-edge lo-fi sound that spans jungle and drum and bass music. Since making her debut EP ‘Headz Gone West’ and singles such as ‘Sober Feels’ have garnered millions of Spotify streams. She’s already earned awards including NME/BandLab’s ‘One to Watch 2022″ award as well as MOBO Award’s Best Electronic/Dance Act Award as well as nominating BBC Introducing’s Artist Of The Year nominee. Nia Archives’ debut EP ‘Headz Gone West’ was released with singles such as ‘Sober Feels’ having already garner awards such as NME/BandLab awards (awarded).
Nia’s music captures the excitement and club culture associated with dancing and club culture while paying homage to both Black British and Jamaican roots of junglist dance music subgenre. She represents an emerging new generation of junglists reclaiming dance music subgenre for people of color while adding melodic elements from contemporary pop and R&B genres.
Nia, an English artist known for her popular releases such as ‘Headz Gone West’ and ‘Sober Feels’ as well as her 2022 breakthrough release ‘Forbidden Feelingz’ is making waves in her industry. Recently she made it onto Beatport Top 200 Artist list as well as being featured by publications like Rolling Stone UK, Mixmag and Vogue among many more; furthermore her music has received praise from Pitchfork, The Fader and i-D.
Nia has become a household name on radio stations such as BBC 1Xtra, Kiss and Rinse. Nia has graced dance tents at Reading & Leeds festivals as well as Glastonbury; she is also regularly heard on BBC Radio 1. Nia recently released a six-track EP entitled Sunrise Bang Ur Head Against Tha Wall which chronicles her personal journey through love, loss, rejection and estrangement.
Nia will release her debut album ‘Silence Is Loud’ this spring and it promises to be another game changer. The producer leads us on an atmospheric nighttime journey of jazz, soul and dub music with skipping breakbeat drums, minimal Detroit techno percussion and gospel samples; an album which proves there is power even in silence.
Black Cadmium
Black Cadmium, one of the Netherlands’s premier emerging artists in electronic music, stands out among its ranks as an impressive newcomer. This duo utilizes pulsating beats and mesmerizing melodies to craft an intoxicating soundscape that transports listeners into another realm. From dance music tracks to soothing ambient songs – this Dutch duo has something to offer every genre!
Dream Computer (2023), Black Cadmium’s debut full-length album, is an intoxicating journey through space. Packed with intricate melodies and mesmerizing rhythms that keep listeners’ attention engaged from start to finish, each track showcases different landscapes of electronic music ranging from delicate tones such as “Dream Computer” to hard beats on “Acceleratus.”
Black Cadmium stands out as a Dutch duo bursting with passion for music that’s evident in their work; their ambition as producers keeps pushing the envelope while they expand their sonic spectrum.
2022 will see Black Cadmium explore new sonic realms and provide immersive listening experiences. Their latest single “Sexy Acid,” blends acid house influences with techno to produce an addictive rhythm; its catchy bassline and mesmerizing melodies engage listeners from start to finish.
Black Cadmium are DJs and producers with a solid reputation in the industry. Their music blends second-hand Detroit DNA with their own style to produce an infectious blend of techno dancefloor heat.
Black Cadmium’s diverse array of influences has enabled them to create an exciting sound that has connected with listeners worldwide, leaving an indelible imprint on electronic music’s future.
Coco Em
Coco Em’s creative soundscapes captivate listeners with a compelling energy, stretching beyond conventional electronic beats and dance rhythms to push boundaries of conventional electronic beats and dance rhythms. She has earned herself a place among Kenya’s most sought-after DJs by performing at venues such as Boiler Room Nairobi and Nyege Nyege in Uganda as well as Trans Musicales France as well as Worldwide FM in Nairobi where she holds residencies.
Coco Em’s debut EP Kilumi showcases the vibrant energy of music that keeps her moving through times of struggle and adversity. Conceived and recorded at Santuri East Africa studios – a Nairobi-based non-profit organisation which empowers young artists through mentoring – it was then further refined and produced together with some Kenyan friends such as MC Sharon, Wuod Baba, Ndunge wa Kalele, Janice Iche and Sisian & Kasiva over time to form its final shape.
Coco created an eclectic collection of electronic genres spanning amapiano to house and trap. Her lyrics capture her feelings of heartbreak and loss as well as capture both euphoria and anxiety associated with being female all through an orchestrated chaos of synths and drum machines.
She has found an effective way of engaging her local community through “Sim Sima”, a workshop program with the purpose of teaching people Ableton Live and encouraging them to take control of their creative practices by increasing confidence. These online workshops are open to anyone of all experience levels; she has found that empowering others to take charge of their production is the key to creating change; those who appropriate work from other cultures without giving credit are sometimes called culture vultures – an apt term given the context of this workshop program.