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Gisela Lindhorst aka OHMYGi makes her presence known with her debut single “I’m Danger,” out now.

This Chilean-born talent earned the inaugural Icon Collective Women’s Scholarship and Icon Ambassador Award, allowing her to hone in on her unique vision in Los Angeles in recent years. As a producer, singer, songwriter, and performing artist — OHMYGi’s self expression is on full display with her very first release.

The song is raw and unapologetic, setting the tone for OHMYGi’s upcoming album Danger in Pink. Described as a bilingual banger, “I’m Danger” is a blend of her native Spanish and improved English with heavy basslines and ripping lyrics. The OHMYGi project drips with originality and we already can’t wait to hear more.

On a deeper level, OHMYGi expresses her point of view on female oppression and holds space for awareness to have “each one [of] us play their active role” in the community while also awakening the feminine power.

Listen below and watch the music video here!

OHMYGi – I’m Danger

Connect with OHMYGi

SoundCloud | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: OHMYGi Drops Unapologetic Debut Single “I’m Danger” [LISTEN]

The latest from Alison Wonderland, “Fear of Dying,” is nothing short of a masterpiece.

Through the dizzying sounds of “Fear of Dying,” which Alison wrote and produced, she unpacks feelings of anxiety and crippling fear of losing someone close to you. The vulnerability AW exhibits is as present as ever in this new single, as she begins a new journey by confronting her past head on.

“Fear of Dying” comes on the heels of “Fuck U Love U,” a certified trap banger tinged with dark, relatable emotion that instinctively tugs at heart strings. These back-to-back releases showcase AW’s ability to keep her signature sound intact, while gracefully evolving and tackling especially painful subjects.

The “Fear of Dying” music video (directed by Brandon Dremer) brings the song’s concept to life, as Alison holds her former self captive and ultimately leaves the past behind, making for a nail-biting finish.

Watch below and go down the rabbit hole here.

Alison Wonderland – Fear of Dying

Photo Credit: Jared Tinetti

This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Alison Wonderland Unleashes Trademark Masterpiece “Fear of Dying” [WATCH]

Porter Robinson and his now-fiancée Rika Mikuriya are officially engaged! The two shared the news on Instagram today and we couldn’t be more excited for the couple.

Rika wrote, “thank you for accepting me and taking me in to be yours. i’m so shocked and at the same time so thankful that someone who is so kindhearted, supportive, and loving like you wants to continue to spend the rest of his life with me. i can’t wait to marry you, porter. you’re the love of my life.”

Porter offered his own thoughts, “i am engaged to the love of my life! i have never met someone so inspiring, so constantly sincere, so quietly strong and resilient, and so beautifully kind – to everyone, always, even when nobody is watching. none of this is hyperbole – rika is one in a trillion. rika, you are my soulmate and i cannot wait to marry you!”

The two were officially engaged on New Year’s Eve.

This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Porter Robinson & Rika Mikuriya Announce Their Engagement

Michael Baker is certainly not a new artist. He’s not even new to Your EDM, as we’ve featured his group Head Fake and their new wave style previously. Baker’s new solo project, Hasten Mercy, is new, however, and more EDM-focused. With the first EP, These Things laced with Happy Mondays-style rave pop, heavier, future bass/dubstep vibes and loads of ambient sound design and synth work, it sounds like Baker’s testing the waters for his breakout solo style.

With a clear love for early electronica as is evidenced by Head Fake, the first track on Baker’s first Hasten Mercy release it “Star You Are,” a 90s Brit poptronica-inspired romp whose main piano and synth work is such an homage to the Mondays’ “Step On” that one might even mistake Baker for a much more melodic and less psychedelic Shaun Ryder. The content contained in the lyrics is also quite a bit more uplifting and inclusive. It’s an interesting opener, but certainly bridges the gap well from Head Fake’s new wave to the more modern tracks on These Things.

Following “Star You Are” is “I Break Everything,” the much more introspective and self-deprecating but also more modern ballad-style pop track with lashings of drone and ambient synth work behind the soft digital organ driving the vocal melody. It becomes clear from “I Break Everything” that the tracks on These Things are thematically, if not musically connected. The lyrics of “Star You Are” being so expansive juxtaposed with those of “I Break Everything” coming back down to earth and expressing the difficulty with relationships and the fear of emotional intimacy despite that expansive philosophical ability. How does one reconcile macro and mirco? Very few of us are true masters. Baker’s vocals in these tracks doesn’t pretend to solve this problem; just hopes others can relate.

These Things closes with the title track also the most EDM-heavy track, and the relationship and theme of the EP becomes even more clear. The barely audible backing drone synth from “I Break Everything” carries into “These Things” and takes a more prominent role. Still pop in the sense that it’s composed with the lyrics being the driving force, “These Things” shows Baker’s mastery of synth and sound design, this track would fit right in at a rave as break music and is begging to be remixed. Also quite introspective and focused on the slings and arrows of social interaction, the difficulties of connecting with others and the need to connect despite anxiety and nervousness is something even the most extroverted of social butterflies can certainly relate to after two years of isolation.

Far from coming full circle, Baker’s lyrical observations in These Things have no answer despite the expansive tone of “Star You Are.” Rather, they’re a continuation of not just Hasten Mercy’s but the collective dialog about all the different facets of being human. As we roll into the new year and the possible third year of COVID, it’s good to remember everyone’s reconciling the expansive with the grounded, the sublime with the worldly. It’s a strange ride humankind is on, but it’s also somehow noble. These Things are everyone’s things, and the point might simply be the journey, so we might as well explore them.

These Things is out now and can be streamed on Spotify. Check out Head Fake’s YouTube for more synths and videos.

This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: New Artist Spotlight: Hasten Mercy Channels 90s Indie Pop With New EP ‘These Things’ [Global Heist] [Video]

Everyone loves a bit of Cockney rhyming slang: “up the apples and pears” for “up the stairs” or “what’s this box of toys” for “what’s this noise?” et al. are examples of the cheeky wordplay which, though most prevalent in Victorian East London, still snakes its way into the modern vernacular. As a nod to those cheeky UK cultural signposts also contained in its musical composition, Seattle duo The Nylon Admirals’ newest single could only be called “Butcher’s Hook,” the Cockney rhyme for “look.”

Extremely cheeky in their own stylistic right, The Nylon Admirals are already known to love a good homage, with their J-pop/kawai take on Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun” (vocals by Hastune Miku) off last year’s debut LP Drama being one of their most-streamed on Spotify to-date. Indeed much of their work is a genre-melding spitfire of not-quite-experimental electronica that utilizes the amen break so liberally you’d think we were actually back in 1991 at the cusp of UK hardcore and jungle. That is, until the composition of The Nylon Admirals’ tracks comes into focus.

Also clearly fans of prog rock, classical composition, opera and early, Switched-on Bach-style electronica, The Nylon Admirals like to mash up literally all music eras and genres with their much-loved ameny breakbeat basslines. As an example, their most recent “Sono Binario” single combines operatic vocals, industrial beats and video game synths. From Drama again, “The Blind Watchmaker” brings in literal opera and analog classical piano to a standard breakbeat while “We Were Romans” samples 80s techno stings with classical choir, military battle calls and, um banjos? Did we just hear that right? It works, however, despite often sounding like the spaghettified random noise that may one day reach a distant star via a black hole. If Zappa had made electronic music, it would have been close to this. At the very least, he would have appreciated it.

“Butcher’s Hook” is mercifully more cohesive and less all over the place, but with no less mashup flare. Again mercifully grounded by an ameny breakbeat that sort of straddles 140 and 170, the main synth is sort of an old sea shanty-style melody that seems to be played on a zither or similar, also accompanied by a celestial vox-and-strings secondary melody that takes the track into The Nylon Admirals’ other important calling card: flawless ambient sound design. In “Butcher’s Hook,” perhaps because of it not being quite so chaotic, the sound design and theatrical background work – an element that is prevalent in all their tracks, mind you – is on full display and really sells the sound here. This is EDM crossover stuff; no wonder the duo named Hans Zimmer as one of their influences; they’re damn close with this track.

Accompanied by its cool, steampunk-styled video, “Butcher’s Hook” promises to be an actual hook for the larger EDM audience to experience the wonderful weirdness that is The Nylon Admirals. While their wacky, well-composed, we-didn’t-even-know-that-could-be-fusion fusion electronica may not be for everyone, it’s definitely, as the duo themselves say, “electronic music for thrill-seekers.”

“Butcher’s Hook” is out now and can be streamed with the rest of The Nylon Admirals’ discography on Spotify. Check out their other videos and remixes on their YouTube channel.

This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: New Artist Spotlight: Take a ‘Butcher’s Hook’ at Unconventional Breakbeat Act, The Nylon Admirals [Video]

So, here we are once again — the end of another year. While 2020 presented its own obvious challenges, 2021 (in general) fared much better for artists with the return of festivals and live events. Though, even that came with its own caveats with vaccine and testing requirements, and now omicron bumping up case loads across the world. COVID might just be something we have to deal with for the rest of our lives. Thankfully, we have music to fill our lives with joy and there are plenty of names you should be paying attention to heading into the new year.

We happy present our annual Your EDM’s Top 40 Artists To Watch list for 2022, with 40 fresh names, some you may have heard of, others maybe not. In particular this year, we have a few artists with less than 100 monthly listeners on Spotify (at time of publishing): DRFT (21), Sejo (28), and Tearsofmine (67). On the vast other side, we have ACRAZE with 21 million listeners, thanks to his breakout his “Do It, To It.” Typically we wouldn’t include someone with that many active listeners, but considering it was his first breakout hit, we need to see what more he has to offer next year.

Another point of pride in this year’s list is the diversity, with 37.5% of the names being women, and 25% of them people of color. Artists like Tsu Nami, SENZA, and HoneyLuv are putting in double work proving that POC women not only deserve a seat at the table, they are in some cases doing far more than their male counterparts.

Our featured artist this year is Justin Hawkes, who has been the most vocal proponent of drum & bass in America over the last year. Formerly known as Flite, Justin Hawkes has been a driving force in pushing the genre in the US and has the track record, both discography and shows, to show for it.

As we do every year, we’ve picked our 40 artists who we feel will have an incredible year in 2022, not just in their own personal careers, but also on the electronic music scene as a whole. As a reminder, we do our best not to repeat names year after year so as to give new artists the spotlight. So if you don’t see the name of an artist you feel has had a great year and is destined for more, it’s more than likely we featured them in the past six years.

2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021

See Your EDM’s Artists To Watch in 2022 list below. Congratulations to all who are featured! We expect big things of you next year.

helloworld | Sejo | BRUER | qwaston | Dot | Tsu Nami | SENZA
Friendzone | Claymore | Saka | REVEL | Justin Hawkes | Pauline Herr | ACRAZE
Entel | Tearsofmine | DRFT | lupa | Poni | HELLBOUND! | LAYZ | Canabliss
Miane | HoneyLuv | FrostTop | Capozzi | NotLö | VEIL | Gelus
AIRGLO | PawS | Mport | Ranger Trucco | Joshwa | Nikademis
Redrum | KILL SCRIPT | Zingara | Gibson Parker | Allen Mock

Featured image via Jake West Photo

This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Your EDM’s Top 40 Artists To Watch in 2022

Dubstep pioneers and legends Skream and Benga haven’t worked together in years. Despite both being catalysts for the rise of a worldwide genre, both eventually went on other paths. Skream began producing house and disco around 2015, while Benga unfortunately dealt with mental health issues that took precedence over his musical career.

Benga released his Future Funk EP in 2016 and another single in 2018, but his releases since 2012 only number five. Skream has had a successful career performing since his transition. But the two haven’t appeared on a track together since 2010’s Magnetic Man with Artwork.

Skream announced the return of the duo yesterday promising new music in 2022 — in fact, he said they’ve already finished two collaborations. (He also mentioned two finished collabs with Friction, with whom he hasn’t put out a track since 2013.)

Keep an eye out next year for more news on this!

The boys are back in town….
Skream X @iambenga 2.0…..
2022 we’re having it.

— Oliver Jones (@I_Skream) December 27, 2021

This trip in NZ has been productive so far considering I haven’t done any shows… Collabs with @iambenga (2) @friction (2) @Kid_Drama (1) and a studio session with @Prospauk on the cards….

— Oliver Jones (@I_Skream) December 27, 2021

This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Dubstep Pioneers, Legends Skream x Benga Returning In 2022

Guest contribution from Christina Hayek

Today I join Your EDM as a guest contributor to share my experience attending the second MDLBeast Sandstorm Festival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia which featured performances by Axwell & Ingrosso, Major Lazer, David Guetta, and Armin Van Buuren among many others. When initially invited, I felt compelled to see how music was continuously evolving in the region, especially in a predominantly Islamic state, so I decided to join the Your EDM team on this journey to witness it firsthand. What unfolded before my eyes was truly something I will be processing for a very long time. As an personally identifying Arab American female whose parent escaped a civil war in the Middle East by seeking refuge in America, seeing a young generation of Arabs in Saudi Arabia dancing freely in a large public space was nothing short of inspiring and truly moving.

Photo by Neville Hopwood/Getty Images for MDLBEAST SOUNDSTORM

There were some reservations about making the long journey and expedition to the Middle East, let alone to a country that historically did not pride itself in having a full spectrum of freedom of musical expression. It seemed daunting and a bit terrifying. But what we came to find there was nothing short of the exact opposite. The journey began with an invite to the inaugural XP Conference, a 3-day excursion full of panels, workshops, Q&As about topics such as feminism and the progress happening in the industry covering Talent, Scene, Policy, and Impact. The newer generation who were leading these discussions were proud of their heritage and progressive in their views. It was impressive and inspiring to witness, especially seeing it run by a team of strong women, which made the beginning of the adventure that much more reassuring.

As we started to get our bearings and recover from the jet lag, we really began to feel the true hospitality of the region and how welcoming the Saudis were to us foreigners; they showed nothing but kindness and hospitality, as well as shared their date fruits with us that tasted like pure melted caramel. We had the pleasure of sharing many conversations with locals that crossed a lot of geopolitical boundaries — we bonded over our love for EDM and our shared hatred of standardized school tests, we even sang along to Ariana Grande together. The Saudi Gen Zs and Millennials had fashion swag that would put the average New Yorker to shame.

As the first day of the festival arrived, we did observe and were affected by some logistical nuances that could be chalked up to new festival jitters in a region not familiar with throwing large scale events. Miscommunication between English and Arabic staff made for a bit of rough-around-the-edges entry into the grounds, but it was quickly made up for by the eight mind-blowing stages, design visuals, pyrotechnics, and the beautiful sculptured art scattered around the large grounds.

Photo by Darren Arthur/Getty Images for MDLBEAST SOUNDSTORM

One of the most remarkable sights was the initiative called Respect & Reset. Teams of trained responders were available throughout the event grounds, dispatched as needed to intervene and take action to reports of harassment. Anyone violating the MDLBEAST Code of Conduct or Anti-Harassment Policy was faced with immediate removal from the event site and referred to legal authorities.

The most beautiful sight to see, outside of the massive stages and firework displays overnight, was the energy from the attendees. Many coming from the surrounding region, they were nothing short of exuberant in their ecstasy to be there. Even in a sober environment, the energy level was more infectious than most festivals I have attended around the world. They were there to purely just experience the full scale synesthetic immersion into music. I am honored I got to stand alongside them and share in their pure joy. Notably, seeing the attendees share a dance floor with females and cheer on the female DJs that were playing is something that will not only shape the next generation but inspire other countries to follow suit.

Photo by Darren Arthur/Getty Images for MDLBEAST SOUNDSTORM

As the festival came to an end, and the team was able to reflect on the past week, we realized that the progress being made in the country is clearly showing and authentic, I left feeling rejuvenated and excited about the future. I will never forget the opportunity I had to witness this investment of music and progress in the Middle East alongside the foreign media staff. Saudi, you left a mark on my heart, I cannot wait to see what you are capable of contributing to the global dance music scene in the future.

Photo by Neville Hopwood/Getty Images for MDLBEAST SOUNDSTORM

Featured image by Neville Hopwood/Getty Images for MDLBEAST SOUNDSTORM

This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: MDLBEAST SOUNDSTORM Ushers In A New Age Of Musical Freedom In Saudi Arabia [REVIEW]

Back when melodic dubstep was just becoming a thing, all the way back in the early 2010s, a few names stood out — Skrux, Seven Lions, Singularity, MitiS, and most elusive of all, Blackmill. Blackmill’s output was sparse but perfectly captured the essence of the genre, with brilliantly emotional melodies, crisp drums, and a bass that felt like it was wrapping you in a warm blanket.

Blackmill’s only albums, Reach For Glory and Miracle, both came out in 2011. Though he’s released a few singles here and there in the years since, it has been ten years since his last album … until this Saturday. The beloved artist has announced his first new album in a decade, Home, will be released on Christmas Day.

Excited and nervous. New album ‘Home’ will be releasing Xmas day! I’ll post links to the album when they are available and a video on my YouTube channel.

Hope you lovely people like it

Much love x

— Blackmill (@BlackmillMusic) December 23, 2021

If you’re a fan of Blackmill, you’ll recognize the album title is the same as a track he put out on YouTube all the way back in 2012. He confirmed on Twitter that it is the opening track of the album.

Photo by Adi Nayev

This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Beloved Melodic Dubstep Artist Blackmill Announces First New Album In A Decade, Out On Christmas

After already selling out of Tier 1 tickets, ULTRA Europe has unveiled a stacked Phase 1 lineup of headliners performing at Park Mladeži in Split, Croatia from July 8 –10, 2022.

The eighth annual edition of the world’s premier destination music festival will feature headliners including Adam Beyer, Alesso, Afrojack, Armin van Buuren, Joseph Capriati, Martin Garrix, Nina Kraviz, Oliver Heldens, Richie Hawtin, Tiësto, Timmy Trumpet and Vini Vici.

Martin Garrix, who was ranked number one on DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJs list for three consecutive years, will return to ULTRA Europe following his stadium-smashing performance at the festival in 2017. At every one of the high-energy performances, Garrix showcases his intrinsic capability to uplift and connect with his audience.

ULTRA Worldwide’s esteemed techno and house concept RESISTANCE will once again showcase the festival’s darker shades of underground sounds. Stockholm-based DJ Adam Beyer continues to pull on the heartstrings of modern techno like few others can. The internationally-renowned Siberian selector Nina Kraviz will also make her debut performance, and is sure to dole out her unmistakable, experimental soundscapes. Italian underground virtuoso and ULTRA Europe fan favorite Joseph Capriati will once again showcase his beautifully melodic sounds, and three-time DJ Awards winner Richie Hawtin is ready to bring back his unique landscape of minimal yet highly-danceable techno.

ULTRA Europe is ready to set the bar higher than ever before and treat fans to a once-in-a-lifetime travel experience, with numerous production surprises in store.

Tier 1 tickets are already sold out, and Tier 2 tickets can be purchased on the official website at price for €149 for three-day GA ticket. ULTRA Passport holders can purchase the Passport Pack and secure 6 tickets for the price of 5.

ULTRA Europe is also offering the ultimate seven-day Destination ULTRA ticket for €339, which will grant access to all events during the Destination ULTRA week – including an exclusive opportunity for the first 250 purchasers to attend the ULTRA Europe Sunset Family Dinner on Island of Vis before the Closing Party starts. Be sure to get your ULTRA Europe tickets today, and be a part of the world’s premier destination music festival.

Tickets on sale now at ultraeurope.com/tickets

Photo via Rukes.com

This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: ULTRA Europe Unveils Phase 1 Lineup: Martin Garrix, Tiësto, Alesso, Nina Kraviz & more