On Our Radar: April 2021

Hailing from Middlesbrough, UK, Rees AKA Adam Rees founded Paradiso Records in 2018, releasing Italo and indie dance music tracks from artists including Alex Aguayo, Juan MacLean, and Man Power. Rees is a production powerhouse himself, dropping his other-worldly, cosmic disco tracks on Me Me Me, Zone, and Nein, and he recently flexed his DJ skills with Feel My Bicep’s 150th Mix and a Fresh Kicks mix for DJMag. But Rees is just warming up. This year he’s set to drop new tracks and EPs on Alan Dixon’s Love Attack, Permanent Vacation, and Bordello a Parigi. With fingers in this many pies, there’s no doubt he’ll be making massive sound waves in 2021.

Voin Oruwu proudly featured in Boiler Room’s first-ever Ukrainian edition in 2018 and has continued to spearhead Kiev’s underground scene ever since. Real name Dmitriy Avksentiev, he’s a regular at Kiev’s infamous CXEMA party held in various post-industrial venues across the capital. 2021’s already been a big year for Oruwu. He released “Steel” on Nastia’s Nechto Records and teamed up with digital artist Simon Kounovsky to release “Inertia” on Standard Deviation. “Inertia” is a virtual reality and audiovisual collaboration that explores humanity’s relationship with earth and the dystopian consequences of our behaviour towards the environment. You can watch the teaser here.

With releases on REALM, Black Book, and more, Miane’s been on a tear recently. The Ibiza-based artist is a music-making machine, an ambassador of tech house and a pioneer of peak-time club bangers. In 2020 she channeled that Ibiza energy into production, releasing approximately one gazillion tunes including collaborations and remixes with acts like Chris Lake, Kormak, and Eli Brown. She’s all set to release even more in 2021, with three tracks and one EP under her belt already and the next available to pre-order here. Nominated for a DJ Award in 2019, Miane’s relentless work ethic and unparalleled talent have caught the attention of global heavyweights including Nicole Moudaber and Gorgon City.

Born and raised in Inglewood, CA, Brandon Lucas gets his inspiration from the R&B and gospel music he grew up with. His electronic-soul productions are uplifting and haunting all at once, demonstrated beautifully in his 2020 release “Got That Hope” on Purple Label Sound, an imprint that elevates BIPOC and other underrepresented artists in electronic music. Seth Troxler liked the track enough to remix it. Last month Lucas released a rendition of “Love No Limit” by Mary J. Blige, a tribute to the music that shaped him and the dance floor that made him. In 2021 Lucas will continue to explore his authentic self through music, with the aim of bringing people together with his inclusive and positive mindset.

Cut DJ Mell G and she’ll bleed electro. With track titles like “He My Hoe,” “WORK THAT SHIT OUT!” and “Ass Inspector,” the artist’s productions are an extension of her personality — confident, playful and outrageously energetic. With a BPM hovering around 160 at all times, you might feel like you’ve been concussed after listening to her 2020 EP DESTROY MELL G on childsplay. With recent releases on Spinnup, Weltgast and Planeteria Soundsytem and mixes with ILIAN TAPE and Rinse FM, DJ Mell G isn’t letting up. She launched Juicy Gang Records earlier this year, and will soon be releasing breakbeat bangers as unapologetic as the label head herself. 2021 better be ready.

Ray Kandinski’s production style is so intelligent, sleek and meticulous it figures he’s a full-time UX designer. The Hannover-born, Berlin-based artist grew up on a diet of footwork and jungle and that, combined with his interest in technology, defines his productions. Kandinski’s releases on Arcane, E-Beamz, and Lost Palms have been compared to Yaeji and DJ Boring, and his regular appearances on NTS Radio and Hör Berlin have built him a solid fanbase in Europe and beyond. In February he released his Out Of The Dark EP on Record Union, a mind-bending 4-track homage to minimal house, groove and electronica, and he released his first NFT on Zora last month.

Alice Austin is a freelance writer from London, based in Berlin. She writes for Mixmag, Beatportal, Huck, Dummy, Electronic Beats, and more. She likes to explore politics and youth culture through the lens of music, a vocation that has led her round the world. She can be reached and/or followed via Twitter and Instagram.