Photo by: Countdown NYE
Written by: Mark Apuzzo
The days in December are ticking down to New Year’s Eve as the air of anticipation for the big day builds. And what better way to ring in 2019 than at Countdown NYE? This epic New Year’s Eve celebration is shaping up to be a stellar experience for ravers who are ready to suit up and blast off to an extra-terrestrial throwdown. Countdown’s lineup is chock-full of amazing acts that have dominated stages all over the world, so it’s easy to get caught up in looking at all these big stars we already know, and forget about the newer rising stars. So before you go sing along to Zedd or break a rail at Snails, make sure you catch some of these rising stars!
Yultron
First on the list is Yultron. Yultron’s music is taking dance/trap music to new places and people are noticing. He has recently gained support from famed trap artist Flosstradamus who put out Yultron’s track, “Stronger” on his label Hi Def Youth. The deep, grimy drops from this track are contrasted with pretty smooth vocals that are more typical in house-style tracks. Much of his music consists of blending styles and sounds as he dabbles with different trap, bass, house, and tech beats; creating something new with each song. He has made trap bangers like “Bow Down” which features rap icon Snoop Dogg, but I believe he really shines in some of his more experimental tracks like “Tempura Roll” featuring Ookay, Kayzo, and DOTcom. The way he breaks out of typical song molds and puts his own twist into each song is a breath of fresh air that should definitely be inhaled deeply.
Photo via: Yultron
Solardo
Next up is Solardo. This duo is hot out of Manchester and are bringing the rich heritage of European techno-house to the west coast. These two young producers are taking their music back to techno-house roots and giving us some of the freshest tracks around. For all the shufflers out there who want those steady techno beats to stomp away to, Solardo is what you’re looking for. The pair first broke into the spotlight with their track “Tribesman.” The track merges Africana-style percussions and vocals with techno rhythms to create a catchy beat that can get even the most stubborn feet moving. Since then, they have been touring internationally and have released one of their most popular songs “Accelerator” featuring CamelPhat. As long as there are folks who love techno, there will be a big spot for Solardo in the future.
Photo via: Solardo
K?D
My personal favorite on this watch list is producer K?D. It’s difficult to describe K?D’s music into one specific genre as the Florida native constantly strives to push the boundaries of electronic music to its limits. His music takes influences from dubstep, future bass, drum & bass, hardstyle and industrial tech; and merges them into some sort of electronic, surrealist dreamscape. K?D began gaining notoriety by remixing some famous tracks like The Chainsmokers “Young” and GTA’s “Red Lips” putting his own flair on these classic tracks. However, it was his original tracks that really put him on the map, like “Lose Myself” which landed at #40 on Billboard charts; and “Distance” which made it all the way up to #16. In addition, he has made tracks with heavy-hitters like Rezz on “Fourth Impact” and Medasin on “1234,” helping him expand his fanbase. In October of this year he released his first EP titled Find Paradise and if it’s any indicator of the music to come, I believe that K?D will be rising to the top very soon.
Photo via: K?D
Dion Timmer
Dion Timmer is the last star to look out for in this cosmic rave sky. This teen from the Netherlands has been making a lot of noise in the electronic scene these last two years through his collaborative work with Bass music champion Excision. Since Dion’s and Excision’s first track “Africa” which debuted on Dion’s Plug Me In EP in January of 2016, the two have collaborated on four other songs which were part of Excision’s album Virus released in October 2016. Off this album was none other than dubstep anthem “Harambe.” However, you find that there’s much more than dubstep in Dion’s head once you separate him from Excision. While Dion still uses some of the characteristic “heavy and aggressive” sounds of dubstep in his new EP Very Extra, they are not your typical dubstep or bass-house songs. His songs take the deep “wubs” and “womps” of dubstep but slows them down and pairs them with lofty vocals and dreamy tunes. The result is a noticeable dichotomy in his music which he even visually represents in most of his album art—through images split between blues and purples to show separation. This most recent release has really piqued my interest in Dion Timmer and what he is really capable of when he focuses on crafting his own brand of electronic music. I believe Dion has a bright future ahead of him with this new brand of music he’s creating.
Photo via: Dion Timmer
We all love to hear artists we’ve been listening to for years as they spark fond memories and resonate with us in special ways that can only be made through time. However, it’s important to always be on the lookout for fresh new talent. Artists are constantly pushing the boundaries of what music can sound like, especially in the electronic music scene. With so much fresh talent constantly cropping up and being discovered, you’d have to be out of your mind to skip over these up-and-coming DJ’s. So queue up your Spotify playlist with all of these rising artists and prepare yourself for one epic New Year’s adventure at Countdown!
Be sure to look out for the rest of the artists invading Countdown and see what stages they’ll be playing below! Tickets for Countdown NYE are going by fast, so be sure to secure your passes for the 31st through the link here.
