Written by Zack Kostaras
Photos by aLIVE Coverage
It’s hard to believe that 2019 is coming to a close, which means that 2020 is right around the corner. With a new year comes new adventures, and as we previously covered, the BPM Festival will be leading the pack in January 2020 with its newest edition taking place along the beautiful beaches of Tamarindo, Costa Rica. With over 100 DJ’s on the lineup, it’ll be impossible to catch everyone over the span of the 5-day mega-festival. However, if you’re unsure of who to see when the set times are released (or need some additional convincing to attend), these are 5 acts you cannot afford to miss:
Deep Dish
This one is a no-brainer, as industry heavyweights Dubfire and Sharam have only played a handful of shows over the last few years, including a stint at Coachella earlier this year. The Washington D.C. supergroup has been around since the 90’s and have been blending some of the best in deep and progressive house music. They’ve compiled multiple “Global Underground” mixes, held residencies in New York, London, and Ibiza, and have played at some of the best parties in the world. Dubfire and Sharam on their own are very entertaining as is, but putting them together at BPM will be something special.
Marco Faroane
The Italian-born DJ has been turning heads for roughly the last ten years, and has proved himself as a versatile producer. From releasing groovy house music tracks to the heavy techno tunes he’s released on Drumcode, he can certainly command a crowd no matter the time or setting. He’s been a resident at Marco Carola’s “Music On” party in Ibiza for several years and a regular at Berghain. He’s remixed everyone from DJ Hell to Moby, and is now the label head of Uncage that’s been releasing a nice blend of UK house music and techno.
Stacey Pullen
Hailing from the birthplace of Techno, Stacey Pullen has had a huge influence on techno music by incorporating house and garage music with it. Being born in Detroit and having a passion for electronic music at an early age, he was surrounded by pioneers like Derrick May that helped paved the way for his career. Stacey continues to be an important player in the Detroit scene being a regular at the Movement Festival, and having influenced and playing alongside fellow Detroit DJ’s like Carl Craig.
Masters at Work
The name is all you need to know – Masters at Work. Another legendary duo not be missed, “Little Louie Vega” and Kenny “Dope” Gonzalez have been icons of the New York house music scene since the early 90’s. Both growing up in the Bronx, Vega started his career as a DJ blossoming in New York and developing a widely-renowned reputation. Gonzalez, on the other hand, had been a producer that met Vega through their mutual friend (and rising house DJ at the time) Todd Terry. The two obsessed over each other’s love for music, and since have created hundred of tracks and remixes over the course of 20+ years. They play everything from house to jazz, to funk to latin, and their set at BPM will be sure to be a memorable one.
PopOf
Having released on Sven Vath’s Cocoon Records in addition to Jamie Jones’ and Lee Foss’ Hot Creations label, PopOf is a widely recognized name in the house and techno scene. Hailing from the underground French house scene, the Parisian born DJ has remixed the likes of Moby, The Chemical Brothers, and Depeche Mode amongst many others. He’s been touring non-stop since being recognized at the Ibiza DJ awards in 2009, and has played the biggest clubs in the world including Privilege in Ibiza and Egg London.