Every year, we see certain artists emerge from the curtains. Some have been around for a while and spontaneously have a breakout year. On the other side of it, a new artist can explode in popularity with just one hit song. This year we had a handful of artists in each category. Ranging across multiple sub-genres, here is EDMTunes’ breakout artists for 2019.
My colleague Ariel Thompson chimed in on our #10 spot. Here’s what she had to say:
This year has been such a prominent year for the dubstep scene as very unique artists are on the come up. For example, PhaseOne has added his rare signature rockstar sound to the genre by mixing heavy metal with hard-hitting grimy anthems. After emerging into the scene in 2013, he has taken bass music to a whole new level. 2019 has been a big year for PhaseOne as he has released his unforgettable full length album “Transcendency“. PhaseOne has tackled the dubstep scene head on with releasing various gut-punching remixes such as his remix for Excision‘s beloved single, “Die For You“. Without a doubt, PhaseOne is truly a rockstar and is bringing dubstep into the right direction going into the new decade.
Taking our #9 spot with flair is Billy Kenny. His increasing popularity has been most noticeable this past year with catchy hits like “Take Me To Church” and “SWEAT“. The aspiring house artist has been bringing his unique sound to multiple clubs and dropping tunes on labels like Dirtybird. The unique thing about him is that he does not limit himself to one sound; he has a talent for making uplifting house beats but can immediately flip a switch to darker sounds. With Billy Kenny’s bopping beats, we can’t wait to see what he has in store for the new decade.
Claiming our #8 spot is Mikey Lion. Over the years, he has played a major role in creating the Desert Hearts label. Their increasing presence in the scene is apparent through their number of signature necklaces in the crowd. With roots starting back from San Diego’s local Spin Nightclub, Desert Hearts is now hosting stages at massive festivals like Lightning in a Bottle. With Mikey Lion’s guidance, the label has bloomed into an innovative leader in the house scene; so in other words, without him the Desert Hearts label would cease to exist.
This has been a huge year for up-and-coming artist, Lick. Although he’s only been in the scene for a couple of years, his popularity has skyrocketed in 2019 with a ton of new releases. He released his debut album DARK VIBE ORDER and his DIMENSION EP this year, and collaborated with artists like WHIPPED CREAM and The Glitch Mob. Since he started making music in 2017, he has been a huge contributor to the Deadbeats label and has performed at shows for Brownies & Lemonade. Although he has the “work hard” mentality, he still has time to “play hard” with friends, as he and Blanke have been performing B2B’s over the past few months. With such a huge and successful end to the year, Lick took it home with our #7 spot.
Grabbing our #6 spot is Blanke, who has been killing the game as of late. Just like Lick, Blanke has also been a Deadbeats favorite, and the label has helped kickstart his career in giving him an outlet for his music. He released “Peace In Emptiness” earlier this year on the label, and has also collaborated with artists like Rezz in the past. Blanke worked with Illenium on “Gorgeous”, which was featured on his Ascend album that released this year. Additionally, Blanke put out a remix of Illenium’s “Pray“, giving the song a darker twist. He has also been increasingly performing at Brownies & Lemonade events, whose outlet and guidance have blown up artists’ careers like Ekali and Medasin. With increasing presence in the music industry, we can’t wait to see what Blanke has in store for the new decade.
Mathame went from being almost completely unknown a year ago, to becoming a mainstay in the melodic techno sphere. This duo has come to us from the Tale of Us Afterlife label, where they craft emotional melodic techno as well as other music styles. Their incredible remix of RÜFÜS DU SOL’s “All I’ve Got” is a clear example of Mathame’s talent, and shows that they have a bright future in the industry. All in all, one thing is for certain: their soaring melodies and deep thumping bass will capture your heart, just like they captured our #5 spot.
Taking our #4 spot is the one and only OMNOM. The artist has a knack for producing house music ranging from funk to tech house. This year, OMNOM has broke out in the house scene, releasing music on labels such as Dirtybird and Insomniac. He played a killer set at Electric Forest this year, which is one of Insomniac’s major festivals. His most recent release is a collaboration with Dances With White Girls, which merges the artists’ signature funky tunes to a whole new sound.
We have another house artist grabbing our #3 spot: Dom Dolla. He has been making waves in the scene for a while, but probably what gave him the most traction this year was his hit song ‘San Frandisco‘. The banging track has been remixed by multiple renowned house producers, including Eli Brown and Walker & Royce. Dom Dolla has been playing the track out over the last couple months on his tour with Sonny Fodera. The emerging artist has only just given us a taste of what he can do, and we can’t wait to get the full course in the coming decade.
Breaking out in the dubstep world for our #2 spot is Subtronics. Although the artist started making beats in 2014, 2019 was definitely his biggest year. He and Griz collaborated on the infamous ‘Griztronics‘, which has been played out nonstop since its release. This year, he also produced songs with a variety of well-known artists, including Zeds Dead, Snails, Kayzo, and Midnight Tyrannosaurus. Among all the collaborations, the breakthrough artist even had time to release his Wooked On Tronics EP. With such a unique sound, Subtronics was one of the most coveted artists to collaborate with this year.
And last but not least, EDMTunes’ #1 Rising Artist of 2019 is none other than MEDUZA. The trio is composed of Matt Madwill, Simon de Jano, and Luke Degree, who have exploded in popularity this year after releasing their breakthrough song ‘Piece of Your Heart‘. The song hit #2 on the UK singles chart upon release in February. Their latest track ‘Lose Control‘ features the same electropop beats as their other production. This goes to show that you don’t need a bunch of songs to become a hit producer; if you find a beat that appeals to the mainstream crowd, you can capture people’s hearts with your sound. Congratulations to all our breakout artists – see you in the new decade!
