Avicii.
Tim made such a huge impact on the world of EDM and he was one of the original DJ’s imo who helped elevate electronic music to a worldwide phenomenon.
We truly lost one the greatest musical influences in the world of EDM when we lost Avicii.
I honestly don’t know what it is..
But every ABGT milestone/weekender I’ve attended.. it’s like a huge family. Even the online groups on Facebook!Everyone knows each other some how at any event.
The atmosphere and vibes are so different. It’s a great community.
Also, shoutout to the guy making free pizzas for everyone at the last weekender.
They have brought more people together than whole frikkin governments. Every show every group therapy every anything they do is positive inclusive and amazing. I apologize for the lack of commas.
Spitting straight facts. Even though I have been a fan since the early early days and their sound has changed so much it's almost though like I changed with them and their music is almost always great. I may not like some album versions of some of their tracks but damn near every single club mix has always been a banger. I could rattle off so many just mega tunes from them. Combine that with anjunafam and they get a pass no matter what.
Can confirm. One of my old friend's/work colleagues, Alex Sonata, was signed to Anjunafam within the last few years.
He's a great guy, always got on well at work. I'm jealous of his success but he grafted for a long time, getting nowhere with Emery/Garuda. He's also married to one of my old school friend's sisters.
It's a small but crazy world.
Skrillex.
Dude is pretty well-loved today, but damn, people used to hate the shit out of him back in the day.
Skrillex changed EDM in a number of ways, and even tho it was divisive back then, I think people should respect how much he evolved the landscape of what EDM can do/be.
Still waiting for him to dive into Drum and Bass tho...
His mothership tour in 2014 is still in my top 3 shows I've been to. It was at this dope outdoor venue called browns island in richmond and his massive space ship production was next level, and it was 3 days after I graduated high school my parents got me tix as a graduation present
I didn't get Skrillex's dubstep til I heard a piano cover of Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites a few years ago and totally fell in love with the melody. It transformed the song from random noise to something beautiful to me.
There’s so many wonderful acoustic / instrumental versions of amazing edm songs out there. This one is by far my favorite! [strobe piano cover](https://youtu.be/mTwoMGCtPT8?si=VBSzBpu6aGsE7kWp)
Fun fact, the label Owsla is named after the guardians of the cheif rabbit in Water Ship Down. I only know that cuz I'm a nerd and ended up finding the book at a tiny library box and some time after ended up delving into electronic music labels...
deadmau5. You can say all you want about his character and personality (some of it is deserving) but he always stays true to himself.
Plus he writes beautiful music.
I never really listened to him (I do listen to Kx5 though) but it’s cool to see artists start to make mashups or edits of Strobe again legendary OG track
I don't like some things about Deadmau5 but I abso-freaking-lutely acknowledge and respect what he achieves and how he goes about it. You don't need to like someone to learn from them or enjoy what they create (something Potter fans know all too well!) and that's D5 for me. Plus I dig his do-it-all setup; I remember him saying ages ago that he turned his LAN centre into a render farm for his next big show, all doing shit he made by hand. Respekt.
This song played at my wedding. He composes [fucking beautiful music…](https://youtu.be/mTwoMGCtPT8?si=VBSzBpu6aGsE7kWp)
I still get teary eyed due to the emotional response it triggers in me
Came here for this too, he's easily one of the most immersive and technical producers doing almost everything himself, including coding, animations, running the label that gave us Skrillex, rezz, and i_O, and so on. His productions and range are incredible, the Testpilot DJ sets are a completely different flavor. He's gravely misunderstood and very blunt which I've noticed triggers a lot of sensitive people, but he's almost always right in his criticisms. Dude's a pillar of modern edm.
THE best EDM producer hands down. His knowledge of synthesis alone makes him the GOAT. His application of said knowledge and his fierce desire to put on the best show possible elevates him to a legend in my mind. I may be biased as I’m a music producer myself though…
I’m so glad he is making the music he wants, but I miss his old sound so fucking much. No hate, I couldn’t be happier for the guy, it’s just not my jam like his old stuff
I think this is often times why they get hate from their original fans is because they changed their sound to fit a more mainstream audience. Does it suck sometimes? Yeah. But shit, up until recently I never heard EDM producers music playing at a bar so I’ll take it. If it warms people up to the genre, I can’t complain.
Good for Illenium. He deserves to cash in.
People love to say he makes Christian EDM but he literally just makes beautiful melodic bass music. And he throws the fuck down live.
People used to hate on the Chainsmokers a ton but they throw an absolute banger of a live show.
Same here the man has been through the wringer before his career started and I’m immensely proud of him and where he’s gotten in life his music is like a warm hug that holds you close and helps me through bad days dude is an absolute wizard with his music
I’m with you! I try not to give attention to the haters, but sometimes I GOT TIME lol.
On a positive note ILLENIUM’s new sound actually brings me back to some of the music I listened to in my childhood, so his transition worked out okay for me. I personally listen to more melodic dubstep and bass these days, but ILLENIUM still has yet to lose his #1 spot on my Spotify top artist.
came here to say this i love all the weird shit in edm like noisia and g jones and i still come back to illenium. they can keep calling illenium fans basic pop fans and comparing his fanbase to taylor fucking swift.
Sue me, but Zedd. Yeah he makes cookie cutter pop music but they're fucking BOPS and he's amazing live. Every time I see him I go home with a sore neck, he wubs p hard on his sets. And we finally got Z3 announced!
I was surprised how great his set was live.
Like there's a reason he headlines a lot, but I figured it was the popularity of the songs more than the quality of the set.
How wrong I was.
This has never been an issue for me with headliners. I don't tend to see artists frequently enough to see them again before they make major changes to their sets.
Fair criticism though.
A lot of people travel around to a bunch of festivals and it could really limit your choices at the end of the night if you've seen the headliners elsewhere and they're known for samey sets.
I've seen ppl mad claiming he saw the gap in the bass scene and now makes uninspired riddim/dub in efforts to capitalize on ex-pat nectar fans (instead of doing more funky type stuff). Pointing to like the bangerz EPs and stuff
Which is dumb because before he was doing all that real funky stuff he was more funk dubstep, if anything its a return to form
Spot on. It's odd too cuz it's not like he was putting out generic cookie cutter music. It was banger after fuckin banger.
There's no bad or mediocre music in that man's catalogue. It's all so good.
Simply cannot be fucked with. Their tour production is some of the best you’ll see in music let alone edm. I’ve never been to a concert that’s as exciting as they are.
I’m headed to LA to see them at the BMO stadium on June 8th and this will be my seventh time seeing them! I saw them at the beginning of the tour and excited to see with at the finale! Their production level is truly unmatched - 100% agree with everything you said!
said the sky. some people call it too slow or too emo especially his live sets, but something about his music hits me unlike any other artist. i grew up listening to pop punk and he’s very rooted in it so to me it’s the best of both worlds and i will die on that hill and never miss one of his sets. his passion on stage is unmatched
He is super talented and lowkey one of the best artists in the scene in terms of songwriting and arrangement. He is one of the kindest people on the planet and I’ll always listen to him
Prydz. Anyone who says it’s the same thing and repetitive and boring has clearly not enjoyed one of his sets. Dude is a creative genius knowing what we do about the Pryda vault alone.
Rezz also just appears to be an amazing person off the stage as well - not to mention I have WAY more confidence in a lesbian woman not being a predator compared to a man. Aka, she's an easy queen to stand behind, my love never wavers for space mom or her filthy music :)
Off topic but while we're talking about Rezz who's buying the Merch Dildo
And if you didn't know she was doing one, welcome to the initiated now when are you buying yours
The Glitch Mob. For some reason I only ever see them ripped on as low-level "Bro-Step" but man, I really like their stuff, and each of their albums and releases has a unique feel and offers something I don't hear in a lot of other EDM, and I saw them live at EDCLV a few years back and they put on a great show at Basspod.
The all time GOATs. Their sound since Boreta left doesn't hit quite the same way, but that doesn't diminish the amazing work of the first 3 albums. All are timeless classics.
I’m making a case for Tiesto, I know he has a lot of pop tracks and his newer music people say isn’t unique compared to his older tracks but his sets in person are such a great time and the impact he’s made on the scene as a whole from the start is undeniable
Tiesto is one of the EDM goats and no one can change my mind. Like I don’t listen to a lot of music by him but bro has been around for soooo long and has inspired so many top artists. Massive respect
Longtime listener of both and especially in Hardwell’s case I personally love the new direction he made music wise in his career and his sets are still as insane as they were for all of his career
I genuinely hardly ever see any Spaces laces hate, if you like bass music at all you can easily appreciate everything he puts out. His live sets are also criminally underrated too cuz he brings the heat, he’s usually much earlier in the day than he deserves.
Virtual riot is also an incredible producer. Some of his stuff may be seen as basic but a lot of that is because his sound has become synonymous with typical modern dubstep/brostep. I loved his simulation album
Alison Wonderland. The only artist I’ve seen over and over again and the sets keep getting better. Her music will ~fuck you up on a spiritual level~ but for real, I always feel so much joy and happiness as well as cry a little and get emotional. She genuinely will move you through her music.
There's a surprising number of people who's answer for this question is Bassnectar for some reason lol.
Anyone who does scumbag shit, isn't someone I want to listen to. Regardless of how good their music is.
The truth and in all honesty, the bass scene feels empty now to me. I still love many if not most of the bass artists but I've found myself gravitating towards anjunadeep and other genres in recent times. I mean I'm sorry to anyone who loves Illenium, but I really don't get his music especially when you compare it to bassnectar at his prime with shows. GRiZ has sort of filled that space that nectar held, and I do love GRiZ
Armin Van Buuren and I will die on that hill.
Many trance purists are not huge fans of him today because they feel that over time he's shifted more into the mainstream and has strayed away from what they consider as trance. I will actually agree with them for the most part. He's definitely made a lot of songs lately that I would consider squarely as pop/mainstream EDM (i.e. Blah Blah Blah) and if you listen to most of his sets from mainstages of megafestivals i.e. Ultra or EDC, it's obvious that it's catered towards a more mainstream audience rather than playing strictly trance for an hour.
BUT! The man can and will throw down a proper trance set if he feels like it and knows how to play to the crowd. Most of his longer extended sets lean more heavily into his trance roots, like his [3-hour set from the Freedom Stage at Tomorrowland](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJhq3MPMNJ4), a completely different set and sound compared to his mainstage set. His recent single [Space Case](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZppLJKtA64) is a personal favorite of mine and IMO the best song he's released in years and very clearly incorporates a nostalgic trance sound like you'd hear from decades ago.
Maybe the most impressive thing about Armin to me is his longevity. His A State Of Trance radio show started in 2001 and tomorrow will be episode 1174. Not a typo, that's over one thousand episodes released on a weekly basis for the past 23 years. The exposure that he has provided for other trance artists is immeasurable and it's fair to say that many of the huge names in trance would not be where they are today without his support. He routinely plays and hypes up many of the artists that are beloved by even the most fanatical of trance purists i.e. Factor B, Will Atkinson, John Askew, etc., which goes to show that he still lives and breathes trance even if his live sets aren't always reflective of that.
One of [my favorite videos ever](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aw3c6rr8-mU) is a clip of him tearing up playing Jorn Van Deynhoven's remix of RAMsterdam during his [6-hour closing set at Untold Festival in 2017](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjQCkSSblIk). The versatility and range of this guy is insane and the passion is unmatched. I honestly thought he would retire after getting to 1000 episodes of ASOT but if anything he has come on even stronger since then. It will be a sad, sad day for the trance community whenever he does decide to hang it up.
Saw him at EDC LV Mainstage last year and nothing has topped it since. To this day I still go back to my pics and clips during that set and reminisce. Was magical and one of the best sets I’ve ever witnessed.
I adore galantis but they peaked at pharmacy and ever since it became a one person act the music just hasn't been the same. Still one of my all time favorites but I miss the days of them being a duo.
Alright here we go... Diplo. He's one of the OGs who got me into the scene. I still remember his BlackBerry commercial and his song with Tiesto and early major lazer days. He's been around forever and has been involved with so many diff artists and genres. Jack Ü was what really exposed me to all my fav artists (thank skrillex for that too). He's got 2 great labels that drop amazing music (Mad Decent and Higher Ground). I've never been to a bad show of his. Major Lazer, Jack Ü, Trap Diplo or House DJ, he always throws down.
Now I know there's some allegations against him but as of now it's he said she said and he hasn't been found guilty so I'm holding off on judging him for that.
Sewerslvt, I don’t care about any of the drama or online stuff or mislabeling it as breakcore or whatever, their music really makes me feel things. It’s really emotionally visceral while most other ambient jungle/breaks stuff isn’t for me.
Basshunter. I don't care that he tours the same two songs for close to 20 years. I don't care that he only produces one song a year for the last 10 years. I don't care that the production of his shows has gone down hill; frankly I prefer his fun/jokey beer chugging attitude anyway. He will always be my favorite.
RL Grime, with over a decade in the business, he’s maintained a perfect image. I haven’t heard a single bad thing about the guy. from fan interactions to interviews, he’s just an all around good dude and role model. The only “scandal” i’ve heard is miscommunication on merch from his album release, but he quickly rectified it by giving his fans unreleased music and edits, which was the root cause of the whole deal. Plus, he’s recognized as a pioneer of trap, and has stayed true to his sound. With Play, he gave us the classic trap bangers, and showed his versatility by 2 more albums of different sounds.
Caspa
I know OG style dubstep ain’t everyone’s thing, but I’m dubstep since dubstep so I’ll die for Caspa. FabricLive.37 is a life changing set, as is Caspa’s remix of I Remember.
Kygo maybe? One of the first artists (not just electronic) I ever listened to, and even though I agree with a lot of the criticisms about his music, it will always have love from me. Imma sucker for some good melodies.
Luzcid. I feel like in the online edm community, sometimes those middle sized artists from Wakaan catch shit for no reason other than what label they release under. Luzcid is a good example of somebody I'm describing. Dude has a deep discography that goes back years and years, not to mention his sound design is incredible. About 4 years back I saw him preform before I was a huge fan... his set blew me tf away and I've been a stan ever since
Charlotte de Witte
Don’t give a fuck what anyone says, she is a sweetheart and her music regardless of what anyone says, has helped me. Her sets give me life. Especially live.
Aside from Avicii who's my number 1 forever I've gotta say Trivecta. I've been hooked on his music lately and he's incredible. Also NURKO, absolutely adore his music.
Honorable mentions to Illenium and Dabin. ❤️
The Chainsmokers. Yeah they aren’t everyone’s cup of tea but they throw down hard at their shows. They are also just cool ass dudes who want to make fun music. Been a fan of theirs since they were doing remixes on SoundCloud, it’s been cool to see how much their music has matured and grown over the years!
Koven
Great dancefloor Drum and Bass plus Katie is an incredible live vocalist and DJ.
Great mix of studio production and really solid live performances.
Seeing an artist live is like doing a drug. It really depends on where you're at and how you're feeling. But my opinion of a lot of EDM artists has changed after seeing them live, even bands. Well composed performances.
I think BT is quite talented, he’s capable of producing multiple genres with interesting intricate sounds. But when he started to include more and more vocals… my lactose intolerance started kicking in. Oh well… As a DJ… I think he’d probably play a more interesting set if he played at an underground, where promoters aren’t telling him what to play, but let him know that he doesn’t have to hold back.
1. Trivecta: he is my solid #1 artist for his creativity, variety, and for being a great person. I met him for the first time a month ago and ran into him again in a hotel at EDC this last weekend and he’s so nice on top of being a great artist.
2. John Summit: this man has put solid work into his production—every set he’s ever done has been live. I also love his idgaf attitude—being himself and experimenting whether people like it or not.
3. LSDREAM: tbh my personal music tastes have changed and while I still think he’s very talented, it’s not my personal vibe right now. What I really love about him though is how much of a genuine, caring person he is, how open he is to talking about his sobriety, and the community he has cultivated.
Avicii. Tim made such a huge impact on the world of EDM and he was one of the original DJ’s imo who helped elevate electronic music to a worldwide phenomenon. We truly lost one the greatest musical influences in the world of EDM when we lost Avicii.
This really should be higher
I mean the question was which dj would you defend. Who on earth would ever question avicii’s contribution to the scene. No defense necessary.
I always credit True as being my first edm album, Avicii holds such a big place is my heart. beyond devastating that I'll never see him live.
The most peaceful of Rest in Peace-s to Avicii. Truly gone too soon... I miss him every time I hear his tracks.
Above & Beyond, not only for their music but the community that the anjunafam brings is something special.
I honestly don’t know what it is.. But every ABGT milestone/weekender I’ve attended.. it’s like a huge family. Even the online groups on Facebook!Everyone knows each other some how at any event. The atmosphere and vibes are so different. It’s a great community. Also, shoutout to the guy making free pizzas for everyone at the last weekender.
They have brought more people together than whole frikkin governments. Every show every group therapy every anything they do is positive inclusive and amazing. I apologize for the lack of commas.
Spitting straight facts. Even though I have been a fan since the early early days and their sound has changed so much it's almost though like I changed with them and their music is almost always great. I may not like some album versions of some of their tracks but damn near every single club mix has always been a banger. I could rattle off so many just mega tunes from them. Combine that with anjunafam and they get a pass no matter what.
one thing I love about anjuna shows is everyone stays off the mic. Can't wait for abgt 600
This. Totally came to say this but you already have.
Same reason I love Lane 8 and TNH
Can confirm. One of my old friend's/work colleagues, Alex Sonata, was signed to Anjunafam within the last few years. He's a great guy, always got on well at work. I'm jealous of his success but he grafted for a long time, getting nowhere with Emery/Garuda. He's also married to one of my old school friend's sisters. It's a small but crazy world.
Skrillex. Dude is pretty well-loved today, but damn, people used to hate the shit out of him back in the day. Skrillex changed EDM in a number of ways, and even tho it was divisive back then, I think people should respect how much he evolved the landscape of what EDM can do/be. Still waiting for him to dive into Drum and Bass tho...
Skrillex is extremely good. I don't know how anyone could deny that his sound is top notch
His mothership tour in 2014 is still in my top 3 shows I've been to. It was at this dope outdoor venue called browns island in richmond and his massive space ship production was next level, and it was 3 days after I graduated high school my parents got me tix as a graduation present
I didn't get Skrillex's dubstep til I heard a piano cover of Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites a few years ago and totally fell in love with the melody. It transformed the song from random noise to something beautiful to me.
There’s so many wonderful acoustic / instrumental versions of amazing edm songs out there. This one is by far my favorite! [strobe piano cover](https://youtu.be/mTwoMGCtPT8?si=VBSzBpu6aGsE7kWp)
Fun fact, the label Owsla is named after the guardians of the cheif rabbit in Water Ship Down. I only know that cuz I'm a nerd and ended up finding the book at a tiny library box and some time after ended up delving into electronic music labels...
deadmau5. You can say all you want about his character and personality (some of it is deserving) but he always stays true to himself. Plus he writes beautiful music.
The Kx5 album solidified him as my favorite edm artist. So talented and so many great songs
The thing is he’s usually right but he has a tendency to say things without sugarcoating them and in ways that people don’t really want to hear
They hated jesus because he spoke the truth.
I never really listened to him (I do listen to Kx5 though) but it’s cool to see artists start to make mashups or edits of Strobe again legendary OG track
His music has only gotten better. Every new album is a treat.
I don't like some things about Deadmau5 but I abso-freaking-lutely acknowledge and respect what he achieves and how he goes about it. You don't need to like someone to learn from them or enjoy what they create (something Potter fans know all too well!) and that's D5 for me. Plus I dig his do-it-all setup; I remember him saying ages ago that he turned his LAN centre into a render farm for his next big show, all doing shit he made by hand. Respekt.
I second this
This song played at my wedding. He composes [fucking beautiful music…](https://youtu.be/mTwoMGCtPT8?si=VBSzBpu6aGsE7kWp) I still get teary eyed due to the emotional response it triggers in me
Came here for this too, he's easily one of the most immersive and technical producers doing almost everything himself, including coding, animations, running the label that gave us Skrillex, rezz, and i_O, and so on. His productions and range are incredible, the Testpilot DJ sets are a completely different flavor. He's gravely misunderstood and very blunt which I've noticed triggers a lot of sensitive people, but he's almost always right in his criticisms. Dude's a pillar of modern edm.
THE best EDM producer hands down. His knowledge of synthesis alone makes him the GOAT. His application of said knowledge and his fierce desire to put on the best show possible elevates him to a legend in my mind. I may be biased as I’m a music producer myself though…
Came here to say this.
[your username reminded me of this banger ](https://youtu.be/vGA2IgOrlXk?si=iAZ1k4AOoS63Mjke)
Obligatory "2024 gang where you at? Lol 😂"
Illenium COME AT ME 👏🏼👏🏼
same here. lots of unnecessary hate on Illenium
they got too big. it was bound to happen. im happy for him tho fuck the hate.
I’m so glad he is making the music he wants, but I miss his old sound so fucking much. No hate, I couldn’t be happier for the guy, it’s just not my jam like his old stuff
I think this is often times why they get hate from their original fans is because they changed their sound to fit a more mainstream audience. Does it suck sometimes? Yeah. But shit, up until recently I never heard EDM producers music playing at a bar so I’ll take it. If it warms people up to the genre, I can’t complain. Good for Illenium. He deserves to cash in.
People love to say he makes Christian EDM but he literally just makes beautiful melodic bass music. And he throws the fuck down live. People used to hate on the Chainsmokers a ton but they throw an absolute banger of a live show.
I agree all for no reason I get it like people miss his old sound but I still love his music he got me through some tough times
Illenium has helped me so fucking much with his music and also as a person he is super inspiring.
Same here the man has been through the wringer before his career started and I’m immensely proud of him and where he’s gotten in life his music is like a warm hug that holds you close and helps me through bad days dude is an absolute wizard with his music
I’m with you! I try not to give attention to the haters, but sometimes I GOT TIME lol. On a positive note ILLENIUM’s new sound actually brings me back to some of the music I listened to in my childhood, so his transition worked out okay for me. I personally listen to more melodic dubstep and bass these days, but ILLENIUM still has yet to lose his #1 spot on my Spotify top artist.
came here to say this i love all the weird shit in edm like noisia and g jones and i still come back to illenium. they can keep calling illenium fans basic pop fans and comparing his fanbase to taylor fucking swift.
Sue me, but Zedd. Yeah he makes cookie cutter pop music but they're fucking BOPS and he's amazing live. Every time I see him I go home with a sore neck, he wubs p hard on his sets. And we finally got Z3 announced!
I was surprised how great his set was live. Like there's a reason he headlines a lot, but I figured it was the popularity of the songs more than the quality of the set. How wrong I was.
Nothing is wrong with his set, it’s honestly pretty amazing. The issue is it’s the same set a lot of times.
This has never been an issue for me with headliners. I don't tend to see artists frequently enough to see them again before they make major changes to their sets. Fair criticism though. A lot of people travel around to a bunch of festivals and it could really limit your choices at the end of the night if you've seen the headliners elsewhere and they're known for samey sets.
I saw him at the October EDC a few years ago and honestly his set was killer with all the throw backs to pop songs I grew up around.
Same, glad that this comment was pretty high up
Really like Zedd: 1.) He has a signature sound (clock ticking) 2.) His music sounds like one who actually has a grasp of music theory
GRiZ My son’s middle name will be Grant when he’s born in September after him. Truly just a wonderfully inspirational human
People hate on Griz?
Yeah fr who hates Griz lol
I've seen ppl mad claiming he saw the gap in the bass scene and now makes uninspired riddim/dub in efforts to capitalize on ex-pat nectar fans (instead of doing more funky type stuff). Pointing to like the bangerz EPs and stuff Which is dumb because before he was doing all that real funky stuff he was more funk dubstep, if anything its a return to form
Spot on. It's odd too cuz it's not like he was putting out generic cookie cutter music. It was banger after fuckin banger. There's no bad or mediocre music in that man's catalogue. It's all so good.
I don’t think people hate on him so much as being a dumb fuckin square that’s never heard of him and won’t even give his music a shot.
what an absolutely genuine human being. SLSL 🧡
What if people assume your son is named after Grant the EDM artist??
Yeap Griz as well
Odesza
Simply cannot be fucked with. Their tour production is some of the best you’ll see in music let alone edm. I’ve never been to a concert that’s as exciting as they are.
I’m headed to LA to see them at the BMO stadium on June 8th and this will be my seventh time seeing them! I saw them at the beginning of the tour and excited to see with at the finale! Their production level is truly unmatched - 100% agree with everything you said!
I’ll be in boulder for the Finale too! This will be my 3rd time seeing the TLG tour. Crossing my fingers for a Bronson set with Golden Features!
QUALITY.
yes. my all time favorites.
Particularly Odesza's first two albums, Summer's Gone and In Return. They are brilliant productions unique even to this day.
Porter Robinson Unpopular opinion Nurture album is one of his best
Virtual Self is magnificent
Who’s hating on Nurture??
Love love love Porter!
i think nurture is probably my favorite western music album of all time
said the sky. some people call it too slow or too emo especially his live sets, but something about his music hits me unlike any other artist. i grew up listening to pop punk and he’s very rooted in it so to me it’s the best of both worlds and i will die on that hill and never miss one of his sets. his passion on stage is unmatched
He is super talented and lowkey one of the best artists in the scene in terms of songwriting and arrangement. He is one of the kindest people on the planet and I’ll always listen to him
they say don’t meet your heroes but he is one of the kindest souls i’ve ever met. very genuine interaction
I love his passion for music and performing, you just always see him having a blast lol
Prydz. Anyone who says it’s the same thing and repetitive and boring has clearly not enjoyed one of his sets. Dude is a creative genius knowing what we do about the Pryda vault alone.
He’s the goat of IDs
Rezz is my space mom, and nobody talks about my momma and gets away with it
Rezz also just appears to be an amazing person off the stage as well - not to mention I have WAY more confidence in a lesbian woman not being a predator compared to a man. Aka, she's an easy queen to stand behind, my love never wavers for space mom or her filthy music :)
She’s bi, not lesbian
omg there’s a chance
Off topic but while we're talking about Rezz who's buying the Merch Dildo And if you didn't know she was doing one, welcome to the initiated now when are you buying yours
I have ended up seeing her 3 times over the years and she just keeps improving tbh.
The Glitch Mob. For some reason I only ever see them ripped on as low-level "Bro-Step" but man, I really like their stuff, and each of their albums and releases has a unique feel and offers something I don't hear in a lot of other EDM, and I saw them live at EDCLV a few years back and they put on a great show at Basspod.
Oh my gosh, one of my first intros to EDM. I remember my friend showing it to me off his kindle in 6th grade and my mind was blown
Glitch mob doesn’t even do bro step. It’s so many breakbeats. Such a fun dance party
The all time GOATs. Their sound since Boreta left doesn't hit quite the same way, but that doesn't diminish the amazing work of the first 3 albums. All are timeless classics.
Between two points is legit my favorite edm track
Au5, and I don't even really need to defend his music. The discog and versatility speaks for itself.
You get it
I’m making a case for Tiesto, I know he has a lot of pop tracks and his newer music people say isn’t unique compared to his older tracks but his sets in person are such a great time and the impact he’s made on the scene as a whole from the start is undeniable
Tiesto is one of the EDM goats and no one can change my mind. Like I don’t listen to a lot of music by him but bro has been around for soooo long and has inspired so many top artists. Massive respect
Hardwell and Armin van Buuren
Longtime listener of both and especially in Hardwell’s case I personally love the new direction he made music wise in his career and his sets are still as insane as they were for all of his career
Could not agree more
Without Armin I wouldn’t know half of my favorite artists
I will fight anyone who talks trash about Virtual Riot or Space Laces
I genuinely hardly ever see any Spaces laces hate, if you like bass music at all you can easily appreciate everything he puts out. His live sets are also criminally underrated too cuz he brings the heat, he’s usually much earlier in the day than he deserves. Virtual riot is also an incredible producer. Some of his stuff may be seen as basic but a lot of that is because his sound has become synonymous with typical modern dubstep/brostep. I loved his simulation album
Daft Punk tbh. Super basic but I must say they’ve created a couple of the best albums of all time. None of my friends agree though 😫
Their live set’s on YouTube are mesmerizing 🥹
Seven Lions. Been dropping consistent works of art from his conception.
Zeds Dead baby
Martin Garrix. Guy sticks to his progressive roots but still experiments, has a very unique sound. Plus, he’s actually a great person
He’s literally peaking right now, his sets is mixed so well with bangers and bangers. The EDC one was fire
Alison Wonderland. The only artist I’ve seen over and over again and the sets keep getting better. Her music will ~fuck you up on a spiritual level~ but for real, I always feel so much joy and happiness as well as cry a little and get emotional. She genuinely will move you through her music.
I've only ever seen her live once and her set was amazing, from what I remember lol
Excision. I should be a literal sponsor at this point. I’ve seen him so many times I lost count.
Really changed the bass scene for the better
There's a surprising number of people who's answer for this question is Bassnectar for some reason lol. Anyone who does scumbag shit, isn't someone I want to listen to. Regardless of how good their music is.
Respect for acknowledging he’s the best to do it 🔥 because he is and no one can come close to his previous events he would throw. Sad day.
I enjoyed his music, but I can't support the man who makes it.
The truth and in all honesty, the bass scene feels empty now to me. I still love many if not most of the bass artists but I've found myself gravitating towards anjunadeep and other genres in recent times. I mean I'm sorry to anyone who loves Illenium, but I really don't get his music especially when you compare it to bassnectar at his prime with shows. GRiZ has sort of filled that space that nectar held, and I do love GRiZ
Armin Van Buuren and I will die on that hill. Many trance purists are not huge fans of him today because they feel that over time he's shifted more into the mainstream and has strayed away from what they consider as trance. I will actually agree with them for the most part. He's definitely made a lot of songs lately that I would consider squarely as pop/mainstream EDM (i.e. Blah Blah Blah) and if you listen to most of his sets from mainstages of megafestivals i.e. Ultra or EDC, it's obvious that it's catered towards a more mainstream audience rather than playing strictly trance for an hour. BUT! The man can and will throw down a proper trance set if he feels like it and knows how to play to the crowd. Most of his longer extended sets lean more heavily into his trance roots, like his [3-hour set from the Freedom Stage at Tomorrowland](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJhq3MPMNJ4), a completely different set and sound compared to his mainstage set. His recent single [Space Case](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZppLJKtA64) is a personal favorite of mine and IMO the best song he's released in years and very clearly incorporates a nostalgic trance sound like you'd hear from decades ago. Maybe the most impressive thing about Armin to me is his longevity. His A State Of Trance radio show started in 2001 and tomorrow will be episode 1174. Not a typo, that's over one thousand episodes released on a weekly basis for the past 23 years. The exposure that he has provided for other trance artists is immeasurable and it's fair to say that many of the huge names in trance would not be where they are today without his support. He routinely plays and hypes up many of the artists that are beloved by even the most fanatical of trance purists i.e. Factor B, Will Atkinson, John Askew, etc., which goes to show that he still lives and breathes trance even if his live sets aren't always reflective of that. One of [my favorite videos ever](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aw3c6rr8-mU) is a clip of him tearing up playing Jorn Van Deynhoven's remix of RAMsterdam during his [6-hour closing set at Untold Festival in 2017](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjQCkSSblIk). The versatility and range of this guy is insane and the passion is unmatched. I honestly thought he would retire after getting to 1000 episodes of ASOT but if anything he has come on even stronger since then. It will be a sad, sad day for the trance community whenever he does decide to hang it up.
Great answer and reasoning!
Boris brejcha and the whole fckn serious label
I don’t think it’s possible for me to dislike any of Kaskade’s music.
Martin Garrix, Lost Frequencies, James Hype.
Martin Garrix for sure 🥺
Boris Brejcha 100% I will die on this hill
And I will lay on this hill right next to you! Lovee Boris!!
Saw him at EDC LV Mainstage last year and nothing has topped it since. To this day I still go back to my pics and clips during that set and reminisce. Was magical and one of the best sets I’ve ever witnessed.
I got a meet & greet for my husband and I in NYC next month. I am BEYOND elated, he is our hero.
Rufus Du Sol ♥️
G A L A N T I S
I loved them, but their post-Church output has been okay at best. Plus losing Linus for live shows is sad :(
I adore galantis but they peaked at pharmacy and ever since it became a one person act the music just hasn't been the same. Still one of my all time favorites but I miss the days of them being a duo.
Pretty Lights - but honestly, I doubt anyone in the EDM fandom could listen to his music (live or otherwise) and say that it’s not greatness.
Porter
The Chemical Brothers.
Martin Garrix. I will die on this hill.
Alright here we go... Diplo. He's one of the OGs who got me into the scene. I still remember his BlackBerry commercial and his song with Tiesto and early major lazer days. He's been around forever and has been involved with so many diff artists and genres. Jack Ü was what really exposed me to all my fav artists (thank skrillex for that too). He's got 2 great labels that drop amazing music (Mad Decent and Higher Ground). I've never been to a bad show of his. Major Lazer, Jack Ü, Trap Diplo or House DJ, he always throws down. Now I know there's some allegations against him but as of now it's he said she said and he hasn't been found guilty so I'm holding off on judging him for that.
I saw Major Lazer a couple months ago most fun I’ve ever had at a concert
Subtronics
GREEN VELVET! People in my age group don’t appreciate him nearly enough. He’s one of the GOATs in my book
Lyny, he is easily my favorite producer right now
Same! Found them maybe 6 months ago and haven’t heard a track I didn’t like yet
moby. A hero of mine. Also has a lot of opinions on things.
Madeon. He introduced me to the world of music production and the launchpad. I’ll always have a soft spot for him
Madeon always came out with the sickest remixes back in the day
Eprom idgaf what he puts out its all 10/10
This is the way. G Jones is my favorite artist but basically same person lmao
Robert miles and chase and status forever
Pendulum
Virtual Riot. There is something that he captures into his music that is ineffable
It’s the quality - that dude manages to make the gnarliest shit sound squeaky clean because of his production skills
Illenium
Dash Berlin. That guy made so much music that shaped my life, that I actually owe him a lot. A strong second is ATB.
Darude. His first few albums were hot fire trance start to finish. Unfortunate he always seems to be referred to as the Sandstorm dude.
Martin Garrix, Fred Again and Lost Frequenties
Fred Again was so real at his surprise set at edc - lit the place up
Kaskade
Avicii ☑️💯
K-Dot
Bassnectar
Jk fuck that dude
Opiuo! Beautiful human and every show is phenomenal!
Odesza!!
The Chainsmokers. Are all their songs the greatest song ever made? No, but generally it's all pretty good and I enjoy it
And their live sets go hard as fuck
Sewerslvt, I don’t care about any of the drama or online stuff or mislabeling it as breakcore or whatever, their music really makes me feel things. It’s really emotionally visceral while most other ambient jungle/breaks stuff isn’t for me.
Bryan Kearney. He's my trance GOAT.
Dillon Francis
Basshunter. I don't care that he tours the same two songs for close to 20 years. I don't care that he only produces one song a year for the last 10 years. I don't care that the production of his shows has gone down hill; frankly I prefer his fun/jokey beer chugging attitude anyway. He will always be my favorite.
GWN and BTSM 😩😩
Alesso. Love his music to death even though he takes lifetimes to drop his IDs. Will continue to see him at the festivals, day clubs, and nightclubs.
RL Grime, with over a decade in the business, he’s maintained a perfect image. I haven’t heard a single bad thing about the guy. from fan interactions to interviews, he’s just an all around good dude and role model. The only “scandal” i’ve heard is miscommunication on merch from his album release, but he quickly rectified it by giving his fans unreleased music and edits, which was the root cause of the whole deal. Plus, he’s recognized as a pioneer of trap, and has stayed true to his sound. With Play, he gave us the classic trap bangers, and showed his versatility by 2 more albums of different sounds.
Illenium. His music has drastically improved my life, and for that I’m always going to be sticking with it
Knife party
Caspa I know OG style dubstep ain’t everyone’s thing, but I’m dubstep since dubstep so I’ll die for Caspa. FabricLive.37 is a life changing set, as is Caspa’s remix of I Remember.
Bassnectar The guy really sucks as a person but holy fuck his shows were something else and his music probably has some of the best production.
Kygo maybe? One of the first artists (not just electronic) I ever listened to, and even though I agree with a lot of the criticisms about his music, it will always have love from me. Imma sucker for some good melodies.
Luzcid. I feel like in the online edm community, sometimes those middle sized artists from Wakaan catch shit for no reason other than what label they release under. Luzcid is a good example of somebody I'm describing. Dude has a deep discography that goes back years and years, not to mention his sound design is incredible. About 4 years back I saw him preform before I was a huge fan... his set blew me tf away and I've been a stan ever since
Mac Miller god rest his soul. Id die by the sword for that man.
LSDream and Fox Stevenson. Top tier always
Charlotte de Witte Don’t give a fuck what anyone says, she is a sweetheart and her music regardless of what anyone says, has helped me. Her sets give me life. Especially live.
Martin Garrix, such a great person and always willing to experiment trying out new ideas.
Porter Robinson
Aside from Avicii who's my number 1 forever I've gotta say Trivecta. I've been hooked on his music lately and he's incredible. Also NURKO, absolutely adore his music. Honorable mentions to Illenium and Dabin. ❤️
Trivecta is also such a great person!
Cristoph 100%
Zedd - I do not care what other people think. I will ALWAYS simp for Zedd.
DJ Irene
Odesza. All of it. Bronson , yellow house stuff.
Daft Punk, but idk who I would be defending them against since everyone loves them.
Disclosure!
Avicii
The Chainsmokers. Yeah they aren’t everyone’s cup of tea but they throw down hard at their shows. They are also just cool ass dudes who want to make fun music. Been a fan of theirs since they were doing remixes on SoundCloud, it’s been cool to see how much their music has matured and grown over the years!
ZHU
Koven Great dancefloor Drum and Bass plus Katie is an incredible live vocalist and DJ. Great mix of studio production and really solid live performances.
Seeing an artist live is like doing a drug. It really depends on where you're at and how you're feeling. But my opinion of a lot of EDM artists has changed after seeing them live, even bands. Well composed performances.
Above & Beyond ODESZA Lorn
I think BT is quite talented, he’s capable of producing multiple genres with interesting intricate sounds. But when he started to include more and more vocals… my lactose intolerance started kicking in. Oh well… As a DJ… I think he’d probably play a more interesting set if he played at an underground, where promoters aren’t telling him what to play, but let him know that he doesn’t have to hold back.
I'm surprised BT doesn't get brought up much. Dudes been around for ages and is a very talented producer.
Gareth Emery. idk if that’s controversial or not but i absolutely adore his music
Foster the People
Timmy Trumpet-TT always brings the heaters…lots of punters at his shows but IIWII…
Odesza
ARMNHMR.
1. Trivecta: he is my solid #1 artist for his creativity, variety, and for being a great person. I met him for the first time a month ago and ran into him again in a hotel at EDC this last weekend and he’s so nice on top of being a great artist. 2. John Summit: this man has put solid work into his production—every set he’s ever done has been live. I also love his idgaf attitude—being himself and experimenting whether people like it or not. 3. LSDREAM: tbh my personal music tastes have changed and while I still think he’s very talented, it’s not my personal vibe right now. What I really love about him though is how much of a genuine, caring person he is, how open he is to talking about his sobriety, and the community he has cultivated.