5. Solomun –

Solomun is first and foremost a strong DJ, who blurs the lines of house and pop and techno. The head of the Diynamic label, Solomun boasts a mighty roster of artists offering a unique sound, including Adriatique and Kollektiv Turmstrasse. Solomun recently celebrated 10 years of Dynamic with the release of the much acclaimed ‘Diynamic 10’ album in 2016. As the driving force behind the label, Solomun is to be given deserved respect, considering their huge production output and global outreach, both offering a platform for emerging talent to ferment.

With a now legendary residency in Ibiza, Solomun shows no sign of slowing down in 2017, heading Diynamic shows around the world, and an exceptional yearly festival at the Amsterdam Bos forest. In addition to this, Solomun is a keen producer, creating catchy pop-tinged songs, previously doing justice to Foals and Lana Del Rey tracks. As of 2017, his remixes lean more towards rave tracks such as his remix of Dubfire & Kittens Ride in March, which is not only produced well, but lends a deadly punch in any DJs arsenal. You can tell there’s real heart in Solomun’s musical exports, and he donates little pieces of it everywhere he plays.

4. Rafael Cerato –

A top level producer, Rafael Cerato has made it to this list through his sheer volume of releases in the past year (8 EPs in 2016!). In 2017, Cerato shows no sign of fatigue, releasing his Antika EP in February and featuring prominently on the coveted Four to the Flour series from Diynamic. Cerato creates a softer techno sound, layered in an array of deep and punchy synths. Hailing from France, Cerato began his music career with traditional instruments, which has provided his music with an array of fantastic samples that add layer after layer of depth and meaning to his tracks. A firm favourite of Solomun’s live sets in recent years, Cerato provides essential tracks for any DJs arsenal and a death of promise for the year ahead.

3. Stephan Bodzin –

If there was one word to summarise a Stephan Bodzin show it is passion. Both techno aficionado and former classical composer, Stephan Bodzin has dominated a series of festival appearances in the past year (ADE, DGTL) and earned the respect of music fans and producers alike. Bodzin is quickly emerging as an essential act to include to any festival roster. He has thus far been rather selective with his appearances, but his addition to Tale of Us’ Afterlife Festival in Barcelona in June, alongside Marches Mosaic event in Miami signifies his appeal amongst the top in techno.

Bodzin’s main appeal stems from his live shows, which is where his passion for music allows him to unload a maelstrom of sound that is tempestuous in it’s delivery. You can clearly see the overlap with classical music unfold in Bodzin’s dramatic style, with each crescendo bringing further emotional depth and intensity. His 2015 album, Powers of Ten has been critically acclaimed and met with a star-studded remixed edition, featuring a subsequent entire artist remix album. Keep an eye out for more content and exclusive appearances this year.

2. Dixon –

With incredible skill and emotional intelligence to match, Dixon can control a crowd like no other. Rated top DJ for three consecutive years on Resident Advisor, Dixon commands respect in the dance music scene for the sheer quality and duration of his house and techno infused sets. On top of his exquisite mixing, Dixon includes track reworks to his set unavailable to all but himself, adding to the allure of his exclusive sets. This adds a certain romance to his sets, which powerfully determine the atmosphere of the venue.

Dixon is classically trained as a DJ, starting his mixing career with resident slots and gruelling extended sets at all night parties in Berlin. It is through this style that Dixon developed the idea of a DJ set as an entire entity and not merely a collection of tracks. In 2017, Dixon has an incredible array of booking in festivals all over the world, which goes to show a new chapter in the underground champions story, along with the demand for his talent.

1. Layton Giordani –

At just 24 years of age, Layton Giordani has achieved a growing star status. With ten years of experience in DJ and music production, residency in the Output club New York, releases with Intec and a recent LP with Drumcode, who is to say what is next. Such accolades only start to paint a picture of Layon Giordani, who is poised to be techno’s next best thing. A solid DJ but first and foremost a top producer, Giordani has proved versatile in his techno production. Ranging from elongated, spaced out deep-house samples with razor sharp percussion and thundering drum in tracks such as ‘Unspoken’, to his latest releases of no nonsense ear-splitting and raw techno.

The last two years have seen a spiralling success story seen through a steady stream of releases. Starting with Carl Cox’s & Jon Rundell’s Intec in 2015, Giordani’s ‘Never Forgotten’ EP went straight to No.10 on the Beatport Techno chart. Layton then caught the attention of Adam Beyer and created his ‘Unspoken’ EP, that dropped on Beyer’s Truesoul in the summer of 2016. So far in 2017, there has been a monumental hype growing for the New York producer across DJs and the internet, with his first LP on Drumcode titled “Where It Begins” receiving a huge welcome from the techno world. One show not to miss this summer will be Giordani’s appearance at Awakenings Festival Amsterdam in June, which will certainly be a highlight for this pioneers career.