As we prepare to head to The Garden for the fourth edition of Defected Croatia, we've taken a moment to highlight some of the artists heading to Tisno to make their debuts this August. Each year the festival celebrates the talent of our residents and returning favourites, but also showcases the artists releasing across our labels, the rising stars on our radars, and dance music legends.
Here are a few of the artists making Defected Croatia debuts that you really won't want to miss...
Armand Van Helden
One of the most heralded names in dance music, Armand Van Helden needs little introduction. Whether it’s releasing #1 singles such as ‘U Don’t Know Me’ and ‘Bonkers’ or underground anthems like ‘The Funk Phenomena’ and ‘Flowerz’ he is the true definition of a house legend. A very exciting headliner debut for this year’s festival.
Ferreck Dawn
Following his smash collaborations with Robosonic, ‘In Arms’ and ‘In My Arms’, and his latest solo debut ‘You Are The One’, Ferreck has this year become a fully-fledged member of the Defected family. The Dutchman makes his Croatia debut this summer and we can’t wait to see what he has in store for the festival.
Mike Dunn
Chicago legend Mike Dunn has released countless classics like ‘Face The Nation’, ‘God Made Me Phunky’ and ‘Let It Be House’, a real hero of the underground. His forthcoming Classic debut My House From All Angles is an album fuelled by a pumping heart of pure house and a body of powerful analogue muscle – expect his Croatia set to follow in the same vein.
Oliver Dollar
Oliver Dollar made his album debut on Classic earlier this year with his incredible Another Day Another Dollar - an explorative journey through genres that spanned from blues to downtempo, and disco to house. His debut at Defected Croatia promises to bring this same eclectic mix, seamlessly blurring the lines between styles.
Jellybean Benitez
Not only has Jellybean produced and remixed the likes of Madonna, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson and the Pointer Sisters, he has also rocked Glitterbox crowds at Hï and Ministry of Sound over the last few years. This summer he’ll bring his influential and heritage disco sounds from NYC to Tisno for an extra-special appearance.
Marcel Vogel
Amsterdam based DJ Marcel has championed the underground with his labels Lumberjacks in Hell and Intimate Friends. A long-time collaborator of Defected favourite Karizma, Marcel will bring his jazzy, left-field house sounds to the festival this August.
Mark Farina
It may be Mark’s Defected Croatia debut, but with 30 years’ experience behind the decks across the globe he makes a natural fit. A long-time friend and collaborator of Classic Music Company, his musical personalities vary from hip-hop and jazz sub-grooves to dubby and thumping house. A very exciting debut for 2019’s festivities.
Todd Edwards
Grammy award-winning artist, UKG influencer and legendary Daft Punk collaborator, Todd Edwards needs little introduction. Following his smash hit ‘You’re Sorry’ on Defected which soared to the Billboard Dance #1 and his forthcoming collaboration with Sinden, Todd will be heading to Tisno this summer to deliver one of his legendary garage and house filled sets.
Yuksek
French DJ/producer and Partyfine label boss Yuksek made his debut release on Classic earlier this year and more recently remixed Glitterbox disco anthem ‘The Spirit’ by Mighty Mouse. He has developed dynamic and eclectic tastes over a career that spans nearly two decades, manifesting in his sets and productions to produce blissful music worthy of Defected Croatia’s idyllic setting.
Kormak
Australian producer and DJ Kormak has been making waves on Sydney’s club scene for some time, his recent DFTD releases ‘Love On The Line’ and ‘My Love For Yoy’ offering an insight into his adrenaline fuelled sets. This might be the first time you see this rising star play in Europe but it certainly won't be the last.
Ben Westbeech
Well known for his Breach alias, producing club-focussed tracks like ‘Jack’ and ‘Everything You Never Had’ featuring Andrea Triana, Ben Westbeech explores an extraordinarily broad spectrum of genres with his musical outputs, with releases on Brownswood Recordings and Strictly Rhythm, not to mention providing vocals for Henrik Schwarz. His forthcoming project The Vision sees him pair up with KON, with Defected Croatia seeing them perform together for the first time.
KON
Edit and cratedigging royalty KON makes his first performance in The Garden this summer, where he will also make his debut as The Vision with Ben Westbeech. With a bottomless pit of musical knowledge, the Boston born DJ is a self-confessed record obsessive whose passion for music is channelled in both his sets and productions. A Defected Croatia debut you don’t want to miss.
OFFAIAH
‘Something Special’ is swiftly becoming one of the stand out dance tracks of 2019, and OFFAIAH’s string of Defected releases have delivered nothing but main room, peak time vibes. While he may be a regular with the label, this will mark his first Croatia performance and a chance to see him play alongside the artists that have been championing his records.
Very limited tickets are still available here, need somewhere to stay? Check out our hand-picked guide to accomodation around The Garden here and the best flight deals here.
