More so than ever this year, all the labels in the Defected family will be focussing on nuturing emerging talent. Here are a few artists and acts we're really excited about. If you don't know, get to know...
Folamour
With a string of impressive releases across imprints such as Classic Music Company, Glitterbox Recordings and his own Moonrise Hill Material imprint, Folamour has built an impressive discography of blissed-out, carefully produced pieces of dance music. His 2017 album on Classic, Unami, marked a landmark in his career, and was a stunning demonstration of his depth of musical knowledge and delicate style. 2018 releases like ‘Re-Interpretations #1’ and ‘Devoted To U’ showed how the pairing of Folamour and Classic was perfectly aligned. Happily we can expect to hear a lot more of him via Luke Solomon’s Classic. He also continues to work on his own imprint that he founded alongside friends Ethyéne, Kaffe Créme and Okwa, as well his solo project, FHUO Records (For Heaven Use Only) and an impressive tour schedule taking him from London’s XOYO, Northern Ireland and Leeds to Defected Croatia in August.
Sophie Lloyd
London based artist Sophie Lloyd brings a joyous energy to dancefloors from behind the decks, with over fifteen years of experience in DJing. Since putting her energy into some serious time in the studio she has reached a turning point in her career, marked by her 2018 release ‘Calling Out’ on Classic Music Company. A record that radiates positivity, her answer to the doom and gloom of the news and grey British winter days, the gospel vocals provided by Dames Brown and Lloyd’s impeccable production gained a few high-profile fans. The original 7” continues to sell out, and has inspired remixes from heavyweight artists like Floorplan, Danny Krivit and David Penn. With upcoming performances at Classic and Glitterbox parties, fans also have the opportunity to see her play at our Croatia festival on the Adriatic Coast. If there was ever a time for music like Sophie Lloyd’s, it is now.
Dave + Sam
Those who attended Defected Croatia 2018 will be familiar with Dave + Sam, a house duo hailing from Brooklyn with a super-slinky, bodacious New York style. Dave provides the vocals, performing live alongside Sam on the production when they took to the Olive Grove stage in August. Their bouncing sound sits perfectly at home on Classic Music Company; in fact their self-released single ‘You Da Shit Girl’ already had remixes from Derrick Carter and Seven Davis Jr. Dave + Sam are currently working on a full album project, so watch this space for more juicy stuff from the Big Apple pair.
The Vision
Ben Westbeech and Kon have been working in the studio together for two years on an album project, under the name The Vision. Musically different to anything the two producers have created previously, the album’s sound will be a mix of soul, funk and disco, with a focus on live instrumentation, obscure sampling and a collective of feature vocalists. A critic’s favourite and one of the most eclectic and prolific musicians on the scene, anything Ben has his hand in is bound to turn some heads, and with the serious boogie credentials of Kon in the mix, The Vision is most definitely a one to watch this year.
Watch this space for new music from The Vision…
Fiorious
Fiorious is an incredible breakthrough talent, with an album called Revisionary forthcoming on Glitterbox this year. The album will be preceded by three singles, the first of which, ‘I’m Not Defeated’, captures the hypnotic energy of historical protest songs with its roots in classic house. Accompanied by a striking video that celebrates activism, visibility, and the history of the LGBTQ+ struggle, Fiorious is a singer-songwriter with extraordinary creative poise. Get to know his influences through this playlist that he’s put together of his #Inspirations…
Austin Ato
Scottish export Austin’s first introduction to the family was with his remix of Folamour’s ‘Ivoire’ for the Classic Music Company. Other releases from him on Phonica White and Futureboogie demonstrate an intricate nu-disco style, with plenty of percussive rhythm. His upcoming single for Defected, ‘Oh Mama’ featuring reggae artist Brushy One String is a stripped-back release, giving space to the folky qualities of the voice alongside the warm acoustic tones of a double bass line. Austin has been active under various guises for over a decade, but no is the time to really sit up and pay attention. ‘Oh Mama’ will be available on 12”, streaming and download from the 1stFebruary.
Grab Austin Ato featuring Brushy One String ‘Oh Mama’ now on 12” vinyl
Yuksek
Yuksek is a French producer, remixer, composer and label manager of independent imprint Partyfine, working on label releases from the likes of JD Samson, The Magician and Jean Tonique. Known for his left-of-centre nu-disco sound, Yuksek’s discography is defined by unselfconscious party jams, made with care and executed with plenty of live instrumentation and a healthy dose of synth. His debut release for Classic Music Company is just that; the tongue-in-cheek ‘I Don’t Have A Drum Machine’ is released on 22ndFebruary and makes a welcome introduction for Yuksek to our family of labels.
Austin Millz
Bringing a refreshingly new sound to Defected, Austin Millz has his roots firmly in Harlem’s hip-hop and soul worlds, blurring the lines between those genres and dance music. A wizard on a MPC, he’s stacked up thousands of Instagram followers thanks to his chopped-up edits of hip-hop classics. His production skills are demonstrated in full on his debut single for Defected, ‘Broke Boy’, which is due out in March.
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Ferreck Dawn
You’ll most likely know the name by now, and there’s a lot more to come from Ferreck Dawn in 2018. ‘In Arms’ alongside Robosonic was the breakout hit of 2018, reaching Beatport #1 with its unforgettable hook and thumping bass. It was later remixed by A-Trak and there’s a full vocal version and video coming up. There’s new music to come from Ferreck & Robosonic as a duo and from Ferreck alone, and you can catch him playing solo at Defected’s sold out party at Studio 338 in February, and in Ibiza throughout the summer. His club-focussed house style is a perfect fit for the current Defected sound.
Qubiko
Qubiko is no stranger to the Defected family, having released an EP ‘These Days’ on Defected in early 2018 and remixed Sonny Fodera’s ‘To Love’. The Italian DJ and producer has a quintessentially Defected style, layering vocals over club-focussed 4/4 beats. This year Qubiko will be releasing an EP for DFTD, as well as a cracking remix for Saison on Defected, so don’t sleep on that. Get to know Qubiko through his Traxsource LIVE! mix featuring cuts from Kormak, Pirupa and Rebūke.
