In celebration of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we’ve rounded up some of the emerging talent in the community to watch!
May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, where we celebrate the diversity, contributions, and pride of the AAPI community. Specifically in electronic music, many artists have achieved massive notoriety and become beacons of representation for Asian Americans, including Steve Aoki, ZHU, Moves away to the eastand TOKiMONSTA. Others like elephant, ARMNHMRand Wolf Jai continue to carve out a prominent place in the scene as well.
This year, we wanted to showcase up-and-coming AAPI artists across a variety of genres and backgrounds. With so much burgeoning talent and so many burgeoning diverse perspectives and voices, picking ten for our list was nearly impossible. Check out the artists below, listen to their tracks, and let us know who some of your favorite AAPI artists are in the comments!
10 Rising AAPI Artists You Should Have On Your Radar
Wednesday
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | SoundCloud
Wednesday is the epitome of a powerful producer who started her career as a DJ at just 16 years old. The bass music maven effortlessly tells her stories, often of heartbreak, with hard-hitting tracks that blend elements of hip hop, dubstep, bass house, trap, and more. She’s had hits on IN/ROTATION, mau5trap and Deadbeats, to name a few. In addition to music, Wenzday runs a clothing brand and 40oz Cult label with his brother, Dack Janiels. Together they also organize events that go against the idea of bottle service clubs. Check out Wenzday to get lost in his amazing bass productions.
againep
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | SoundCloud
Producer Again his first ventures into electronic music were his popular monthly SoundCloud mixes. Inspired by the artists he featured there, he decided to try his hand at production and hasn’t looked back since. In 2020, he released his first EP, Here Now, which tells its story and invites listeners to be here in the moment through beautiful, dynamic melodic tracks. His Broken The EP was released the following year on Subsidia and saw Yetep explore the heavier side of bass.
yetep has also created COMMONUNITÿ, a series of events featuring up-and-coming artists, with proceeds going to various non-profit organizations. With events across California, their mission is to “support local artists, collectives, labels, and nonprofits while promoting the music and arts communities as a whole.” Several events took place throughout California that cemented Yetep’s presence as more than a producer.
Elevven
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | SoundCloud
Swapneel Ukhalkar and Shahin Kanafchian form the dynamic trance and progressive duo, Elevven. Known for their driving productions full of rumbling bass lines, Elevven has had releases on Armada, Anjunabeats and Monstercat Silk. They put their spin on tracks by Above & Beyond, Gabriel & Dresden and Armin van Buuren and also made appearances at festivals around the world including ASOT Utrecht and Beyond Wonderland.
During the pandemic, they turned to Twitch for regular weekly streams, developing a dedicated fan base and participating in various fundraising events. Keep an eye out for them for massive upcoming releases and tune into their streams for your week’s soundtrack.
TSUNAMI
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | SoundCloud
Los Angeles-based phenomenon TSUNAMI mixes the best of pop, future bass and scintillating synth in his productions. Because of this, she caught the eye of bitbird and Insomniac, recently took the stage at EDC Las Vegas, and has upcoming sets at Lost In Dreams and Audiotistic this year. His first EP Ethereal came out in February and is full of thoughtful yet super fun bits. All of this is complemented by a sparkling, bubblegum aesthetic to match. It’s impossible not to get swept away by TSU NAMI’s infectious, catchy beats and inspired by their activism within the AAPI community.
RamonPang
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | SoundCloud
When it comes to reinventing bass and trap music, RamonPang is at the forefront. Self-described as leftfield, his experimental productions take harsh trap beats and give them unexpected pairings; subtle harps, traditional Asian instruments and soft chimes. It all comes together in a very poignant and beautiful way. Ramon is also a graphic designer and also creates all his visual elements. If you’re looking to explore new sides of electronic music and expand your mind, check out RamonPang.
no mana
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | SoundCloud
no mana has become one of mau5trap’s heavyweights since his discovery in 2015. With a slew of single doubles, known as his AT THE TOP series and her first album of 2020 secret level, it kept fans captivated and wanting more. His unique production style combines progressive, tech house, techno and trance, but recently he championed the #ElectroHouse2021 revolution with the release of the ELECTROMAG compilation. No Mana’s interest extends beyond music into other creative endeavors such as animation and pixel art, web design, photography and videography.
The softest hard
Instagram | Twitter | SoundCloud
Self-taught artist The softest hard debuted with exploratory SoundCloud mixes that would eventually lead to DJ gigs. She has roots in rap and hip hop but is the creator of the hardstyle subgenre, softest hardstyle, which adds a soft touch to the hard bass of the genre with nice, melodic synths. Her talent has taken the stage at Coachella, EDC Las Vegas and Hard Summer, and there’s seemingly no stopping her as she tours the world.
hit2
Instagram | Twitter | SoundCloud
If you’ve been to a festival recently, you’ve heard Knock2’s stunning success”dashstar*.” He’s already making waves with his high-energy music that electrifies club dance floors and amps up festival sets. Knock2 releases have graced labels like NIGHTMODE, Dim Mak, and Sable Valley, which are a perfect fit for this party starter. Not wanting to be limited by genre, you can expect his tracks to run the gamut from bass house to trap. Knock2 is a must in your summer playlists!
LICK
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | SoundCloud
Join the World Order of Darkness and enter lick kingdom. Purveyor of heavy, dark beats, LICK will send a shiver down your spine and shake your bones. His disturbing tracks have made him a regular on Deadbeats, and he’s collaborated with artists like WHIPPED CREAM, One True God, and The Glitch Mob. LICK also partnered with Riot Games to feature in Valorant and released their second album, BEYOND THE VOIDin 2021. This year he will be on the decks of Lost In Dreams and Imagine Festival, so don’t miss your chance to see him live!
Nelle
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | SoundCloud
that of San Francisco Nelle is a new face in the melodic and future bass scene. With only a handful of releases, she is already catching the attention of listeners; his latest single, “You & I”, is on its way to a million streams. His tracks are steeped in emotional lyrics and production that strikes a chord. Nelle has graced the stage at Rave Prom, Splash House and headlined shows across California. The future is bright for Nelle, so she’s definitely one to watch!
Which AAPI artists have you fallen in love with lately? Let us know in the comments!
