Inhabiting disparate musical frequencies, it seems to be in connecting these dots that he finds his personal space. Between a past more connected to minimalist cold wave and the present situated in mesmerising electronica, the future is being made between one sphere and the other; a process that is never totally complete or satisfied – and therefore continually captivating. With close ties to the dynamics of the Belgian Soulwax, with whom he has edited and collaborated, he made his debut in the Ninja Tune catalogue with Working Class Woman. There he also left a handful of bangers with Nina Kravitz, Daniel Avery or Afrodeutsche behind the remixes. And there was even the opportunity for a Grammy nomination. All credit to a genuinely non-conformist soul who moves between sensuality and neurosis, without forgetting the condition of being a woman in this world. Even though she is a hedonist, Marie Davidson never fails to listen to her reality and her time. Perhaps even with a greater sense of urgency than she appears to have.

The coming months will bring a new album, her first since 2020. It’s a brave album in terms of attitude and in line with the philosophy of freedom that Davidson has become so accustomed to. Y.A.A.M (Your Asses Are Mine) is the lead track that jumped out. An electrifying bass line, dedicated lyrics and a song that slowly grows between arpeggios and a blazing electro spectrum. Just over three minutes are enough for Marie Davidson to make her letter of intent clear: ‘But don’t be fool / I’m not that cool / I stick with the weirdos’. At a time when she will be touring her own festivals and concerts across Europe and North America, she returns to ZDB as the royalty she has proven herself to be. Anyone who has seen her knows the contagious energy she brings to the stage and the dancefloor. And let’s be honest: it couldn’t be any other way. NA

A regular presence and unavoidable energy at the best parties in Amsterdam, her sets are known for their sense of freedom and unpredictability. Her residencies at Red Light Radio and De School have led her to develop a restless sound language that embraces hard techno, sunny house and sonic solutions outside of any formal equation. Mad Miran has played at international festivals such as Dekmantel, Primavera Sound, Waking Life and Rewire, as well as renowned clubs such as The Hague, Nitsa, Garage Noord and Blitz.

In the summer of 2021 he recorded Waffles, co-authored with DJ Python, in one of the most frenetic jungle/drum n bass workouts of recent times. Versatile in his selections and infallible in his mixes, Mad Miran is a source of dopamine and freshness on the European clubbing scene at the moment. Seeing is believing. NA

Viegas is one of the names to keep in mind if you want to get to the pulse of Lisbon’s electronic underground. Closely involved with the queer clubbing scene, both as a promoter and as a DJ, he founded ARVI in 2020, a collective that aims to break down musical expectations of genres within a rave, mixing avant-garde club music with urban and pop sounds, as well as heavier electronic music, and there’s always room for live performances and multimedia art.

His sets reflect the spirit of the collective he founded and are inspired by the history and peripheries of dance music. A fan of melancholic synthesisers, fast-paced ghettotech tracks, trance-inducing patterns, acid bass lines and groovy, sensual beats, watching him mix is always an unpredictable journey, one that has to be experienced in the moment.