Tommy Vercetti – It was around 2 years ago now that Tommy Vercetti (aka Tom Coex) released Time to get funky on the underground house, tech and bass label H@ch Records. Fast forwards a couple years and you’ll see this rising UK talent is completely smashing the scene. After several EP releases on labels such as Simma Red and Sense Traxx earlier on in the year, Vercetti followed this up with something special: the announcement of a 3 track EP on Darius Syrossian’s notorious Do Not Sleep Ibiza label. The EP, titled Blue Submarine, has gained support from several house music heavyweights including Joris Voorn and Groove Armada, the EP also features a remix by the label frontman himself Darius Syrossian. The release date is set for the 5th of January 2017, and with support like that it’s not hard to see why we think Tommy Vercetti is one to watch in 2017. Even Egg London agree, with Vercetti joining the likes of Latmun and Leftwing & Kody on the 27th of January for a night of top quality raving. Keep your ears peeled ladies and gents, this guy’s got it going on.
Solardo – They say time flies when you’re having fun, so we can’t even begin to imagine how fast this year has gone for good friends Mark Richards and James Eliot. These guys have smashed the scene out of the water in literally no time at all, bringing banging beats and techy tunes to audiences everywhere. It’s actually hard to name some big labels that these two haven’t released EPs on this year: Work That on Steve Lawler’s Viva, Tribesmen on Jamie Jones’ Hot Creations and let’s not forget The Aztecs on Mark Knight’s Toolroom Records to name just a few. With three of house music’s biggest heavyweights in their corner, it’s safe to say the future is bright for these two. They kicked off 2017 at London’s famous Tobacco Docks, playing alongside titans such as Hot Since 82 and Dubfire for Carl Cox and friends’ New Year’s Day rave. Add to that the upcoming Solardo Sessions showcases, where they’ll be playing up and down the UK each weekend, the real test will come this year where we will see if they can carry this massive momentum into 2017. I had the pleasure to see these guys play at an intimate little club in Portsmouth and the energy they bring is mad, their own unique sounds bring wicked vibes that make the club feel more like a good old fashioned party rather than a sweaty rave up. It’s smiles all round for Solardo, and that’s exactly how it should be.
Daylight Robbery Records – Now this isn’t the first time we’ve spoken about the two frontmen behind Daylight Robbery records. It was back in July that we first came across Jojo Angel and Matteo Rosolare with their This is B.R.O.N.X EP, and instantly the realisation dawned that we’d come across some pretty serious talent. Move through the months to the present day and you’ll see that our hunch was right: Daylight Robbery Records ranked in the Top 40 Labels of 2016 in Data Transmission’s end of year polls. With “House music on a strictly need to know basis” as their motto, these guys know a banging tune when they see one, which is why we reckon Daylight Robbery Records are definitely one to watch in 2017.
Blip Discs – A record label which is perched to make some serious waves in the world of dance music this year is London’s very own Blip Discs. With only four releases to their name they have started as they mean to go on with four of the finest records around. Two of these coming from O’Flynn another from Spooky J and the last coming from the man at the controls Tom Blip. This close knit label draws inspiration from African rhythms and influences. With regular support from industry leaders and trend setters Phonica Records Blip Discs are clearly doing something very very right. Upcoming releases from the label this year will see artists like Glowing Palms from Manchester and perhaps even Nilotika culture ensemble all the way from Uganda. With small pressing numbers their records don’t hang around for long making their releases some of the most heavily sought after records around.
Printworks – With so many club closures in the UK over the past few years one of the gleaming lights at the end of this year was the announcement of a new club space in south London by the name of Printworks. Due to open for business on the 4th of February this 5,000 capacity club means big things for the London club scene. This repurposed building is the result of the exact kind of mindset that will allow the UK’s club scene to once again prosper. Shades of Amsterdam and Berlin can be seen in the thought behind this new project. Opening night is headlined by none other than world renowned giver of zero fucks Mr. Seth Troxler. The reopening of Fabric is also a fantastic result of the dance music community coming together from all over the world for a singular cause. But with the creation of Printworks London’s music scene is about to take a step up.
Dj Seinfeld – Sweden has one of the most slept on music scenes in the world. With a constant stream of top quality disk jockeys gracing clubs and festivals in every corner of the globe, the most recent of these is DJ Seinfeld. One of the biggest names in Lo-fi house music this slick mixing swede has the potential to really explode this year. Just coming off the back of his first EP Season 1 ep a terrifically varied and thoughtful record it shows that this Dj has much more in the bag ready to unleash on dancefloors across the world.
Words by: Olly Gunns & G. Lewis