Young Guns Lead EDM Explosion

Young gun DJs are taking over the EDM scene, changing the whole landscape of the dance music genre.

Matan “Mat Zo” Zohar, 22-year-old producer/DJ, said it best on his Facebook page. “This whole genres business is like the Berlin wall, and I’m there with a forklift and a wrecking ball,” Zo said.

Genres blur. Shows sell out. And at the center of it all is an ambitious group of twenty-somethings, looking to match up against some of the established names in the industry. Mat Zo from Britain. Russian-native Arty. Porter Robinson representing America. Avicii, born in Sweden. Zedd, homegrown in Germany.

It seems like every country has a DJ in this new generation.

Zedd, 23, has been touring with the like of deadmau5 and Skrillex and just released his album Clarity at the beginning of the month, bringing together almost a blend of all those he’s toured with. “I want to make sure that every single little noise that’s in my song is there because it’s supposed to be there,” he told the New York Times in a recent article.

Check out photos and video from Zedd’s last Sound Kitchen performance

Mat Zo’s style has transcended trance beyond its original barriers, something with a worldlier feel, something to spend a night driving around to.

Porter Robinson, 20, dances on top of the line separating progressive house and trance like tight ropewalker. One of Robinson’s latest singles, “Language”, has become a staple for trance sets and graced the Electric Daisy Carnival wrap up video.

Avicii’s career boosted him to number 6 on last year’s DJ Mag top 100 DJs list at the ripe old age of 23.

See video from Avicii at Phoenix Convention Center

Arty, 23, has been networking heavily through all the shows he’s been doing and recently started his Sirius XM radio show, Together We Are. He’s perfected his live shows to be an emotional roller coaster ride.

These rising stars have been huge for the rapidly growing industry, headlining major shows like EDC and Tomorrowland. Many of them have worked with each other for shows or collaborations. Arty & Mat Zo have produced a couple hits together like “Rebound” and another, aptly named after an older music prodigy “Mozart”. Porter Robinson teamed up with Zedd recently for a couple shows on the SoCal coast, and this summer with Mat Zo for his “Language Tour”.

As DJ Mag gets ready to release 2012’s Top DJs list (including David Guetta reportedly being unseated at Number 1), there’s no doubt that these young artists will be scooping up some of the top positions.

Arty will be at Wild Knight in Scottsdale for this year’s DANCEgiving on Wednesday, November 21. Reduced cover all night with a can food donation.