Welcome back to On Our Radar, Beatportal’s monthly roundup of the DJs and producers we can’t get enough of.
Check out the On Our Radar Beatport Chart to find tracks from the artists below, along with additional tunes that have caught our attention this month.
CAMZ
Camila Soares, also known as CAMZ, aims to bring sunshine to the hearts of Londoners even when it’s pouring rain. The Brazilian-born DJ, producer, radio show host and event founder is an optimist by nature, and this shines through everything she does, whether it’s her monthly show ‘Sunshine Beatz’ on Point Blank Radio or her É Samba event series that combines carnival dancing with live samba fusion band Samba Sisters. So when CAMZ released her debut single “Saudade” on Nervous Records in August 2022, BBC Radio 1’s Jaguar and Jeremiah Asiamah were quick to support. It’s a Brazilian-infused afro house track, reflective of CAMZ respect for the dance floor and her vibrant home country. Now nothing can stop her – this month, she performed at Nicole Moudaber Presents In The Mood at London’s E1 alongside Nicole Moudaber, Sama’ Abdulhadi, Ida Engberg and Layton Giordani.
SHY ONE
Mali Larrington-Nelson (aka Shy One) started DJing on pirate radio when she was just 13, and that spirit remains in her DJ sets and productions today. The born-and-raised Londoner soaked up the sound of grime, garage and club music like a sponge, and soon began producing beats for crews and MCs in Harrow, North West London. Shy One’s club/bass/grime hybrid caught the attention of Scratcha DVA, who released her 2011 Decaffeinated Love EP and her 2012 debut LP Bedknobs and Boomkicks on DVA Music. Shy One’s tracks are regulars on the airwaves of NTS, Balamii and Rinse FM.
DOMINUS
On October 24th UKG heavyweight Dominus will release his latest track “Just Like This” feat. Veteran MC Riko Dan on 1Forty. The track follows a series of break-heavy cuts from the London-born and Jersey-raised producer, which are shaping the new sound of UKG rave. The artist has been borderline obsessed with music since he was a teen, and began producing tracks at just 16. His release “In My Soul” came out in early 2020 on Sunday Flavaz, closely followed by “Everything I Do” on Friday Rush Records. After a string of successful releases the artist dropped his independent vinyl EP project Sweet n Sour in 2021 which sold out in less than a month. Releases on Shall Not Fade, its sub-label Time Is Now and ec2a followed, as well as love, support and play-outs from some of the UK’s most prominent underground artists, including Skream, Conducta and Disclosure.
JORDAN ARTS
Jordan Arts is a producer with a twist. The multi-instrumentalist/vocalist/producer combines his many talents to create music that’s as indefinable as it is unique. The 25-year-old South African plays his tracks with live guitars, synthesizers, saxophone and sings, making his live shows closer to performance art than DJ sets. Since his first release, “Saskiana” with Weston & Engine on RYNTH, he’s been on a serious roll, with his ethereal, other-worldly electronica tracks mesmerizing fans around the world including Joris Voorn, Nora En Pure, and Oliver Schories, all of whom invited him to support their shows. His track “Find A Way” hit number three in Beatport’s progressive house charts and “Need To Know” featured on Black Coffee’s tribute album. His latest release, “Dreaming” on House Music With Love is guaranteed to win him even more admiration.
MALA IKA
No one does it quite like Mala Ika. Born and Raised in Guadeloupe in the French Caribbean, the DJ and producer’s passion for digging led her to launch Sweet Musique, a media platform and record label rooted in afro-house and techno. The music the label champions is reflective of the artist’s productions, which tread the line between South African afro-house and Detroit techno, with her passion for pop culture adding an optimistic, playful twist. She’s released a flurry of tracks in recent months, including “Es regnet ueberall” on DESSERT and her remix of “We Dance” by Gueva on Weirdos Records. This month, she has two releases: The three-track Fall EP on Internasjonal — which features a Prins Thomas remix — and her I Don’t Care EP on Weirdos Records, both available on Beatport now.
ASA 808
Producer/DJ/live-act/rave maker, Cute Laune Festival founder and TOYS Berlin collective and label founder has some strings to their bow to say the least. Asa 808 has been producing ethereal electronic music since 2015, but it’s fair to say his upcoming album Boy, Crush on their own imprint TOYS BERLIN is an act of radical self-expression and a living, breathing extension of the artist’s spirit. The album is a hyper-personal journey through the artist’s battle against gender conformity and toxic masculinity, and invites the listener to dispel assumptions and expand their views of the gender spectrum. It’s a stunning piece of art that merges electronica, ambient, breakbeat and house, with a title that encourages men to crush their concepts of manhood and let their true selves bloom.
