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 year.

MAKOSSIRI

Makossiri is a Kenyan music producer and DJ with a unique, experimental and rebellious sound currently creating futuristic electronic music. A good starting point for discovery would be her track “Juicy, Juicy” where you can hear trippy processed vocals delivering defiant lyrics and polyrhythmic drums dancing around industrial textures draped over heavy club-ready basslines. Makossiri’s vocals switch back and forth between English and Luo. The Luo people are a Niloticethnic group native to the western part of Kenya and Makossiri reflects this rich heritage in her music whilst also creating new worlds from her own imagination.

Considering her forward-thinking style, it’s perhaps fitting that she’s already released on Nyege Nyege’s sister label Hakuna Kulala. With a passion for acting, poetry and fashion, in addition to music, Makossiri is definitely an artist to keep on your radar. — Oscar Atanga

PONGO

Angolan-born, Lisbon-based musician Pongo fuses the traditional native Angolan rhythms and instrumentation with the modern sounds of Favela Funk. The Kuduro queen brings a fierce energy to modern dance music with Bruxos, showcasing the variety of influences and the sonic melting pot that births her sound. — Bimpe Akinyemi

DJ KATAPILA

With a recent discovery made via Tash LC’s very own “Club Yeke” imprint, DJ Katapila — not only has had past releases on Awesome Tapes From Africa — but has an exciting upcoming West African meets European techno release coming out in September on Club Yeke. Katapila’s unique Ghanian percussive fusion is high energy and marries the club dance sound to its roots. — NIKS

DAMEEEELA

Yuggera artist dameeeela is an incredible multi-talented DJ, producer and radio host currently solidifying herself as a staple leading figure in the electronic music industry in so-called Australia. Her highly-anticipated debut single “The Shake Up (feat. Tjaka)” illustrates why an artist like dameeeela is vital — the singular track soulfully ties together dameeeela’s connection to rave and the dancefloor, as well as her connection to her ancestors and culture. — Tanya Akinola

NGONI EGAN

If Ngoni Egan wasn’t born with electronic music coursing through his veins, his life lived in Dublin and Rotterdam— two critical underground hotspots — has surely contributed to the skilled hand we see today. Dropping off the sensational Re Teng EP on Carista’s famed United Identities in July, Ngoni takes care to pay homage to his Tswana heritage, as well as his lived past in Europe. Aquatics abound on the intro, Kalahari to Fingal; moving through alarmist, funky electro with Difaqane; the driven but dubby Gaborone West Groove rounds off a sublime set of tracks. The standout, though, is Ikalanga — a techy, groovy, rapid spinner bound to work any dancefloor into a frenzy. — Kay Ferdinand

AUTHENTICALLY PLASTIC

Authentically Plastic represents a unique type of artistic modernity, best summarised by their own tagline: free form femme fuckery. Within their compelling productions there is no separation between the dark wallop of industrial techno and the complex polyrhythms of East African rhythm stories; it is one and the same. Hailing from the queer subculture of Uganda’s capital city, Kampala, the holistic vision of the self-described “quasi-Marxist drag queen” is also crystallised in the buzzed-about parties thrown by their acclaimed collective ANTI-MASS. — Christine Kakaire

Black Artist Database is a community-based entity, centred around their artists’ database, which hosts a wealth of Black-owned record labels, artists, producers and bands. In addition to the database, B.A.D. undertakes various projects and initiatives to uplift Black voices within the electronic music community & industry. Black Artist Database also recently launched a Creative Database hosting an even broader range of Black creative professionals across various disciplines. Find them on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.