Rising Talents Around The Globe: Episode 4 – Switzerland

Welcome back to our exclusive editorial series “Rising Talents around the Globe”. After having dived into the talented ranks of Mexico’s, France’s and India’s up and coming fast climbers, it’s time to bring a new country into focus.

This time, we betake ourselves to the heart of central Europe: Switzerland. Now, if you’d have to think about the country’s biggest exports in electronic music and name some of them, you’d probably fail miserably. Of course there are some heavyweights who perform as global players such as EDX, Dinka, Adriatique or new entrant Nora En Pure, but let’s be honest, you had no clue they were Swiss. In fact, Switzerland contains a whole bunch of talented artists in various genres, who are getting out of the starting blocks and looking into a bright future.

It’s clearly hard to present all of them in one single article, eventually there are too many creditable producers who deserve a spot, we decided, however, to reduce the spotlight to five considerable artist. So without further ado, let’s dive into Switzerland’s electronic music scene and pass through our Top 5 DJs to watch out for, certainly in no specific order.

Jimi Jules

Being most famous for his worldwide success with “Pushing On”, alongside German house heavy-hitter Oliver $, the Switzerland-native not only proved a knack for leaping to and from the commercial market and the core of the underground sound scope at the click of a finger, but also his ability to catch up with the sudden success. What followed were international booking request’s in two of the worlds most famous house strongholds, Berlin and Ibiza.

If that was not enough, Jimi Jules was given the honour to perform at the legendary Boiler Room, the fabled residence of underground music. Even though he controlled the international dance floors in 2014, his legacy goes far beyond his smash hit “Pushing On”. Taking to global airwaves, he delivered his most recent Bogotá EP on Berlin based Watergate Records just over a month ago. With his newest coup, Jimi Jules proves that there is still something to be excited about when listening to classic dance music loops and layering swelling techno synths on top of it. It’s no wonder that many consider him some of the brightest up-and-coming talent of his home country.

Nicolas Haelg

Those who can’t get enough of soulful summer moods and feeling expressive sunshine vibes are in for a treat with Nicolas Haelg. The Zurich based ascender works tirelessly to promote his smooth brand of deep house through multiple stunning productions. His efforts have paid off as he numbers himself among the million-plays mark on SoundCloud with his monster hit “Something Good” alongside Austrian, MOUNT. Sharp grooves and expertly woven sample work rank among his powerful weapons.

In almost every track he succeeds to balance an ongoing contrast between the tracks melodic movements and fierce low-end undertones, showing a notable emphasis on composure while still creating rhythmic club vibes. Perfectly tailored to the summer soundtrack requirements, we’ve come to expect consistent power tracks which surprise each and every time. After delivering his groovy beats to one of Egypt’s most notable venues, Nicolas Haelg is from our point of view, ready to conquer the highest ranks of the world’s music industry.

DNO

A DJ’s primary avocation has always been to pick up on the mood of a crowd, selecting songs that will captivate their attention for hours on end. The ability to masterfully slip from one song into the next through seamless, fluid transitions is arguably one of the most powerful tools in a DJ’s arsenal. Herein lies the crux and the magnitude of DNO’s sets. Implicating a Hip-Hop background, he evolved from an ordinary rural DJ to a resident of Zurich’s most notable nightclubs. Remaining faithful to his roots, DNO stepped into the electronic scene by making himself comfortable in the Trap niche, while casting an eye on some of the game’s biggest kingpins such as Baauer, RL Grime, Flosstradamus or Jauz.

While unambiguously developing and adding his own signature sound to his productions, he seems to aim for the same direction. Next to several appearances at some major festivals in Switzerland, DNO has already had the chance to snuffle some international air in Paris last year. With that being said, Switzerland’s Trap protégé marks his status quo as the beginning of something what could be the next Baauer – and there are definitely more upcoming tracks to watch out for.

Calippo

Calippo is not only one of the most underrated artists, but he is also signed to one of the most underrated labels around, Enormous Tunes. The insiders label is home to some big names like Croatia Squad and worlds fast climber Nora En Pure. With Calippo, Enormous Tunes extends its roster with a multi-talent, who is, similar like Nicolas Haelg, most famous for his chilly and soulful tracks. It is not surprising that his 2015 track “Need A Friend” became one of the most played tracks at side stages at music festivals around the globe and marks itself as his biggest hit to date.

Most of his production immediately brings along deep groves, whereas showing at the same time that he has a penchant for sunny piano melodies. Masterfully constructed and meticulously detailed, his brand of deep house is the kind you’ll find connoisseurs reminiscing about: groovy, tightly woven percussion and expertly layered sounds coming together to make one dynamic dance floor hit after another. And that’s exactly what his recent releases brings to the table. Fierce and intense, they are a sexy, stabbing tapestry of tribal rhythms that will have you on edge from beginning to end.

Panda Eyes

If you listen to the music of Panda Eyes, the first question which appears is how in the world is he not signed to OWSLA? Generating a sound which is similar to Jauz’ or even Skrillex’, this 19 year old talent hits the bulls-eye with his productions and has his fingers on the pulse of the rising popularity of bass house.  His production quality is incredibly clean throughout every track, with different aspects having the space to shine without causing a lack of complexity.

What stands out in his songs is the mixture between distorted vocals, playful bass and chip-tune synths here and there. It surprises that he has not hit the big stages yet, although the US market is suited best for his kind of sound. We are convinced that Panda Eyes strives towards a bright future and who knows, with initially uncharted artists like Marshmello, NGHTMRE or Slushii representing the new big wave of bass house, he could be the next big arrival.