LICIA, known for her signature dancefloor and jump-up blend, has upped the ante by incorporating energetic live vocals into her performances. In the last 12 months she’s played alongside DnB heavyweights Sub Focus, SHY FX, SOTA and K Motionz, playing in venues such as Nowhere in Manchester, Testbed in Leeds, and Corsica Studios in London.
Off the back of winning the Rampage x CruCast competition and opening up Rampage’s second biggest stage in July, she’s now set her eyes on the second half of 2025, after just dropping a stacked line-up of releases and her very own EP on Riot Records.
Grown up classically trained, writing songs to self-taught guitar from age 10, music has always been in her blood, and alongside her own vocals she’s looking to incorporate her own clarinet, violin and piano lines in future productions.
We believe the best way to get to know someone is by going through their music collection. Today we are getting to know LICIA.
Connie
Waypoint, Conni – Stories In My Head
Conni has carved her path in the DnB scene in recent years by writing some of the catchiest, spiciest hooks, paired with a honeyed vocal and an infectious passion for music. Any track she touches you can see the pure love and talent she has for it, particularly some of her recent ones drawing on her Italian heritage such as ‘Bella Ciao’.
Her latest track with Waypoint had me the second I heard it, a simplistic yet captivating vocal twisted into a warped build up and explosive drop. The introduction feels almost nostalgic and the vocal chops throughout are my FAVOURITE, this track truly has everything. Trust me, anything Conni makes is a guaranteed banger.
DRZ
DRZ – What I Do
Although DRZ has been in the games for years, he’s been on an absolute whirlwind journey of sound. Starting releasing back in 2021 he made his mark honing into euphoric dnb way ahead of its time, with his track ‘Inconclusive’ massively influencing my own sound.
From then on he slowly entered the world of grotty jump-up which took the scene by storm, with tracks ‘Player’ and ‘Take You There’ shutting down raves up and down the country, the latter of which is still one of my favourite tracks to play out.
Come 2025 and he’s continuing to push boundaries, tracks ‘What I Do’ and his Losing It EP blurring the lines of heavy and euphoric. Whatever this man makes, it’s phenomenal, and I can’t wait for what he’ll release next.
Amber Jay
Genetics, Amber Jay – Escape
Amber Jay’s vocals are something else, this girl can SING. Catchy ear-worms, belting voice, always immaculately paired with a pumping dance-floor tune. Having only begun to start releasing in 2022, she’s already amounted to hundreds of thousands of streams.
With electric performances on main stage Liquicity, and Barcelona with Automata, she brings a flawless performance with bounds of energy every time.
The track ‘Escape’ with producer/DJ Genetics is uplifting, catchy, and gets you in the feels in all the right ways.
RayJhin
RayJhin – Disclosure
I discovered RayJhin last year whilst writing my university dissertation, and was absolutely astounded by his music. He prides himself in showcasing Japanese culture by blending eastern asian orchestration with aggressive synths and basslines, and the results I can only describe as beautiful.
‘Disclosure’, the first track in his album ‘The Dawn of Nyushin’ begins as though it’s a film soundtrack, with various timbres and melodies introduced hypnotically. Halfway the electronic elements are gradually introduced, building tension until an angry and driving drum and bass drop kicks in, with elements of the intro infused tastefully throughout.
His music is not only limited to drum and bass, and instead explores every facet of bass music. With recent releases on Kannibalen Records he is set to go far and I’m so excited for what’s to come.
Ekstatic
Primate, Ekstatic – Don’t Forget Me
Singer, songwriter and DJ Ekstatic has been KILLING the game recently. I had the absolute pleasure of going b2b with her the other month at Riot Record’s own ‘Causing A Riot’ show, and I didn’t think she could be cooler than she already was. Commanding energy from the crowd with her snappy punchy blends, she seamlessly moves to live vocals like she’s been doing this since she was born.
What I particularly love about Ekstatic is her versatility across multiple sub-genres. Best known for her tune with Primate ‘Back In Time’, which has a hauntingly captivating vocal into what can only be described as a ridiculous drop, she recently went viral on TikTok for her liquid track ‘Breathe In’ with Clank & Maider. If you haven’t watched live clips from her performing this track please do, the lungs on this girl are just insane.
The DJ in me is of course most drawn to her second release with Primate ‘Don’t Forget Me’, which has been on repeat since its release.
El Pablo
El Pablo – Party
Jump-up like you’ve never heard it. El Pablo’s production is so unique and immaculately crafted that you can immediately identify his work within a second hearing it. Melodic, punchy, packed with energy, and soooo good to double drop in a mix.
This summer he played Rampage Open Air, Let It Roll, Boomtown, as well as a New Zealand tour, it really is all gas and no brakes for this guy. I’ve heard so many of his dubs getting played out recently at various festivals and that just makes me even more excited for what’s to come from him.
CaitC
CaitC, Amber Jay – Girls Wanna Dance
Everybody knows CaitC, hell she’s already had a whole UKF article written about her. But I couldn’t help but mention her again here, as she’s just INSANE. Whether it’s her lush dancefloor productions, or razor sharp DJ sets, this girl always keeps me guessing.
Her recent collab with Amber Jay ‘Girls Wanna Dance’ I absolutely adore, and it’s very aptly named as it 1000% makes me wanna dance. What I really love about this girl is her dedication to the music and her work ethic, which just seeps through anything she creates. Off the back of playing Rampage Open Air and Liquicity this year (and it’s not even her first time) this girl is absolutely killing it.
Ryllz
Ryllz – AMINA(VIP)
Ryllz is no stranger to the bass music scene, however having switched up his sound to drum and bass in 2024, his productions are truly a breath of fresh air and have hit the scene by storm.
His track AMINA perfectly balances, melodic, heavy, bouncy and fun. And if you thought that was good – then the VIP is even better.
MXTR
MXTR – Bounce
If you’ve not heard of MXTR yet, you’ve 1000% heard his music played in the rave. This summer he’s had his music played out by the likes of Andy C, Kanine, Friction, ShockOne, K-Motionz and more.
His music is an absolute weapon in a set (trust me, it always goes off), with a catalogue spanning melodic dancefloor and erring into jump-up. His recent release ‘Won’t Give Up’ with Tyler Garrett, released on Ridmic Records got a main stage play at Liquicity festival just the other week.
I’ve played his track Bounce in multiple sets the past few months and the reaction it elicits just never gets old. So gassed for what’s in store for him, it’s only up from here!
FourD
FourD – Come In – Hi Resolution
Drum and bass DJ/producer FourD is the real deal, describing his sound as dirty drums and big gritty basslines he is absolutely right. Think big rollers, foghorns, the lot. He recently opened the iconic King’s of the Rollers ‘Royal Rumble’ at Studio338 in April, but not only that he had multiple of his dubs played out by KOTR themselves throughout the night.
‘Come In’ is an absolute heater, designed to send any rave west, and I know he just has so much more from where that’s come from. Big big things coming for FourD!
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