We couldn’t start off the New Year without the releasing our annual Ones To Watch list.
The up and comers our editorial team think you need to know about in 2025. Enjoy!
ONHELL
Logan Sasser
ONHELL is a rare breed. He’s a creative whose musical output also coincides with several other endeavours, including his wacky, off-the-wall “ONHELLParties” which often include all-gender strippers, nail techs, and… homemade salsa? That’s right, ONHELL has his own salsa brand. And it’s just as spicy as his late night/early morning warehouse parties.
Of course, his music is great too. His most recent EP, juntos, which was released with Deadbeats in September, captures a perfect synchronicity of hard-hitting, bass-forward bangers (“Grime On Steroids” with Chef Boyarbeatz), and goofy, lighthearted party tracks (“Dubstep For Kids”). Because the cow does indeed go moo, and the bass does indeed go WOMP.
Considering ONHELL has supported several legendary dubstep icons like Eprom, and sold out shows at iconic venues like New York’s House of Yes, the momentum ONHELL has going into 2025 is undeniable. Whatever insane, over-the-top antics he has planned for next year, we’re here for it.
Just Jane
Ant Mullholland
The multi-genre selector Just Jane has been making waves in the electronic dance scene, parading an abundance of dubstep, grime, bass, uk garage, and electro sounds that have allured a plethora of new fans with her slick mixing and heavy chopping – becoming one of the most accomplished technicians behind the decks. In 2024, the London-based artist has performed at iconic venues such as Village Underground, Phonox, Outernet, supporting the likes of Oblig, Conducta, Tim Reaper, and Interplanetary Criminal. Making a Boomtown debut, as well as playing sets on Rinse FM (with the eclectic Riz La Teef and G33), Balamii, and BBC Radio 1, it’s safe to say that Just Jane is only just getting started. With her own productions being teased in some of these radio sets we can be sure to expect even more from the skillful DJ in 2025.
Salo
Lurie Charlesworth
Salo is an artist everyone should be keeping an eye on at the minute! This Manchester based Georgian singer, pianist, producer and DJ is making her mark on the scene with her gorgeous and distinctively raspy voice. We’ve seen her collaborate many times with Manchester’s finest Chimpo, along with artists like Sustance, L-Side and Sully, but it’s her pending solo projects that excite me the most. A queen on the mic and a versatile artist that I have no doubt has an incredible career on the horizon. Watch this space.
Nikita The Wicked
Logan Sasser
Nikita The Wicked busted into the spotlight in 2024 thanks to a fun, dance-oriented approach to bass music that serves a simple purpose: to light up the dancefloor with easily digestible song structures and fantastic sound design. The narrative that ties it all together, led by the statement “Dance music has many heroes. Now it needs a villain,” adds a certain cinematic flair to his brand that earned him a remix for NGHTMRE’s “In Your Eyes”, several viral tracks (“YA BODY” and “Like Me”), and even a spot on the acclaimed UTA artist roster.
This represents the new generation of rising dance music stars with authenticity, passion, and a forward-thinking approach to dancefloor bangers, which is what makes Nikita The Wicked such a fun project to root for. He can easily be classified in bass music’s new generation next to Levity and Tape B, and there’s endless potential to build out his villain persona as the project continues to expand. Next year, Nikita The Wicked will complete his world domination. No dancefloor is safe.
Origin8a & Propa
Ant Mullholland
The jungle and hardcore duo Origin8a & Propa have individually been in the scene for a long time. Eventually coming together five years ago for their first ever release on their label Hardcore Energy. However, their standing as a pairing has been on the rise for the last few years involving standout tracks like ‘Shine On’ and ‘Harmony’. This year has been monumental, with an iconic stack of releases in 2024, including the ‘90’s Baby’ EP & ‘For The Sake Of E’s’ EP which have both been standout projects within the underground community, we can assume that 2025 will be a year where we are treated to even more hardcore anthems from the pair. Throughout the scene, they are considered as one of the most authentic artists to grace the dance – consistently capturing the epitome of British rave culture during their wide range of sets. The Hardcore Energy label they run alongside Hypershe has been a shining light for the jungle and hardcore community and have had arguably their most influential impact yet this year.
Xeonz
Sam Yates
With his first drum & bass releases dating back to 2020, Xeonz has slowly but surely found his form within the scene. With releases across Blackout, Overview, Pilot, MODUS, and now The North Quarter, he’s certainly shown a range of production ability. But whether it’s a big, dramatic neurofunk banger like he’s done with ‘Apollo’ on Blackout’s Evolutions 10 V/A, or a something much more mellow and musical like his ‘Echo’ single on Pilot – there’s a consistent quality and style emerging. He uses big synths and atmospheres to get this dreamy effect throughout his productions; case and point being his brand new North Quarter Single ‘Without You’ that’s getting plenty of play among the liquid crowd as we close out 2024. Expect more variety from Xeonz next year, early and often.
Lokal
Sagar Deshmukh
The way this Manchester-based trio has been steadily making waves over the past couple of years, it feels like 2025 will be the year they do the inevitable and explode on to the bass music fraternity as one of their favourites.
It’s crucial to emphasise the phrase ‘bass music fraternity’s favourite trio’ because Lokal’s versatility truly sets them apart in the scene. Over the years, they’ve managed to carve out a sound that resonates across a broad spectrum of bass music, producing tracks that span some of the most prominent genres of the spectrum. Lokal’s style of production is a dynamic blend of fun, intensity, and rowdiness, with moments of introspection thrown in. No matter the mood they choose to explore, they deliver with full force and authenticity, capturing every vibe with precision.
It all started with the ‘Open 4 Business’ EP in 2023, which showcased the trio’s ability to traverse genres like drum & bass, jungle, UK Garage, and dubstep, offering fans a peek into their unique creative vision. Fast forward to this year, and they’ve taken it up a notch, seamlessly blending these styles and more. Some of their standout releases include the raucous remix of DJ Gaw’s ‘Scatter,’ the high-energy collaboration with Freddy B on ‘Nah Man’ for Delta9 Recordings, and their latest ‘Illicit Trade’ EP on Incurzion Audio. They wrapped up the year with a grimey remix of Qwirk’s ‘K.O.,’ further cementing their ability to effortlessly hop between genres and deliver fresh, dynamic sounds.
The prospect of more Lokal music is definitely an exciting one, and 2025 feels like the year they’ll fully bring it to life. But for now, it’s well-earned break time. Once they return, expect them to unleash everything they’ve been working on and make 2025 arguably their biggest year yet.
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