Today we present our final retrospective of 2025. Over the past two days, we’ve reminisced over our team’s standout tracks and albums of the year, revisiting the sounds that shaped our listening and our dancefloors. But now, it’s time to turn our attention to the people who made it all possible – the artists.
The producers, vocalists and collaborators who helped define the energy and direction of bass music throughout the year. This is our moment to spotlight the names that left a lasting impression on us.
Kompany
Amanda Ross
Kompany can’t stop winning. From the heels of last year’s unstoppable hit ‘Jackpot’ with Ivory featuring Raxdflipnote — which subsequently led to a wave of high-profile remixes this year, a fiery VIP, leading to the scorching album Nemesis for Monstercat — another big tune, Kompany’s devastating flip of SVDDEN DEATH’s ‘Dream Sequence’, stood out this summer. With his productions continually pushing boundaries, Kompany has all the ingredients for total destruction. Not one to shy away from making drum and bass, we saw his skills put to the test on ‘Temper Tantrum’, while the monumental remix of Slander and San Holo’s ‘Broken Hearted’ continues captivating audiences on main stages from EDC and Lost Lands to the legendary b2b with Layz this year at Forbidden Kingdom.
Satl
Sam Yates
It’s no secret Satl is a busy man. But 2025 was exceptional in terms of both his output, and his development as a musician. He kicked off the year with a varied run of collaborations and remixes. ‘808 Bubbler’ alongside rising talent Styke deserves so much recognition as a beautifully unique listen, blending everything soulful with a little touch of grit in that second drop. His recent output for Integral Records continues the R&B-D&B hybrid work from last year, enlisting Charlotte X and PVC to layer on more sweetness to some already indulgent productions.
What seals the deal though, is the SMTHN EP on Gemini Gemini. Never has all ‘killer, no filler’ been more apt. Bringing an all-star lineup of Halogenix, Javeon, Seeya, and Verbz, each track provides something different — but the rich, warm palette stays consistent. It feels effortless at this point. Satl, keep feeding us this sound.
Eluun
Lennart Hoffmann
An artist in every sense of the word, Frenchwoman Mona L’Huillier, better known as Eluun, is not just one of the most creative producers our genre has to offer, her many talents also include crafting visually stunning artworks, taking ravers on journeys unlike any other with her otherworldly DJ sets, and being a genuinely wonderful singer-songwriter. An armoury of artistic craftsmanship as wide-ranging as this, of course, isn’t built in a year or two. Mona has been putting out music as early as 2014 during her humble multi-genre beginnings as Sian Area, and even the Eluun alias goes back to 2017, when she was responsible for plenty of bouncy basses on Kinphonic.
Once re-emerged from her 2018 to 2023 hiatus — to focus on her thriving bass music brand N87 — she brought a whole new, more futuristic, more uniquely melodic yet indescribably technical approach to drum & bass to the table, and got swiftly picked up by the likes of Blackout and DIVIDID. While 2024 was already an absurdly good year for Miss L’Huillier, it was this year that saw her spread her wings further than ever before. Collaborations with Vici on Neksus and Maysev on Pilot, the release of her and Bison Fanatics Burr Oak’s cover of Muse’s ‘Hysteria’, a double single on Blackout breaking all sorts of genre conventions, a most wonderful remix for the aforementioned Bison Boys, and truly head-turning sets at Blackout, Darkshire, and even Boomtown — and she is still just getting started!
Sherelle
Ant Mulholland
In what’s been a massive year for junglist Sherelle, her debut album was a hard-hitting breath of fresh air. Blending the likes of footwork, jungle, acid, and drum & bass, it’s a project that is a real nod to the dancefloor. With other releases like ‘Heartbreaker’ and ‘Estradas’, 2025 has been a standout year for the Londoner. Her SHERELLELAND shows have been a great addition to UK nightlife, representing jungle, techno and hardcore in a light that is constantly bringing new fans to the scene, making these events accessible with affordable ticketing. Playing shows around the world, as well as iconic performances at Glastonbury, The Roundhouse and Warehouse Project, it’s safe to say Sherelle has had an unforgettable year. This artist really highlights the roots of dance culture, away from the commercial.
Badger
Amanda Ross
Badger has become certified UK gold! Yes, 2024 was a massive year for him — but 2025? Even bigger. Calling it a UKG summer doesn’t quite cut it; it’s been a full-on UKG year, with Badger dropping certified hits from start to finish. From addictive singles like ‘Sweet’ with Chelcee Grimes to flagship collaborations including his standout link-up with Julia Wolf and ‘It Gets Better’ with Dada Jones, he’s well and truly skated his way to the top. Living the dream, we’ve seen iconic performances across the globe — from major US festival appearances and pop-up shows to roadblock settings at Reading and Leeds Festival — there’s no stopping this man. We can’t wait to see what 2026 has in store!
Neffa-T
Ant Mulholland
The technical wizard Neffa-T has had a standout year behind the decks. In addition, he has released a flurry of club-centric music, including ‘This Is This Isn’t’ and ‘Dancing With Hardships’, that are guaranteed body movers in the dance. From standout sets at Love Saves The Day, Travs Presents, Glastonbury, Outlook and The Roundhouse, his cross-genre fluid blending has caused quite the buzz. Now playing around the world, Neffa-T is part of a wider underground movement that is shaping the DJs of today, demonstrating the lengths grime, techno, breaks, bass and dubstep can mould together. Not to mention his 8-deck mix that got everyone in the scene talking. A real unique listening experience, where he appreciates every rhythm and beat to its full. His broad influences make for an unforgettable experience in the rave, truly pushing the boundaries on what a DJ can create.
Verbz
Sam Yates
You’d think he grew up in Queens, as Nas’ understudy. But this story was written in Croydon. Coming up in hip-hop alongside Mr. Slipz, Verbz began to dabble in drum & bass in recent years, but in 2025, he dove right in.
Spanning heavyweight labels like 31 Recordings, Drum&BassArena, Shogun, Footnotes, 1985 Music, the list goes on — he proved his adaptability again and again. From the melancholic tag-team with Xiva on ‘Every Part Of Me’, to beefing up dubstep pressure on ‘Say What I Mean’, to switching gears entirely and singing on part of ‘All Said And Done’ — Verbz showed a range few can match. That last track featured on his mini-album masterpiece with Zar, In Time — probably the clearest showcase of his versatility to date. In a scene where MCs are increasingly rare, Verbz brings a totally fresh voice, along with hope and inspiration for the next wave.
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