Porter Robinson achieved widespread recognition at the age of 18 and has seen parts of the world many don’t see before the end of their 20s. His fame wasn’t instant, however. He began producing before he was a teenager. Today we explore four young artists that are taking advantage of their youth and giving 110% to make their way to the top.
Crywolf
In an era where a lot of the Top 40 tracks on Beatport sound the same and everyone is searching for that ever elusive drop to catapult them to fame, there is one artist who is causing ripples throughout the electronic dance music world with an avant-garde approach. Crywolf, also known as Justin Taylor Phillips, is a singer, songwriter, and musician from Los Angeles, California. This redheaded wonder gave birth to Crywolf three years ago and has captivated listeners with his emotive sound, delving into the realm of indie electronic music with no hesitation.
Crywolf lists his influences as Flume, Crystal Castles, Bloc Party, The Kills, and Radical Face to name a few. My guess is that he will soon be one of many artist’s named influences as he has been recognized by the likes of Bassnectar, Skrillex, and Ellie Goulding. Crywolf has not one but four EPs that charted in the top 3 on iTunes and remained on the Billboard charts for weeks. On November 20, 2015 Crywolf released his debut album Cataclasm which has been well received and highly praised (you can buy it on iTunes here or stream on Spotify). It should come as no surprise then that Crywolf’s success has led to a tour. Crywolf may be headed to a town near you so don’t miss out! See where Crywolf will be by visiting on his Rising tour at http://www.runcrywolf.com/tour. Follow him on his website, Facebook, Soundcloud, Twitter, Youtube, and Instagram.
Prismo
Prismo is a Houston native and has cultivated his sound over the years, making hit tunes for Monstercat, Dim Mak, Firepower, and Buygore. Prismo makes Htown proud with his trap productions and remixes. He does have a softer side however, producing tracks like Coexist, which he says was inspired “by the people who try to be loving and selfless in their relationships with others.” Producing music, I feel, is a gift of love and Prismo is selfless when it comes to sharing his musical talents with the world.
A jack of all entertainment trades, Prismo, also known as Zach Burgett, is a 19-year-old DJ, singer, a musician that can play a few different instruments, and a songwriter. For those from Htown, you might recognize the track that he remixed and has made available for a free download below.
Catch Prismo at Foam Wonderland this month at Sam Houston Race Park August 20th!! He can be located on Facebook, Soundcloud, Twitter, Instagram, and on Snapchat at prisbro.
Julian Cross
Julian Cross is a new entrant in electronic dance music whose signature style has garnered attention. Julian was recently invited to play Tomorrowland at the Dreamville stage and was recently a guest at both the Timeless Festival and Parookaville. This young artist has not even crossed the threshold of 18 and is making waves, having been signed to PM:AM of Capitol Records in France. In addition to touring over Europe, Julian is at the head of monthly podcast Crossover Radio. Check out the latest episode below. For more on Julian Cross, follow him on Facebook, Soundcloud, Twitter, and Instagram.
Montis
Emiel van den Berg, also known as Montis, is another artist under 21 years old from The Netherlands who has forged a path through the sub genre of deep house and melodic, tropical grooves. At 19, Montis was signed to Disco Wax and has been producing like mad. One of my favorite tracks on his Soundcloud has to be So Saxy, a deep house track accentuated by the sexy sounds of a saxophone.
Montis is also a producer that plays nice, teaming up with fellows like Walker, a 17-year-old producer in France, and Afreaux, another baby face from the Netherlands who just released his track YOU in June of this year. Peach, Montis’s track with Walker, has reached 100,000 plays and his track with Afreaux featuring Elliot Smith, Wrong, has received over 28,000 plays. Be on the lookout for Montis and his pals as deep house continues to take over the conscious minds of avid electronic music listeners. Find Montis on Facebook, Soundcloud, and Instagram. Keep up to date with the latest news at his website.
I was listening to electronic dance music without even knowing it when I was listening to Jock Jams in the 90s. Fast forward to my senior year in high school and I had discovered Fatboy Slim. I have been listening to edm ever since and love writing about new sounds, good sounds, and the music that makes us move.
