Happy Canada Day, friends! I can honestly say that I’ve been waiting for 365 days to write this piece. As an electronic music fan who was born and raised in the Great White North, there is nothing I love more than sharing some budding Canadian talent with the rest of the world. 2014’s list of ’13 Canadian Producers You Need To Familiarize Yourself With’ featured the likes of Hunter Siegel, Snails, Sleepy Tom, Pomo and Black Tiger Sex Machine, while the 2015 edition consisted of Eekkoo, Shaun Frank, REZZ, Ekali and more. Now, it’s time to pass the torch and shine the spotlight on 13 (to represent Canada’s 13 provinces and territories) new Canucks. Let’s hope these producers make their country proud and achieve a great amount of success over the next 12 months.
BLU J
We’re kicking off this year’s list with a duo that is only 50% Canadian, but 100% awesome. Despite the fact that they call both San Francisco and Vancouver home, we couldn’t resist putting BLU J on our list thanks to tunes like their take on deadmau5 and Kaskade’s “I Remember”.
Harrison
Harrison is the first of many Toronto artists that we will be introducing (or reintroducing) you to. He recently revealed that he will be releasing an album, Checkpoint Titanium, later this year, but for now, you can vibe out to his remix of fellow Canadian Nelly Furtado’s “Turn Off The Lights”.
LOVE THY BROTHER
Hailing from Montreal, Quebec, this emerging duo, consisting of brothers Conor and Liam Clarke, has been making a name for itself thanks to its sultry brand of house. LOVE THY BROTHER‘s latest remix, which you can listen to below, recently soared to the top of the Hype Machine charts (and for good reason).
ZABO
If ZABO‘s career was a ladder, you could say that he’s only climbed the first few steps. That being said, he’s one of the many talented Toronto artists with a bright future ahead of him. His “Get Down” bootleg has surpassed 60,000 plays on SoundCloud, which isn’t too shabby for a producer with roughly 3,000 followers. If he keeps on grinding, he’ll be hanging at the top in no time.
Ramzoid
Ramzoid might be the biggest thing to come out of Prince Edward Island since Anne of Green Gables. In all seriousness, this 18-year-old phenom, who has received support from industry giants such as Martin Garrix, Skrillex and more, has been making big moves as of late. His new original is definitely one of his finest pieces of work to date.
ATTLAS
Last year’s list featured mau5trap favourites REZZ and Eekkoo, so it’s only fitting that label mate ATTLAS gets some recognition in 2016. After hopping on tour and releasing a tune together, we can only expect that boss man deadmau5 will continue to take this exceptional musician under his wing.
Young Bombs
If there’s one thing we can tell you about Young Bombs, it’s that these guys know a thing or two about dropping bombs. It seems like every track this Vancouver duo puts out is better than the last. It was tough to narrow it down, but if there is one tune you need to check out, it’s their “Wild Things” remix.
Internet Daughter
Internet Daughter has been extremely active in the Toronto scene over the last few months, landing gigs all over the city. Along with being a great DJ, she is also quite talented when it comes to the production side of things. Listen to her remix for Felix Cartal down below.
Bishu
It’s no secret that Diplo is one of the most renowned tastemakers in the game, so if he says someone is worth checking out, he’s probably right. This is definitely the case from Bishu out of Nova Scotia. He’ll be playing his debut show at one of the Mad Decent Block Party stops and we can guarantee that if you’re in attendance, you’ll be hearing “Skurt”.
Ben Zamora
In just a few short months, Ben Zamora of Toronto has managed the accumulate a nice little following thanks to his groovy takes on some of the most popular tracks in electronic music. For his latest effort, he’s added some future house flair to AlunaGeorge’s “I’m In Control”.
Inukshuk
Inukshuks are stone monuments that are meant to let travellers know they they are “on the right path”. Well, if there’s one thing we can say about London’s Inukshuk, it’s that he’s definitely on the right path when it comes to making it big in the industry. His remix of Adventure Club’s “Wait” will be stuck in your head for the rest of the day.
Robotaki
For those of you who are looking to get funky this Canada Day weekend, I’ve got the producer for you. Robotaki, who seems to jump between Montreal and Toronto, is on the path to become one of Canada’s next electronic music golden boys. If you need further evidence, listen to his “Strange Talk” remix below.
Pusher
Last, but not least, we have Toronto’s Pusher. His flips of “Lean On” and “Take Ü There” have found their way into the sets of numerous big-time DJs, but it’s his original work that keeps us coming back for more. Check out “Clear” below to see why Zeds Dead can’t get enough of this up-and-comer.
