London Grammar
Who: UK indie-pop band founded by vocalist Hannah Reid and guitarist Dan Rothman in the late Noughties and also including keyboardist and percussionist Dominic Major. They picked up a prestigious Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically & Lyrically in 2014 for “Strong” and that same year won Independent Breakthrough of the Year and Most Played New Independent Act at the AIM Independent Music Awards. Speaking to Esquire earlier this year, Reid explained her ambitions for what people would take from the band’s music and live shows. “I hope that people come away feeling connected,” she said. “I feel quite disconnected sometimes and it’s very easy to disappear behind a phone screen and feel really isolated from each other. I think music is an incredible way to create amazing memories with your friends and your family and feel connected to something bigger than yourself.”
Top tracks: “Strong,” “Wasting My Young Years,” “Hey Now,” “Baby It’s You”
Nemahsis
Who: Palestinian-Canadian singer-songwriter Nemah Hassan, who first found fame online as a beauty and fashion influencer who occasionally uploaded videos of herself performing covers before turning her hand to writing her own material. So far, it’s gone pretty well; her 2024 debut album “Verbathim” won the Juno Award (the Canadian equivalent of the Grammys) for Alternative Album of the Year. “I feel like everything is so cliché, especially in the world of toxic positivity and therapy talk and stuff like that,” she told The Creative Independent in May. “What should people take away from my music? I think that the most important people were once underdogs. I think when we look at the names that we know way beyond their deaths, they were underdogs and hated at one point.”
Top tracks: “Stick of Gum,” “Immigrant’s Tale,” “Suicide,” “Eleven Achers”
Dish Dash
Saudi DJs and music producers, brothers Hassan and Abbas Ghazzawi are pioneers in the Kingdom’s electronic music scene. “We don't confine ourselves to any specific genre; instead, we embrace the freedom to explore different styles. That's what makes us stand out. It's not just about being good, it's about being special,” Hassan told Scene Noise in 2024. After performing at Azimuth in 2022, he told Arab News: “It’s a dream come true for us to actually have the power to influence and show the world what Saudi is and how we actually come together and enjoy our time in locations like these.”
Top tracks: “Chromosome (edit),” “Daze,” “Disko Luv”
Zeyne
Who: Jordanian-Palestinian indie-pop star who lists Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, and Rosalia among her influences. Since starting her YouTube channel during the COVID-19 lockdowns, Zeyne has established herself as one of the leading lights in the Middle East’s independent scene. “One of my goals is to be unapologetic in showcasing who I am as an Arab female artist living in the 21st century, living in Jordan, going through the struggles that many do,” she told Scene Noise in 2023. “Why not talk to other women and resonate with them? It’s partly society’s influence on us: we’re always used to being silent and not having a safe space to speak and express what we want.”
Top tracks: “Balak,” “Asli Ana,” “Hilwa,” “Mesh Haseebek”
Bedouin Burger
Who: Duo consisting of Syrian singer Lynn Adib and Lebanese musician Zeid Hamdan, one of the most influential figures in Arabic alternative music, perhaps best known as one half of the trip-hop duo Soapkills. Their music blends classical Arabic poetry, Egyptian pop, analog synths, acoustic recordings and drum machines. “I needed to work with someone who knows what he wants to say in music and definitely know how to do it on a technical level,” Adib told Arab News in 2020. “We meet in the middle between our two worlds. I’m very much into experimental and improvised music and Zeid helps me put my ideas in a more readable way.”
Top tracks: “Taht El Wared,” “Nomad,” “Ya Man Hawa”
Shkoon
Who: Syrian vocalist Ameen Khayer and German musician Thorben Diekmann met in Hamburg, Germany, where Khayer had arrived as a refugee, and formed Shkoon in 2015. Their music blends traditional Arabic sounds with electronica, piano, violin and percussion. “We do it to prove there are no borders,” Khayer told Arab News in 2020. “No matter where you come from, music is going to connect us.”
Top tracks: “Lala,” “Napauken,” “Fatoum”
Mind Against
Who: Berlin-based Italian EDM duo — brothers Alessandro and Federico Fognini — who released their first single, “Cagliostro,” in 2012. Since then, their joint DJ sets have made them wildly popular around the world. Speaking to xlr8r.com, the pair outlined their approach to their live shows. “We don’t plan much, but we do have six or seven tracks we know we want to play or moments that we like to create during a set. We don’t have separate roles; both of us have access to effects, controls. We like to keep two or three tracks together and mix tracks with four hands so it’s a continuous working together for all the duration of our performances.”
Top tracks: “Walking Away,” “Colossal,” “Astral”
Kevin de Vries
Who: German DJ and producer of “hybrid techno” music who released his first track in 2015. According to Resident Advisor, “Kevin’s DJ sets translate the singular energy of his own music into extended journeys from cutting-edge sounds to 90s classics and back again. He has become an in-demand DJ worldwide, consistently delivering stand-out performances for huge festivals and intimate clubs alike.”
Top tracks: “Metro,” “Dance With Me,” “Saga,” “Tokyo Nights”
