There is always an unsaid criteria list that is adhered to when a main stage artist is selected. The act should pull crowds. The act should play palatable music. The act should have a few hits on Beatport under his belt.
Even after all that, some artists still don’t make the cut. Here are some artists that we think deserve a spot on main stages of huge festivals around the world:
1. Savant
(Courtesy: wavo.me)
Savant has been around for a while, and is usually a Beatport favourite. The Norwegian native is exactly what his artist name suggests: a savant.
In a short span of time, Savant has produced nearly 8 full-length albums, several EPs and other miscellaneous uploads on SoundCloud. He likes giving away most of his songs for free.Β With an ever-changing live setup, Savant has toured Europe and the USA, but has done only club gigs till now. He is one artist that has the stage presence, the charisma and the talent to be awarded a main stage spot. But then, the possibility remains distant, and he has vocally spoken out against the mainstream EDM culture.
2. REZZ
(Courtesy:Β trc.daily-beat.com)
Isabelle Rezzadeh has had a life-changingΒ 2015, with EPs and releases on mau5trap and OWSLA. The 19-year old kept producing music in her bedroom before she was noticed and invited to play for various gigs as an opening act. Since then, REZZ has been picked by AMOnly, one of the world’s top artist management companies.
Her style is grungy, evil techno with copious amounts of bass that’ll most likely shatter a festival’s speakers. If things keep going the way they are, you might see the talented producer make an appearance at a main stage near you.
3. G-Buck
(Courtesy: nesthq.com)
The up-and-coming Philadelphia native has been producing a lot of main stage material as of late, with his stuff being used in sets by artists from Mad Decent and OWSLA alike. He prefers straying away from a genre categorization, and his tunes can simply be described as trapstyle.
With multiple releases on OWSLA and its NEST subsidary and a growing support list, G-Buck is already main stage material, so it should come as no surprise if G-Buck is listed there.
4. Happy Colors
(Courtesy: edm.wikia.com)
An unusual addition to the list, the Dominican RepublicΒ citizenΒ is known for his moombahton-cum-hardstyle combinations that sometimes contain unrelated vocals that make his tracks sound too hilarious to listen to. Happy Colors has an impressive support list too, with Dillon Francis using some of his tracks in his sets.Β Since moombahton is undergoing a revival phase, it makes sense for Happy Colors to get a spot on the main stage.
5. Autoerotique
(Courtesy:Β victoriamusicscene.com)
This producer has undergone a rejuvenation of sorts. Gone is the guy that made bangers with Mercer; Autoerotique now makes only bass house, and he uploads tracks on his SoundCloud account frequently.Β Future and bass house is dominating the scene for now, and it shouldn’t be much time till the Canadian citizen gets to perform on a really big festival’s main stage.
6. Bad Royale
(Courtesy: badroyale.com)
The 4-man supergroup that call themselves Bad Royale are a bunch of producers and DJs that specialize in trapstyle and moombahton. The group has a member who has tasted Beatport success before: Maor Levi.Β Trap is an extremely energetic genre, which is why people suck it up so well. Bad Royale has had releases on Mad Decent as well as Borgore’s imprint Buygore Records, and more are on their way.
7. Ilan Bluestone
(Courtesy: beatsmedia.com)
The wonder boy of Above&Beyond’s trance label Anjunabeats has an entirely different take to euphoric trance, preferring to add big room elements to his tracks to make them sound huge. His tracks have been recognized on Beatport and he hasΒ playedΒ sold-out shows during tours in the USA and the UK.Β With a flurry of releases lined up, and an ever-increasing fan base, this guy is main stage material right here!
8. Henry Fong
(Courtesy:Β thissongissick.com)
The Miami resident has had a huge 2015. He founded a new record label Banzai, released a bunch of stuff that reached the Beatport Top 100 charts, and played a few festivals here and there.Β He has often collaborated with the likes of Mike Hawkins and Toby Green, and has done remixes for artists like Milo & Otis and Brillz to name a few.