The New Wave of Indie Dance: Five producers you need to knowIndie Dance

The New Wave of Indie Dance: Five producers you need to know

I’m in a rather privileged position living in Stockholm, a hive of talented musicians where electronic trends seem to be launched. Gone are the days of commercial “EDM” plaguing the trendy, underground places, instead disco has flipped the scene into a Saturday Night Fever feel right with a nu chic groove. Nu disco and indie dance offer listeners a break from the aggressive bleeps of electronic music without compromising dance-ability. They add a much needed musicality element back to the electronic scene through its instrumental nuances and brilliant vocalists, proving as a natural next step in mature electronic pallets. Tastemakers throughout the industry are paying more and more attention to these savvy sub-genres as they start to gain influence.

While Daft Punk propelled the nu disco movement further by featuring Nile Rodgers groovy guitar licks in “Get Lucky,” there are plenty of other names to take note of. The following are producers that will add much needed soul back into your world.

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Flight Facilities

You know you’ve made it big when you’re signed to the same label as Mumford & Sons. Australia’s Flight Facilities have been on the scene since their breakout single “Crave You,” while lately making a splash with their decade mixes on cutting-edge Aussie radio channel Triple J. The duo have a more traditional grassroots funk sound present in tracks like “I Didn’t Believe” and “Foreign Language,” while “Clair de Lune” offers a more indie-dance feel. The Aussies are seen as trailblazers within the genre and have succumbed to rumors of new music coming soon.

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Goldroom

Gliding on a California summer vibe Josh Legg, better known as Goldroom, delivers seductive melodies overtop indie dance rhythms. Launching to notoriety after the successful single “Fifteen,” Josh went on to produce “Sweetness Alive” and countless chill-time remixes. Goldroom prides himself on having self-released all of his work, an impressive feat for the amount of buzz he’s been able to generate around his music. He also puts together an annual mixtape full of nu disco’s best which is found here.

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(Photo by Skyler Greene

Viceroy

Hailing from San Francisco, Viceroy has coined the phrase “summertime, all the time,” as a theme throughout his music. Also identifying himself as the self-proclaimed “dance game Jimmy Buffet,” Viceroy has released infectious sunshine-laden singles like “Dream of Bombay,” along with taking on remixes from Maroon 5 to Two Door Cinema Club. His sound has the tropical disco house feel that is a perfect complement to whatever mood you are in.

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Todd Terje

Creator of the most ubiquitous nu disco anthem “Inspector Norse,” Norway’s Todd Terje has been in the disco game far longer than the others mentioned here. Arriving on the Scandinavian dance scene in 2004, Todd started out making edits of Bee Gees, Michael Jackson and Santana before creating his own productions. Todd’s music is a little quirky, a little bouncy and beaming with positive energy. His latest work “Strandbar” encompasses his unique style while his Essential Mix played last week offers listeners a completely different side of house.

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RAC

The Remix Artist Collection, otherwise known as RAC is a group of two American producers, André Allen Anjos and Karl Kling who take on a range of different genres and stray from the typical “club mix” archetype. The artists have been quoted expressing their music as, “Unlike many electronic remixes, which are commonly technical and precise, RAC mixes embody a unique aesthetic based around emotion and nuance, an almost intangible warmth and innate playfulness”

For those of you tech savvy readers who are hunting for more nu disco, check out this Spotify playlist featuring those we’ve missed and don’t forget to hit subscribe.

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