DJ Mag and BBC Radio 1 Dance Presents announce Ones To Watch residency

DJ Mag has teamed up with BBC Radio 1 Dance Presents to host a month-long residency, presenting a selection of our Ones To Watch for 2024 with weekly guest mixes.

Broadcasting every Friday night/Saturday morning from 6th to 27th January, each week, two of DJ Mag’s Ones To Watch for the coming year will present an exclusive 30-minute mix. Live broadcasts will air from 2 AM.

The eight artists selected for DJ Mag’s Ones To Watch residency this year are KMAT, Hayley Zalassi, Moopie, BASHKKA, Nala Brown, DJ Fucci, Skeptic and IYRE. From a rising star of South Africa’s amapiano scene to the leading light of Sri Lankan drum & bass, via underground innovators from Glasgow, Rotterdam, Melbourne, Mexico City and more, these DJs are driving electronic music into an ever more exciting future. You can find interviews with each artist in the January print edition of DJ Mag.

The first instalment of the residency will air next Saturday, 6th January, and will feature mixes from KMAT and Hayley Zalassi. Tune in live here. All of the guest mixes are also available to stream on demand now here.

With gigs across Africa and Europe, and a versatile style all her own, South Africa’s KMAT is quickly becoming one of the leading lights of amapiano. Flaunting freshly-picked log jams (slang for ’piano) with flecks of soul, gqom, hip-hop and house, her Boiler Room set is sitting on well over 320k views since it aired in February 2023, and it’s not hard to see why.

Glasgow house aficionado Hayley Zalassi has also been going from strength to strength, sharing stages with the likes of Ricardo Villalobos and Kerri Chandler, and dropping tunes with Big Miz and via her own Sassy Traxx label. With more big plans in the pipeline, there’s no stopping her in 2024.

Blending a wide spectrum of genres into a unique minimalist style, Moopie’s DJ sets are gripping, deep digging and totally essential. Alongside his work curating A Colourful Storm, they’ve set the Beijing-born, Melbourne-based upstart up to be a key artist in 2024 and beyond.

Munich DJ, producer, and Blitz Club resident BASHKKA’s high-octane sets and throbbing productions are inspired by the energy of New York’s queer underground. Now she’s venturing into curating line-ups that spotlight QTBIPOC artists and uplift her community, and we can’t wait to come along for the ride.

Nala Brown’s dancefloor-focused sound combines everything from bass and breaks, to house, techno, UK club music and more, bringing an unrivalled energy and effortless versatility to her sets. With an ever-busier gig schedule and new Rinse FM residency, 2024 is her’s for the taking.

2023 has seen a wealth of Latin American-based genres gain more global attention — from baile funk to raptor house – but no one is doing quite what DJ Fucci is doing. A key figure in Mexico’s underground club scene, his music is a tour de force of Latin American rhythms and genres, reimagined with a punk ethos. 

Part of the essential ec2a label, Southampton-based Skeptic might still be studying at uni, but he’s already one of the most hotly-tipped producers making UKG and all its affiliated offshoots right now. With a Boiler Room debut locked in for the end of January, and his second Skep-Stick on the way, the next twelve months are looking to be his largest yet.

Finally, Sri Lankan drum & bass upstart IYRE has become a highly sought-after producer with releases on Goldfat, Hospital Records, UKF and more. Continuing to hone his beautiful but technical approach to d&b, 2024 will see his intricate beats and lush liquid soundscapes reach new heights.

Keep an eye out for the full run of our Ones To Watch 2024 profiles online in the coming weeks, and check the full running order for our Radio 1 Dance Presents residency below. You can also catch two mixes from 2-3am every Saturday throughout January.

Tune in live here.

6th Jan

2AM–2:30AM – KMAT

2:30AM–3AM – Hayley Zalassi

13th Jan

2AM–2:30AM – Moopie

2:30AM–3AM – BASHKKA

20th Jan

2AM–2:30AM – Nala Brown

2:30AM–3AM – DJ Fucci

27th Jan

2AM–2:30AM – Skeptic

2:30AM–3AM – IYRE