You created, you listened, you connected.
Let’s celebrate some of the highlights this year had to offer across our global community of audio culture. From the rising star creators who took the platform by storm to the unforgettable shows, we present the Mixcloud Best Of 2018.
This is our list of this year’s Rising Stars on Mixcloud. Eclectic and international, these twenty creators brought you new shows from Vegas to Nairobi, Melbourne to Tokyo. They planted their flags in the ground and brought the consistency to round off a truly incredible year. In no particular order, we introduce you to them and sample one of their hottest shows of the year.
Throwbacks, from Club Killers
A new show from the always reliable Vegas-based creators Club Killers (find them on Mixcloud Select), Throwbacks’ regular Throwback Radio hit the ground running with shows tackling treasured eras from the past like 90s Hip Hop, New Jack Swing and a personal favourite – Booty Bass direct from Miami.
The Pan Dulce Life
Named after the sweet Mexican pastries, every week San Diego’s DJ Refresh gets it going with the freshest reggaeton, dancehall and latin club sounds, before handing over to a different DJ every time for a 30-minute guest mix.
RYZY
DJ Ryzy flew out the blocks with his tightly mixed sets of big room anthems, often garnering five-figure play counts in just his first year on Mixcloud. The future’s bright for this Scottish DJ.
The Architects, by Suburban Architecture
One of our favorite new themed shows, ‘The Architects’ is a new mix series by Suburban Architecture, celebrating the musical output of as they put it ‘90s UK suburbia’ and in particular, the pioneers of Jungle and Drum and Bass.
The Party Rockas
Every Friday, New York’s Party Rockas drop a new show from a guest DJ, with different shows covering different genres. The only rule? Play the biggest club sounds from around the world right now.
DJ Malaika
Nairobi, Kenya’s Dj Malaika plays out on the regular, and her Mixcloud shows reflect her sets – tightly mixed Afrobeat heaters rub shoulders with the biggest urban club sounds.
Buddha Mafia Radio Show
Direct from Tokyo, the Buddha Mafia shows feel like a hangout between old friends. With NIPPS, CQ & DJ MUTA all on the mic, relaxed studio vibes abound, and you might catch a NY classic from the golden age bumping up against some fresh neo soul. Grab a seat and enjoy.
DJ Martin Jensen Official
Martin Jensen scored one of the biggest EDM hits of 2017 with the smash ‘Solo Dance’, and the track propelled the Dane to the top of both the charts and festival line ups around the world. Now the young Danish DJ and producer is bringing his fans closer, with a monthly radio show brand new to Mixcloud.
DJ Isabella Serafini
DJ Isabella Serafini hails from Santiago, Chile and her regular EDM shows have a decidedly Latin feel, while taking in club hits old and new from around the globe.
Deeper In Soul
Deeper In Soul is a Boston-based DJ crew whose regular show always features a guest DJ mixing a different aspect of house and techno. One week you might hear progressive house, the next it might be something a little deeper, but the quality is always top notch.
DJ Chris K Martin
Hot on the heels of some of our first wave Select creators, Chris K Martin is a new young open format DJ playing the sound of the streets in the UK in 2018. Expect expertly curated shows with the best in R&B, Hip Hop, Bashment, Afrobeats and Trap all represented.
DJ Zeeks Chow
She wants a DJ from Brum! Birmingham’s Zeeks Chow incredibly apparently only recently learned to DJ recently. Not that you’d know, as he effortlessly mixes up old and new school R&B and Hip Hop hits.
Vaidas ir Klajumas
This eponymously titled show (‘ir’ simply means ‘and’ in Lithuanian) is a comedy podcast out of Vilnius, Lithuania. Recording twice a week, the guys have already racked up over a hundred shows and a healthy (and growing) audience. I sveikata!
Hoàng Mai Anh (Chính chủ)
We’re not kidding when we say Vina House –the club hybrid sound from Vietnam – is a serious phenomenon. Hanoi’s Hoàng Mai Anh has already racked up a serious audience with her weekly show representing this explosive scene on our list.
Skylab Radio
Melbourne’s Skylab Radio launched earlier this year, and emerged fully formed, with a diverse mix of selectors and eclectic sounds. Their mission to give a platform to exciting DJs from across the Australian city and beyond.
DJ Chiaki
The second Japanese selector on our list, DJ Chiaki’s shows are insanely high energy, and themed for different situations – DRIVE, CLUB, In Those Days (playing the best throwbacks) and NEW (well, you figure it out). Suteki!
DJ Perez
‘The International Boy’ and Bongo specialist landed with a bang on Mixcloud this year from his native Mombassa, Kenya. Representing the best East African club sounds, as well as one-off shows highlighting his favourite Naija Afrobeat, Kwaito and even the occasional Hip Hop throwback.
WACS / What a Crazy Sound
This French classic rock show quickly garnered listens and betrays a deep love for the genre, and an even deeper record collection that spans 50 years.
Božana
From Serbia, Božana’s eclectic shows has one of the best show descriptions we’ve come across this year – ‘I like beautiful melodies telling me terrible things.’ This perfect description reflects the clear care and attention that goes into the shows. Expect murder ballads, a whole show of female artists covering Leonard Cohen, or the best Nouvelle Vague soundtracks. A gem.
Anna Morgan
NYC- and LA-based boss polymath Anna Morgan has already been making a name for herself with her regular radio show and DJ spots at Outlook, Shambala, Mystery Land, Bass Coast, Bamboo Bass, Hawaii Electronic Music Festivals. Strictly for the dancers, and always uptempo, her shows represent the weirder, darker edges of current club music.
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Our Best of 2018 lists barely scratch the surface of what’s made this another epic year for the Mixcloud community. Bringing together over 15 million radio shows, DJ mixes and podcasts made by passionate creators, our global community is a thriving space for audio culture. Thanks for listening, creating and connecting.
Creators, it’s not too late to get involved. Upload your #BestOf2018 mix until end of the year and we’ll keep featuring our favorites.
