ANTS: NEXT GEN MEET THE TOP 10

Our search for the next generation of DJ talent is nearing the finish line. With over 800 mixes submitted our team of judges had the difficult decision of picking the ANTS: NEXT GEN TOP 10.

With the final decision on our ultimate winner coming very soon, let's get to know the ten incredible artists that have made it this far.

As a producer, my biggest highlight is my track "Blackwater" getting played at the last ANTS show at Printworks by Andrea Oliva and Cloonee. The videos completely blew up and got something like 2 million views on Instagram and getting noticed by big labels. We are now in talks to officially release the track, which I'm super excited about!

My biggest is still to come, but for now it was playing in the 12 hour livestream with Electronic Labor Day and Beatport ReConnect to raise money to help Beirut. There were 100s of DJs from all over the world, including Carl Cox, Pete Tong, Danny Howard, Amelie Lens, Dennis Ferrer and others.

All this passion I owe thanks to my uncle, DJ & Producer, a great source of inspiration that since the early days has directed me on the right path. Musically, however, I see myself very much in the style of Loco Dice and Paco Osuna.

My biggest DJ highlight was last year. I was playing at Elrow, and I brought my parents and brothers on stage with me for the first time ever. At some point, the crowd was on fire singing and interacting with my music, and my mother start crying. This demonstrated my dream and shared my passion with my family. It was one of the greatest things I've done in my entire life!

The first track that got me into electronic music is Sidekick - “Deep Fear". A timeless hit produced in my small town. This makes you understand that no matter who you are or where you come from, if you have talent, ideas and dedication, sooner or later your time will come.

The track that made me fall in love with this world is "Believe" by Jocelyn Brown. It's the first vinyl I ever bought. I also had the honour of hearing her sing in a club in London. I still get emotional every time I listen to it.

David Guetta & Chris Willis - “Love Is Gone” is a track that reminds us of the early days of our journey, attending parties and dancing with everyone. It holds a special place in our hearts as one of the first tracks that got us into electronic music.

The person who definitely inspired and influenced my musical style the most was Marco Carola. I used to listen to his mixes a lot, in order to try to understand how he mixed the different tracks with each other and how he managed to harmonise the set to make it unique. Listening to his sets I learned a lot, both in terms of mixing and in terms of music selection.

This is an easy one: being in the Ushuaïa Ibiza crowd at ANTS last summer when Archie Hamilton played our song “Cat Nap”. It was a couple of weeks before it was released on his label and we had worked hard to get our music to him, so for Archie to play it when we were there was amazing. Getting our music played at ANTS has always been a goal of ours, the next one is to play there!!

My biggest inspiration is Carl Cox. I identify a lot with him, not only for the music, but for what he is as an artist, for how he acts. How he gives feedback to the public. Despite spending hours and hours DJing and sweating, we are always smiling and enjoying ourselves. I think that more than just playing, you have to transmit. And he knows how to do it.