25 Artists to Watch in 2018

As 2017 comes to a close, we took some time to reflect back and think about what producers made the biggest impressions on us in 2017. From trap to future bass and everything in between, these producers put out a sting of innovative hits in 2017 and earned their way into our exclusive Artists To Watch list. Celebrate the new year and dive into our list of 25 artists that we predict will achieve big things in 2018.

If you haven’t heard of Thutmose yet, you will. The 23-year-old Brooklyn via Lagos, Nigeria rapper launched 2017 with an explosive freestyle over Kendrick Lamar’s “Humble” beat and continued his undeniable momentum with groundbreaking tracks “Still I rise,” “Blame,” “WUWU” and “Kanye’s Favorite Song” ft. Jalen Santoy. In a world currently filled with way too much mumble rap, Thutmose is an amazing find and will most definitely continue to rise to the top in 2018 with his fire hot hooks and tongue-twisting verses leading the way.

–

Medasin has got the midas touch. The distinctly versatile producer seemed to never miss a beat in 2017, with impressive remixes of Portugal the Man’s “Feel It,” DJ Khaled’s “Wild Thoughts” ft. Rihanna and Bryson Tiller and Martin Garrix’s “Scared To Be Lonely” ft. Dua Lipa showing off his vast production skills. After hitting the road with Ekali and Vanic on tour this year, we’re predicting that 2018 is going to be Medasin’s best year yet.

–

Justice Skolnik continued to carve out a niche for himself in 2017. The San Francisco producer fine-tuned his songwriting skills and delivered outstanding remixes of Vice’s “1234,” Eva Shaw’s “Rise N Shine,” Lost Kings “Quit You” feat. Tinashe and left us emotional with his sultry collab with Anjulie. Enjoy the vibes and watch Justice continue to grow in 2018.

–

Mysterious duo Darci hit 2017 like a ton of bricks. Exploding onto the music scene and hitting our radar with their gloriously chilled out trap beats and natural R&B flow, Darci spent 2017 delivering hit after hit. Comprised of a producer and vocalist, Darci has kept their identity under wraps choosing to let their music speak for itself. Their unique approach to music and catchy vibes guarantee that this mysterious duo will have a huge 2018.

–

Josh Pan made some huge moves this year that didn’t go unnoticed. Kicking off 2017 with a bang, Josh Pan started the year by delivering vocals for “nowhere” his stunning collab with X&G and finished 2017 with “i can’t feel my face” another mind melting collab with X&G. His diverse music catalog, epic live shows and creativity have made Josh Pan a RTT favorite and we fully expect for him to takeover in 2018.

–

Crash Land burst on the scene back in April, dropping their self titled debut on Martin Garrix’s STMPD Records imprint and since then have continued to hold our attention thanks to their smooth futuristic beats, fire hot lyrics and devastating flow. If their releases for 2017 are any indication, 2018 is going to be a huge year for Crash Land and we’re excited to see what they’ve got up their sleeve.

–

Before you listen to Bitbird’s latest artist to breakout artist Taska Black, you need to prepare yourselves to go on a feels trip. The 21 year old’s gorgeous style and innate ability to create tracks that make you feel like you’re about to take the biggest adventure or fall through a kaleidoscope of emotions is Taska Black’s best quality. If you fell in love with ODESZA over the years, I can guarantee that you will fall in love with Taska Black in 2018.

–

Last year we predicted that Luude was going to be big and he did not disappoint. From his insane flip of RL Grime’s “Reims:” he put out with Enschaway to his scorching originals “Sticky Tape” and “Don’t Leave Me” Luude continued to expand his sound and deliver hits that made our speakers vibrate. With an endless amount of potential, 2018 could be Luude’s biggest year yet.

–

Singapore based producer MYRNE is without a doubt one of my favorite producers on this list. Mad Decent’s first signee based in Asia, MYRNE has released a steady stream of innovative originals and forward thinking collabs with some of the hottest producers in today’s music scene and officially started his first US/Canada tour. With a true gift for making incredible music and an EP already in the works, we’re stoked to see what MYRNE has in store for us in 2018.

–

Founder of Paper Crane Collective, Madnap hit 2017 with a string of addictive releases, from his SEASONS EP to his first label release via Moving Castle. His unique soundscapes held our attention and left us anxiously waiting for his next release. Keep an eye out for Madnap in 2018, we expect him to do great things as he continues to put out innovative music and push genre boundaries.

–

New Zealand’s trap lord Ian Munro, has constantly hit our radar over the past year. Quickly making waves in the trap scene with a string of filthy remixes and sizzling originals, Ian has continued to deliver a steady stream of trap anthems. With UZ’s Quality Goods Records backing him, the sky’s the limit for this young producer and we’re ready to see what kind of bangers he puts out next year.

–

Whipped Cream needs to be on your radar. The Vancouver Island based producer made some serious moves in 2017 with stellar remixes, two outstanding EPs, and a huge remix with YehMe2. Transitioning from future bass thrills to filthy trap bangers and hard hitting bass anthems, Whipped Cream offers a well rounded sonic experience and as she begins making more festival appearances and continues to put out hits, we can see her becoming a major force in the music scene in 2018.

–

Cray is without a doubt someone you need to keep an eye on. As one of the most promising rising producers in the scene, her discography includes unique, versatile trap anthems and silky smooth future bangers that will get your body moving. 2018 is looking bright for the LA based producer and we’re ready to see what goodies she’ll be putting out next.

–

Holly is a hit making machine. Bringing an incredibly fresh take on trap music, Holly has continued to distinguish himself from the crowd by pushing boundaries with his experimental bass sound. With a new EP out on frshblood, countless collabs under his belt and more music in the works, Holly shows no signs of stopping in 2018.

–

With remixes of Zeds Dead, Louis The Child, MOONZz, and Kill Paris under his belt, 16 year old producer DNMO has become a notable force in todays electronic music scene. With two singles out via Zeds Dead’s Deadbeats label, it’s clear that 2018 is going to be a huge year for the young producer.

–

Denver producer Thoreau, worked his way into our playlists with cinematically charged originals and fiery remixes. From his original with Tina Decara to his fun rework of “Girls Love Beyonce” and recent release on Spotted Records, Thoreau’s range and production work is impressive to say the least. As a talented singer-songwriter and producer, anything is possible for Thoreau as he continues to expand his sound and undoubtedly exceed our expectations in 2018.

–

Cautious Clay has an insane ability to create music that draws you in and holds you close. Deliciously smooth and refreshing to say the least, Cautious Clay redefines music by creating ambient soundscapes with hints of jazz and experimental electronic vibes. When you need something to vibe to and get lost in, Cautious Clay should be your go to guy. After falling for his 2017 releases, we’re ready to sink into whatever he has ready for us in 2018.

–

BLU J had a stellar 2017. The future house duo carefully constructed complex sound designs into engaging anthems with high energy synths and addictive melodies, ensuring that BLU J stands out amongst the rest. With such a huge 2017, it’s only reasonable that an even bigger 2018 follows.

–

If you aren’t following Heroless, you should be. The mysterious prodigy hit our radar with his otherworldly remix of TCHAMI’s “ADIEU” and he continued to hold our attention with his remix of DUA LIPA’s “Hotter Than Hell.” His fierce production work and unique signature of growling bass with future bass undertones speaks to his unique and fresh style. Expect to hear a lot more from Heroless in 2018 as the prodigy continues to flex his production chops.

–

Rootkit can do no wrong. The budding Norwegian producer has released a ton of inspiring originals throughout his career but it’s his remix of Crash Land that really snagged our attention this year. From D&B to house music, Rootkit can do it all and shows no signs of slowing down in 2018.

–

Matt Halper and Eli Sones have carved out a name for themselves as Two Friends. One of the most promising dance music duos of 2017, Two Friends put out a series of tracks that designed to take you back to that summertime feeling and keep you grooving into the after hours. With their Out of Love EP gaining millions of plays, 2018 is looking like a dazzling adventure for this duo.

–

UNKWN‘s trademark blend of hard-hitting trap and bass music has not gone unnoticed. His huge remixes of The Chainsmokers “Honest” and UZ & Stööki Sound’s “Bang” left us wanting more and his original “Firestarter” with Fabian Mazur was filthy enough to start a riot at any trap show. We’re expecting big things from UNKWN in 2018 and we’re confident that he will not disappoint.

–

Pasdat dropped some heavy heat in 2017. Kicking off 2017 with a huge collab with Dimebag out on Quality Goods Records and continuing the momentum with original trap bangers “Don’t Tell” and “Swishers” before teaming up with Bite Me and Effin for massive remixes, Pasdat proved that he’s an up and comer that’s not afraid to drop some heat in 2018.

–

Tascione is almost too hot to handle. Delivering face melting music for you to trap out to, Tascione has a reputation for putting out some of the gnarliest trap in the underground scene. From remixes to originals, Tascione is not someone to sleep on and it will be interesting to see what this trap mastermind does next in 2018.

–

JUDGE had a huge breakout year in 2017. Hitting the road with Ekali on his Babylon tour, JUDGE snagged our attention early in the year with his ability to rework hot hip-hop beats into ingenious remixes. His collaborative EP X featured collabs with heavy hitters Alexander Lewis, Graves, X&G and more and with each release we became even more addicted to his distinctive sound. With so much potential, JUDGE is on his way to being the next big thing in 2018.