Artists - Biography and discography, all albums and songs

Juan Atkins — an American electronic musician, producer, and DJ from Detroit, one of the three central architects of techno alongside Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson. He is known worldwide as the “Godfather of Techno” — the figure who shaped the genre’s terminology, aesthetic concept, and early sonic grammar. His contribution laid the foundation for the future global electronic scene. Early Years and Influences Juan Atkins was born in Detroit and grew up within the city’s musical backdrop, where soul and funk were already thriving. As a teenager, he became fascinated with synthesizers, futurism, and sci-fi soundtracks, and he tuned in to radio shows that introduced Detroit’s youth to European electronic music: Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream, Gary…

Caity Baser — a British singer and songwriter from Southampton (England) who has become one of the standout voices in UK pop and the young alternative scene of the mid-2020s. She’s known for her candid Gen Z storytelling, bold aesthetic, humor, conversational delivery, and high-energy pop hooks. Baser’s career took off rapidly thanks to viral clips on social media, and by 2023–2024 she had grown into a national-scale act with chart entries and sold-out shows. Early Years and Formation Caity Baser was born and raised in Southampton, where she developed an early interest in music, singing, and writing lyrics. As a teenager she taught herself, experimenting with the sound of pop, indie, and contemporary R&B while immersing herself in British pop culture and…

Slayer — an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California, formed in 1981 by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, together with bassist/vocalist Tom Araya and drummer Dave Lombardo. Alongside Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax, the group is part of the “Big Four” of thrash metal, defining the genre’s canon with speed, aggression, and uncompromising themes. Signature imagery includes the bladed pentagram/eagle, the sharp angular logo, and a monolithic stage persona. Formation and early years (1981–1985) Influenced by the NWOBHM and hardcore punk, the band developed its repertoire and high-velocity style: Show No Mercy (1983, Metal Blade) — a “demonic” debut with vivid guitar melodicism and already extreme tempos.…

“Chizh & Co” (Chizh i Ko) is a Russian rock band from Saint Petersburg, formed in the early 1990s by guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter Sergey “Chizh” Chigrakov. The group rose to fame for its blend of Russian rock, blues rock, psychedelia, and folk aesthetics, as well as for vibrant live performances that became the band’s calling card. Early history and formation In 1993, Sergey Chigrakov—previously known for his work with the band Raznye Lyudi (“Different People”)—recorded solo material in Saint Petersburg that led to the creation of a permanent lineup. He finally moved to the city, assembled a team of local instrumentalists, and began performing under the name “Chizh & Kompaniya,” which later evolved into the…

Dave Nada (real name — David Villalobos) is an American DJ, music producer, and one of the key innovators of club culture in the 2010s, widely known as the creator of Moombahton — a hybrid of reggaeton and electro house that later became an international phenomenon. He was born and raised in Washington, D.C., in a family of Latin American heritage, which strongly influenced his future musical style. Early years and musical formation David showed interest in music from his teenage years. He played guitar and took part in Washington’s underground punk/hardcore scene, absorbing DIY culture, the energy of live shows, and the collective spirit of local communities. Even then he began gravitating toward electronic rhythms and club experimentation. His Latin American…

Umar Keyn — a DJ, music producer, and composer from Tashkent (Uzbekistan), a representative of the modern club scene working at the crossroads of deep house and slap house. He is actively building his profile in the international digital space, promoting a distinctive authorial style and showing steady growth on streaming platforms since the late 2010s. Early Years and Development From childhood, Umar Keyn showed interest in electronic music and sound design. His first experiments took place on a home computer as he learned software sequencers and the basics of audio processing. Gradually, a hobby grew into a profession — he began to study the structure of dance tracks, the specifics of club drum sections, and working with vocal samples and atmospheric synths. The stage…

Black Sabbath are a British band from Birmingham (formed in 1968 as Polka Tulk/Earth), widely recognized as pioneers of heavy metal. The classic lineup: Ozzy Osbourne (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar), Geezer Butler (bass), Bill Ward (drums). Dark lyrics, down-tuned guitars, tritones, and a “heavy” riff-driven approach set the genre’s canon and influenced dozens of branches—from heavy and doom metal to stoner. History & Milestones Formation (1968–1970). From blues rock into darkness: the renaming to Black Sabbath; the eponymous debut (1970) and a rapid breakthrough with Paranoid (1970) — “War Pigs,” “Paranoid,” “Iron Man.” Golden Classics (1971–1975). Master of Reality, Vol. 4, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath,…

Tom Grennan (born June 8, 1995, Bedford, England) — a British singer and songwriter who blends pop-rock energy, a soulful vocal style, and modern pop arrangements. He’s known for a rugged, instantly recognizable tone, stadium-ready delivery, and candid lyrics that explore emotion, self-worth, and overcoming inner barriers. Early Years Tom grew up in an Irish family and loved music from childhood, but in his teens he seriously considered a different path — football. He trialed with several English clubs and dreamed of going pro. Injuries and a lack of stable prospects gradually pushed football into the background. At the same time, he picked up the guitar more often and sang at house parties, where people first noticed the unique color of his voice. A turning point…

Saweetie (birth name: Diamonté Quiava Valentin Harper; born July 2, 1993, USA) is an American rapper, songwriter, and entrepreneur with West Coast roots. A prominent figure of the “new school” of commercial hip-hop, she fuses a West Coast vibe, hyphy energy, pop-savvy hooks, and a keen ear for 2000s-nostalgia samples. Early years & education Raised in Northern California (the Bay/Sacramento), she absorbed local hip-hop traditions and hyphy rhetoric early on. Studied at San Diego State University and later transferred to the University of Southern California (USC), earning a degree in communications. Started writing in her teens while shaping the “icy girl” persona — a confident, independent, stylish woman with entrepreneurial drive.…

Charli XCX (birth name — Charlotte Emma Aitchison, born 2 August 1992, Cambridge, England) is a British singer, songwriter, and producer, one of the central figures of contemporary pop music at the crossroads of the mainstream and the avant-garde “hyperpop.” Her trajectory is a rare example of an artist who both shapes the sound of tomorrow’s pop and confidently tops the charts today. Early years and career beginnings Charlotte grew up in suburban London, fell in love with songwriting early, and performed in local nightclubs. As a teen she recorded her first DIY tracks and videos, building the core of the future “Angels” fan community. The early releases blended dark synth-pop, electro, and a hands-on DIY aesthetic. Breakthrough as writer and…

Sigala (Bruce Fielder) — a British DJ, producer, and songwriter, and one of the key architects of the sun-drenched UK dance-pop / house sound of the 2015–2020s. His style blends radio-friendly melody, nu-disco and funk textures, piano house, and finely tuned vocal dramaturgy. His catalog features a run of multi-platform hits and collaborations that secured a steady presence in the charts and on festival stages. Early years and musical formation Bruce Fielder was born and raised in Norfolk, England. From childhood he played keyboards in school and university bands while learning sequencers and recording. Classical and jazz training, a love of live harmonies, and a springy bass feel formed the core of his future signature: bright chord progressions, nu-disco-style guitar…

Chris Liebing is a German DJ, producer, and one of the key engineers of the techno sound of the past three decades: from the hard industrial groove and loop-driven thrust of the late 1990s to the atmospheric, song-oriented work on Mute in the 2010s and 2020s. Founder of the CLR label, host of the weekly show AM/FM, a fixture at major festivals, and a resident at leading techno venues across Europe and the Americas. He was born on 11 December 1968 in Gießen (Hesse, Germany). Early years and formation In the late 1980s–early 1990s, Liebing began his DJ career in central Germany. His taste was shaped by Frankfurt’s techno school and the era’s “heavy” Ruhr scene. Alongside DJing, he moved into promotion: organizing his own nights and building a…

Disclosure — a British electronic duo of brothers Guy (Guy Lawrence) and Howard (Howard Lawrence) from Reigate, Surrey. Their name has become synonymous with modern UK house/garage infused with pop sensibility, strong songcraft, and a live club-ready sound. Disclosure are one of the key bridges between the UK’s underground dance scene and the global mainstream of the 2010s–2020s. Early years and formation The brothers grew up in a musical family and played in school bands from their teens. Howard’s love for jazz, funk, and soul met Guy’s passion for the rhythms of UK garage, 2-step, and early house. Their first releases arrived in the late 2000s and early 2010s: remixes and mini-EPs with a signature springy swing, crisp drums, and warm bass. Breakthrough:…

Ellie Goulding (Elena Jane Goulding; born 30 December 1986, Hereford, England) is a British singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, and one of the key figures of the UK pop mainstream of the 2010s–2020s. A BRIT Awards winner with multiple platinum certifications and a UK Singles Chart No. 1, she’s recognized for her airy, “breathy” soprano, layered backing vocals, and a blend of synth-pop/electropop with the folk roots of her early work. Early years and beginnings Raised in Herefordshire (Lyonshall/Kington), she played clarinet and guitar from childhood and began writing songs at 15. She studied drama and theatre at the University of Kent, where she won a singer-songwriter competition. Through BBC Introducing she was connected with manager Jamie Lillywhite…

Todd Edwards (Todd Edward Imperatrice; born December 9, 1972, Bloomfield, New Jersey) is an American producer, DJ, singer, and songwriter—one of the key architects of garage house and the British UK garage sound. Nicknamed “The Godfather of UKG,” he pioneered a unique “vocal collage” technique: stitching micro-samples of syllables and breaths into new melodies and rhythms over a springy 4/4 groove—a method that became the DNA of mid-’90s speed garage and influenced French house, 2-step, and 2000s pop production. Edwards is also widely known as a longtime collaborator and vocalist for Daft Punk. Early years and career start Growing up in the New York City suburbs, Todd fell in love with house music and the early New York school of sample editing.…

ANNA ASTI (Anna Anatolyevna Dzyuba; born June 24, 1990, Cherkasy) is a pop singer and songwriter, one of the most in-demand and streamed artists on the Russian-language scene of the 2020s. She is known both as the former lead vocalist of the duo Artik & Asti (2010–2021) and as a solo performer with a run of hits that topped digital and radio charts. Early years and development Anna grew up in a musical environment: she studied vocals from her teens, performed on local stages, and took part in studio projects. Moving to a major city gave her access to professional studios, session writers, and live infrastructure. Her early repertoire—lyrical pop ballads and dance tracks with a focus on melody and a conversational delivery—anticipated the singer’s later style.…

E-Type (real name — Bo Martin Erik Eriksson, born August 27, 1965, Uppsala, Sweden) is a Swedish musician, songwriter, and producer, one of the key figures of classic eurodance in the mid-1990s to early 2000s. He is the author of the international hits “This Is the Way,” “Set the World on Fire,” “Russian Lullaby,” “Angels Crying,” “Life,” and the official anthem of the UEFA European Football Championship UEFA Euro 2000 — “Campione 2000.” He worked with the Cheiron production team (Denniz Pop, Max Martin), whose methods defined the “Swedish” pop sound for years to come. His stage name is taken from the sports car Jaguar E-Type. Early years and career beginnings As a teenager, Eriksson was…

Judas Priest — a British heavy metal band from Birmingham and one of the genre’s cornerstones. Alongside Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, and Uriah Heep, the group shaped the sound of 1970s hard rock and then spent decades expanding its vocabulary — from anthemic heavy to high-velocity speed/power and modern arena metal. Over their career, the band has sold around 50 million records worldwide and in 2022 was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Their “code”: dual lead guitars, a “steel” image, the dramaturgy of stadium anthems, and the unique vocal range of Rob Halford. Formation and early years (1969–1975) The story begins with school friends from industrial Birmingham — guitarist K.K. Downing and bassist Ian…

Robert Miles (birth name — Roberto Concina, November 3, 1969, Fleurier, Switzerland — May 9, 2017, Ibiza, Spain) was an Italo-Swiss composer, DJ, and producer, a pioneer of dream house. He is the author of the epoch-defining single “Children” (1995/96), a cultural phenomenon of 1990s Europe that sold in the millions and brought the piano lead into mainstream dance music. Miles’s career spans platinum releases, world tours, and a radical pivot from dance-pop to experimental electronics, ambient, and crossovers with jazz and world music. Early years and career start Born in Switzerland to Italian parents, Roberto grew up between two cultural worlds and, from his teens, played in bands, exploring synthesizers and recording. In the early 1990s he performed as a…

Sash! is a German studio project and live-act outfit at the crossroads of eurotrance, progressive house, and dance-pop. The project is fronted by DJ and producer Sascha Lappessen (born June 10, 1970), who has long worked in the studio with producers and songwriters Ralf Kappmeier and Thomas “Alisson” Lüdke. The team is one of the rare European acts of the ’90s that not only forged a recognizable “continental” sound, but turned it into a global pop language — from clubs in Germany and the Benelux to the UK charts and worldwide radio playlists. Formation and early years The future Sash! grew up amid techno, acid, and the heyday of German dance labels. In the first half of the 1990s he honed a sound built on tough drum patterns, leading synths,…