Scotland's Electronic Music Scene: 10 Acts You Need to Know

If you read DAD, you know that we love the hell out of the music scene in the UK. While techno and house were birthed in Detroit and Chicago (respecti

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Complex Original

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If you read DAD, you know that we love the hell out of the music scene in the UK. While techno and house were birthed in Detroit and Chicago (respectively), it was the migration of these styles overseas that helped spawn electronic music's true explosion, and over the years, we've seen loads of new styles emerging from the United Kingdom. Oddly enough, while most of the hype comes from cities like London, Bristol, and other cities, the country of Scotland isn't one to sneeze at. Over the last few years we've seen some major players in the electronic music scene coming from that region, ranging from EDM's biggest stars to producers who are getting credits for Drake and Kanye West to acts that are currently just starting to bubble into the collective consciousness. Take this look at 10 acts from Scotland's electronic music scene that you need to be aware of.

Lockah

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Hometown: Aberdeen

Lockah recently relocated from his Scottish hometown to Brighton, a seaside town in the South of England, quitting his day job to focus on music full time. We couldn't be happier he did, because the world needs more of his music, a funky, bouncy blend of influences that range from Miami bass to Italo disco to hip-hop. Having had releasees on Mad Decent, Mishka, and his own label Tuff Wax, Lockah just released his debut full-length, Yahoo Or The Highway on Donkey Pitch. He's made an effort to make a cohesive, flowing album that is worth listening to from front to back, and it's paid off.

Plus, no one is fucking with Lockah's song names right now—how can you not want to listen to a song called "Shark’s Sad Mouth In The 1st Pic."

Hudson Mohawke

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Hometown: Glasgow

As hip-hop and electronic music become ever more intertwined, and the mainstream public becomes more accepting of dance music, people like Hudson Mohawke are going to continue to profit. He's been killing it in the underground for years, releasing on labels like LuckyMe and Warp, but after teaming up with Lunice as TNGHT, things started to really take off.

Fast-forward to 2014: HudMo has multiple production credits on big-name hip-hop albums by Kanye West, Drake, and Pusha T, and is signed to the production arm of GOOD Music. With his genre-mixing, bass heavy sound continuing to take over the world, it's an exciting time to be Mr. Mohawke. Oh, and make sure you follow him on Twitter. He's hilarious.

Boards of Canada

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Hometown: Edinburgh

This brotherly duo have been quietly and unobtrusively been releasing music since 1995, giving little away about themselves and rarely being interviewed. If you're looking for bangers or party-starting tunes, BoC is not for you. They make generally downtempo electronica, often inspried by film and documentary soundtracks, but rich in texture and emotion. After six years without a release, the duo returned in 2013, releasing All Tomorrow's Harvest, a downcast, moody, but rewarding album.

S-Type

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Hometown: Edinburgh

Although he now resides in Glasgow, S-Type hails from Edinburgh and makes music with a range of British underground dance music influences behind it. Most of the songs on the 2012 Billboard EP, including its title track, sound like they should have someone rapping on them, and perhaps it's not a coincidence. As hinted by his LuckyMe page, the rap world is listening, and the labels have come knocking. He was brought up listening to jazz and rock before becoming a skilled drummer and pianist, informing his range of musical skill and genre preferences. While none of his involvement in hip-hop projects has been revealed yet (maybe something with A$AP Mob in the works? - all speculating from his LuckyMe page saying "a$ap"), Eclair Fifi dropped "Rosario" on her Radio 1 show last year, which is apparently from his forthcoming project. We can't wait.

Jackmaster

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Hometown: Glasgow

If you've been following British dance music in the past ten years, chances are you've heard of Numbers in one form or another. They are a collective who have put on parties across the world and a label who have released music from Rustie, Mosca, Deadboy, SBTRKT & Jessie Ware, and Jamie xx to name just a few. One of the founders of Numbers, and one of its most visible members is Jackmaster, not because of his production (he's had no releases) but because of his brilliant DJ sets.

Basically, he's one of the most talented DJs out there, a master at readig crowds and keeping the energy constantly high and a guy for whom there is no such thing as a guilty pleasure.

Rustie

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Hometown: Glasgow

It's rare for a debut album to be as good as Rustie's Glass Swords is. Released in 2011 on Warp, the album was close to perfect, melding together all sorts of influences and being defined by the gloriously colorful, jagged synth-work that runs through every track. It wasn't just the electronic music scene that was paying attention, however, as Rustie's manic production featured on three tracks on Danny Brown's excellent OLD album. Hopefully we'll see Rustie collaborating with more rappers soon.

Kode 9

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Hometown: Glasgow

Kode 9, as owner and founder of the label Hyperdub has done as much as anyone to advance underground electronic of the highest order in the last ten years, especially dubstep and it's inumerable offshoots. Incredible releases from Kode himself, Zomby, Teror Danjah, Ikonika, and DJ Rashad (to name a very few), all pale in comparison to Burial's music, which has all been released on Hyperdub. Although he may now live in London, the Scottish scene should be endlessly proud of Kode 9.

Nightwave

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Hometown: Lives in Glasgow

Slovenian-born producer Nightwave has been bubbling in the Glasgow scene for a while, but her most recent release, which features Chicago legend DJ Deeon on one track, should see her stock rise even more. Her productions are hard-edged and focused totally on the dancefloor, which is never more obvious than on tracks likse "Scooter," a mutant child borne of hardcore, juke, and synth-heavy maximalism.

Eclair Fifi

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Hometown: Edinburgh

You wouldn't know that Eclair Fifi is still in school in Edinburgh based on how successful she is—she was on Radio 1's "In New DJs We Trust" roster last year and does the bi-weekly LuckyMe Rinse FM residency, for example—but she's a prolific illustrator responsible for much of the label's now classic artwork, music videos, and styling. And don't let her being a model for H&M's Spring/Summer 2014 campaign fool you, she's been DJing since she was 16 (with a show on Interface pirate radio, no less) and had parents who introduced her to Detroit Techno and Chicago House at an early age. Her sets contain a range that's somehow become her own, one where techno, R&B, garage, disco, and hip-hop effortlessly blend together. Basically, Fifi is unstoppable, and it doesn't hurt that she has the support of her LuckyMe family, was Azealia Banks‘ go-to DJ for her Mermaid’s Ball Party in London, opened for Banks' UK tour, and even has a residency at Paris Social Club. She's a treasure in both the worlds of dance music and visual art; whatever she does next is bound to be exciting.

Calvin Harris

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Hometown: Dumfries

The most recent mentions of Calvin Harris' name have included him dating Rita Ora and being the highest earning DJ of 2013 ($46 million last year alone, according to Forbes), but few realize that he's more than the famous electro house DJ from Scotland; he's also a singer and songwriter who's done big work for Rihanna, Kylie Minogue, and Example. He holds the record for the most top ten hits from one studio album on the UK singles chart (his third LP, 18 Months), dethroning Michael Jackson. Despite his overwhelming and sometimes annoying success at making EDM what it is today, he still had an impressive come-up, one that includes getting discovered by Tommie Sunshine on Myspace during a particularly low point in his life (he had just moved back to Dumfries from London after being unable to find a job). Fast forward from that to three chart crushing, VIP guest featuring albums, supporting Rihanna on tour, and co-producing/writing Rihanna's "We Found Love" and "Where Have You Been" off of 2011's Talk That Talk, and history's been written with Calvin Harris as one of the kings of this shit.

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