RaverRafting’s Standout Artists of 2020

Patrick Soper
Alon Mor
Mor Could only be truly understood from the perspective of painting. While sound may be his medium, his music is not like others in the genre. Field recordings dot his compositions, and rhythm his brush strokes. Each track firmly establishes a landscape for one to explore and each landscape quickly develops its own narrative. Alon Mor’s work is a masterclass in world building in electronic dance music and we are shocked that were are only now just discovering him.

Kaelyn Gray
Whethan
At 21 years old, Whethan has made 2020 his most explosive year yet with the release of his long-anticipated debut album, Fantasy. After making his announcement and dropping the lead single in January, the album was scheduled to debut at a couple pop-up shows across the United States during springtime. While the events could not move forward due to the pandemic, Whethan still managed to keep listeners on the edge of their seats. Through leaking some songs on Room Service Music Festival and a mix on ODESZA‘s Foreign Family Collective, each single dripped out continuously added suspense towards the unknown release date, making the full 15-track record drop that much more fulfilling. Collaborations on Fantasy include Oliver Tree, K.Flay, RL Grime, Grouplove, The Knocks, The Wombats, and many more to create one stellar body of work, making Whethan a distinct standout for this year.

Meghan Mahoney
Ivy Lab
Halftime bass/D&B duo Ivy Lab have been on fire all year long bringing the heat to an otherwise miserably cold year. Not only did they release 3 masterpiece EPs, they have been active on multiple charity livestreams, ran their own label 2020 LDN Recordings, collaborated with the mastermind Two Fingers (AKA Amon Tobin) on a huge release, and put out 13 episodes of their Twenty Twenty Global livestream series (all available on YouTube). Whew, talk about productive. Everything they have released, in addition to all of the up and coming talent they have supported and the masterful collaborations they have done, make this duo a huge standout and a bring shining star of 2020.

Tori Matthews
Seven Lions
Melodic dubstep maestro and Ophelia label head, Seven Lions, has dominated 2020 with not only his own releases that garnered millions of streams but by exponentially growing the Ophelia brand and family. Returning with his first EP after two years, Find Another Way, our palettes and expectations of his sound were reinvigorated and we learned there was still so much more to the producer than we have come to know and love. On top of this highly successful release, he continued to capture our hearts and drop tracks that have been infectious ear worms like “Foolish of Me” with Jason Ross, Crystal Skies, and Jonathan Mendelsohn, “Don’t Wanna Fall” with Last Heroes and HALIENE, and two Abraxis releases “Half of It” and “Night Rider”. On top of all this, fans have also got to experience an active Twitch streaming experience, with Freesol Fridays, Sunday Brunch with Gem & Tauri, and Visions Mini Festivals. Seven Lions has been the ultimate standout this year and we cannot wait to see what he brings to Ophelia in 2021.

Bianca Benjamin
Gorgon City
UK & Chicago based duo of Kye Gibbon and Matt Robson-Scott, aka Gorgon City have released standout singles all year long. With the lack of tours and festivals, 2020 was the year of major production and unforgettable livestreams and Gorgon City delivered on all fronts. At the peak of quarantine blues, the house duo dropped some massive tracks (with names that you’d only be able to relate to in 2020) including “House Arrest” with Sofi Tukker, “Nobody” with DRAMA, and “Free Myself” with Yousef and EVABEE. “House Arrest” garnered over 12 million streams in only 10 weeks, topped international charts, and hit the #1 spot on US Dance Radio. On top of their bass and vocal driven, dance-friendly songs, the pair knows how to make music for the underground, which can be found on their club focused imprint, REALM. Gorgon City closed out the year with a REALM release, a four-track EP with their latest hit single, “Trapdoor.” Although we haven’t been able to experience their music in a show/festival setting for some time, the guys did an incredible job of livestreaming their sets in iconic locations like Printworks London and the Chicago River.

Caroline Mariz
CloZee
Despite 2020 being a bit of a suckfest (we can say that, right?), CloZee, the badass DJ/producer from France, shines as a standout artist for her tenacity, creativity, and continuing to grow a strong female presence in a male dominated industry. Already well-known for her unique style which combines bass, glitch, and world music, CloZee took advantage of the slow year to build her brand and connect with her fans. In April, she participated in the online Room Service Festival, and uploaded a highly praised Sunset Dreamtempo set. In July, she released Neon Jungle, her second full length album on her own new label, Odyzey Music. This was followed closely by the Neon Jungle Remixes a few months later which features the reworks Lane 8, Of The Trees, Emancipator, Opiuo and many more.
She had an impressive run of drive-in shows throughout October with Gramatik, Mersiv, and a multi-night stretch at the Mishakawa Amphitheater in Colorado that sold out each night. She closed out the year with her new track, “Kanzan”, a dreamy collaboration with fellow French artists, Pouvoir Magique, Einki, and Fakear. As an added bonus, she also uploaded her Lollapalooza 2019 and Envision 2020 Sunrise sets, to keep us extra satisfied. CloZee’s music definitely helped keep us sane over the last few months and she deserves all the commendation. We look forward to 2021 with her!

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