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Top 100 DJs

Up 1

"This feels surreal," says Armin van Buuren, now back on top of the DJ Mag Top 100 after a year off to let David Guetta keep his throne warm.

Up 1

You have to hand it to Tiësto: despite being an all-conquering trance god for many years, the Dutchman was no longer feeling the music he was playing around the...

Up 3
'Levels' might have been the track that catapulted him to superstardom in 2011, but it's perhaps this year's 'Silhouettes' that best sums Avicii, and indeed the whole EDM 'explosion', up.

Down 3

Of all the winners of the DJ Mag Top 100, David Guetta has been arguably the most controversial. Not for what he's said, or what he is, but for what he does....

Down 1

As the stateside EDM storm continues to gather pace, Canadian Deadmau5 finds himself right at the centre of it all.

Up 18

"I've DJed in nearly every single country in the world this year," says 24-year-old progressive and electro house DJ/producer Hardwell.

Up 1

You wouldn't think that, having dominated the international dance scene for nigh on a decade, the Dutch DJ elite like Tiësto, Ferry Corsten and Armin van Buuren...

Down 3

Anjunabeats bosses Above & Beyond show no sign of slowing down as they enter their second decade together.

Down 2

Breakthrough DJ/producer of 2012: "." AfroJack was already a huge star before 2012 kicked in, but it has still proved a seminal period for the Dutch producer and DJ...

Up 9

Sonny John Moore might have three Grammys under one arm and Ellie Goulding on the other, but it wasn't the gongs and the celebrity girlfriend that really confirmed...

Up 6

Willem Rebergen has stormed up the Top 100 this year, illustrating perhaps that the influence of the hardstyle splinter of dance music is gaining further momentum...

Down 2

In June this year, the Swedish House Mafia announced they were to split. It was unexpected. So for them, 2012 signified having done what they set out to do....

Down 4

"My year's been another super one, seeing how, in the US, dance music keeps growing and growing and to be one of the ambassadors of the sound here has been very...

Down 1

Touring, says British house/trance producer Gareth Emery, "got the better" of him this year. "I only managed to make a few records," says 32-year-old Gareth....

Up 27

Steve Aoki had to air his laundry in public recently, after an anonymous online post revealed he requests six pairs of underpants on his rider.

Down 5

One of Paul van Dyk's principal achievements this year has been the release of his sixth artist album, 'Evolution', and the ongoing global dates he's played to...

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The word wunderkind was pretty much invented for the likes of 23-year-old producer Nicky Romero. In the past year, things have really got out of hand.

Down 2

Sander van Doorn has ensured his continued hot streak of form in the upper echelons of the Top 100 by fighting on a multitude of fronts.

Up 3

This is Aly & Fila's third consecutive appearance in the Top 100, and as such the Egyptian pair are doing as much for their country's electronic music scene as...

Up 50

Swedish house producer Alesso has had such a big year that even the Daily Mail picked him out as one to watch back in summer.

Down 6

André Tanneberger's back catalogue stands as a testament to his continuing productivity, with eight studio albums and six mix compilations spanning a successful 15-...

Down 4

"This year has mostly been taken up with the release of my latest album 'WKND'," says superstar Dutch DJ Ferry Corsten.

Down 11

It's been a rollercoaster of a year for Axwell.

Up 14

"Cooking a lot of hot chilli" is the answer that comes back when DJ Mag questions Dada Life's Olle about the highlights of his year.

Up 11

Hot off the back of releasing their double-CD mix compilation 'Mainstage 2012', W & W are gearing up for a busy December.

Down 12

2012 has been a hugely important year for Fedde le Grand, allowing him to refine the skills that accorded him superstar status.

Up 8

Noisecontrollers have perhaps got the most descriptive name with regards to what a DJ does in the whole of the Top 100 DJs chart.

Down 3

"I did a lot of shows around the world in both Americas, Asia and Europe," beams Russian firebrand Arty, quantifying the highlights of his 2012 so far.

Down 9

Presumably just to spice things up a little, Laidback Luke set himself a challenge back in January.

No change

Ryan Raddon's rise from purveyor of deep, soulful house music for the likes of San Francisco's Om Records to euphoric stadium gauge EDM (taking in remixes for the...

Up 3

Multi-award-winning DJ/producer Calvin Harris has had another momentous year, culminating in the imminent release of his new album '18 Months' that features a...

Up 17

Ørjan may only look about 13-years-old in some of his press photos, but he's actually 30.

New Entry

Knife Party is probably one of the worst-kept secrets in dance music: If you don't know, we aren't about to spoilt it for you, but this Australian, electro house...

Down 3

Regardless of what you may think, the sound Chuckie has made famous across the world in recent years, dirty Dutch house, is not just about house music.

Up 11

Having smashed his way into the chart last year, Italian hardstyle DJ, Zatox, has again pummeled his way into the Top 100.

Up 4

Young DJ and producer Coone is singlehandedly changing the face of hardstyle.

Up 41

In just a few short years, party-starting house duo Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike have been propelled well-and-truly into the big league.

Up 4

2012 has seen Nic and Bossi touring last year's 'Wake Your Mind' album globally. Playing over 140 shows this year, it's a wonder they can pinpoint their favourites...

Up 56

He might only just be out of school, and he might be seen as one of the figureheads of the new EDM craze sweeping America, but that's not stopping Porter Robinson...

Up 39

It's been quite a year for Dutch hardstyle DJ/ producer Wildstylez.

Down 3

In terms of Dutch hardcore, it doesn't get much hardcore-r than leading exponent Angerfist, mixing techno with gabber, euphoria, industrial and straight-up...

Down 22

Listening to their latest album 'Army Of Mushrooms', it seems Infected Mushroom have caught a case of the wobbles, since tracks like 'U R So Fucked' on the Israeli-...

Down 16

Tucked away in a hidden location (probably) somewhere in the environs of Paris, France, Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo have this year mostly been...

Down 14

Carl Cox is as chatty and buzzing as ever when DJ Mag catches up with him: Not bad given his long service to electronic music and enduring place in the Top 100....

New Entry

Twin sisters Miriam and Olivia Nervo are delighted when we get in touch to inform them that they've been voted into the DJ Mag Top 100 DJs list this year - and have...

Down 19

For Martin Solveig, 2012 was the year that he went from skirting the peripheries of pop-house stardom to world touring support man for Madonna.

Up 49

This year Dutch hardstyle DJ/producer Brennan Heart fulfilled one of his lifelong dreams.

Up 41

While a certain other island grabs all of the attention, Tenishia continue to put Malta on the dance music map.

New Entry

Despite his huge prominence on the US EDM scene this year, Zedd is actually Anton Zaslavski, a German DJ and producer from Kasierslauten.

Down 6

For the first time in a long time, Eric Prydz found himself in the US in 2012, embarking on his first proper tour since 2007.

Down 9

While Bobina, or Dmitry Almazov, has had another busy year as part of the Russian DJing elite, with bookings and releases galore, his highlight of 2012 has a more...

New Entry

"Electronic music as a whole is a wonderful musical format because it's vaguely defined.

Up 1

Russia's DJ Feel, aka Philip Belikov, has been a regular in the Top 100 for the past few years, with his success tied in with burgeoning Russian and Eastern...

Down 34

Steve Angello has spent a sizeable portion of the year winding up Swedish House Mafia activities.

New Entry

It's been a productive year for young Evgeny Smirnov, aka Omnia.

Up 1

Umek is excited. He's just finished working on a new compilation for Toolroom that will be out early next year.

Down 4

Wolfgang Gartner is five-years-old. Well, the moniker is, and after plenty of hard work for the man behind it, aka Joey Youngman, it's finally paying off.

Up 24

Antoine Joseffson is Steve Angello's brother (Angello also has Joseffson in his name), and although he says that's what he's probably best known for, it's as AN21...

New Entry

"I'm loving the new stuff from Bromance," says Australian DJ/producer Tommy Trash, running his hand through his trademark long-and-flowing locks.

Up 14

Having entered the Top 100 last year, Guatemala's leading DJ and producer, Francis Davila, has had an even bigger 2012.

Down 24

Diederik Bakker and Stefan den Daas began their partnership in 2004, taking inspiration from Bakker's father's musicianship and the happy hardcore scene.

New Entry

Dutch duo Bingo Players, aka Paul Bäumer and Maarten Hoogstraten, must have done something right in 2012, because after finishing 116th in last year's poll, they...

Up 11

After smashing into the DJ Mag Top 100 in 2010, Psyko Punkz now look to be a regular fixture in the poll, as the global appetite for Dutch hard dance - and Psyko...

New Entry

American-born Taiwanese DJ/producer Andrew Chen, aka Shogun, first made his name warming up for DJs like Tiësto and Paul Oakenfold when he was resident at Ministry...

Paul Oakenfold
Paul Oakenfold
No change

As you will find reading this Top 100 issue, many DJs now cite Las Vegas as the current or next dance music hotspot.

Down 43

Although he began DJing in the late '80s, Benny Benassi's solo breakthrough came in the first years of the 21st century, and since then, his mix of house and...

Down 23

In the midst of a huge world tour, tyDi proves difficult to pin down.

Up 1

The rise of versatile talent Mat Zo continues, with the young DJ and producer acquiring a larger fanbase seemingly by the day.

New Entry

"Last week I was in Scotland, the week before I was in India, the week before, Canada. I did 228 flights in the last year.

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Wasted Penguinz describe hardstyle as "150bpm pure euphoria", and with their motto of 'Get Wasted N' Do It', they are clearly out to have a good time.

Up 17

"The highlight of 2012 was breaking my ribs in a jet ski accident," laughs Dragan Roganovi?, better known as Dirty South, down the phone.

New Entry

A trance up-and-comer from the Republic of Moldova who's broken into the Top 100 this year, Andrew Rayel counts the support he's received from his home country as...

Down 33

Richie Hawtin's dedication to technology, to the future, to advancing his scene in any way possible is remarkable.

New Entry

Barry Drooger's irrepressible enthusiasm has seen him take his love of hardstyle around the planet.

Down 29

Hungarian DJ/producers Myon & Shane54, known to their mothers as Márió Éget?

New Entry

The fact that 2012 is the first year in which Heatbeat have broken into the Top 100 - after years just outside - can be attributed to many things, according to one...

New Entry

One of the more memorable sights in dance music during 2012 was Thomas Gold's live 'drum line' onstage at EDC Vegas and Governor's Ball, NYC, heightening the...

Up 5

Daniel Stephens and Joe Ray started off as drum & bass producers before morphing into arguably the biggest dubstep duo in the world.

Down 33

Roger Shah is that rare breed whose reputation as one of the biggest names in trance doesn't overshadow the equally well-known Balearic-based flavours that see the...

New Entry

As Spor, Jonathan Gooch has released drum & bass on labels such as Renegade Hardware, Barcode, TeeBee's Subtitles, and his own Lifted Music, but it's as Feed Me...

New Entry

Deadmau5 and SBTRKT aren't the only ones to rock the masked DJ look - house producer Mike Candys and his signature smiley mask have been doing pretty well for...

Down 37

Having been producing and DJing for 15 years and having spent many of those years on the Top 100 list, Andy Moor could be forgiven for becoming complacent....

New Entry

Hardstyle DJ/producer and lyrical supremo Ran D makes his entry into the Top 100 for the first time this year, and he's sounding pleased with what he's been able to...

Down 30

Richard Durand found the perfect sunrise, in Goa, India, when he played Sunburn Festival for the fourth year on the trot.

Down 3

Brazilian duo Felipe Lozinsky and Gustavo Rozenthal make up Felguk, who made the official theme to the Electric Daisy Carnival and have remixed the likes of Madonna...

Down 29

As ever, enigmatic techno producer Paul Kalkbrenner chooses to keep his cards close to his chest, dedicating himself to his music and little else at present....

Down 27

The key word here is 'brothers' and that's all.

Down 21

Probably the best phrase would be 'a newfound satisfaction'," Tyas says.

Down 61

Bob Sinclar: probably the Top 100's first-ever tap-dancing DJ. "I took six weeks of tap-dancing lessons, five times a week," he explains.

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Three years after he broke onto the scene in a big way, things are looking good for Belgian drum & bass DJ/producer Netsky.

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Henrik Twardzik aka Neelix's bid to enter the Top 100 with a Napoleon Dynamite 'Vote For Me' campaign worked a treat, although some of his fans weren't too...

Down 27

With his Toolroom label, Mark Knight was among the first to see the opportunities offered by the likes of Beatport.

Down 43

"The year started off with a fantastic gig in Cordoba that I loved so much I released the mix as an album through my label," says Top 100 mainstay, John Digweed,...

New Entry

In the Top 100 last year, hardstyle heavy Coone named Norway's Da Tweekaz as his breakthrough act of 2011, and this year the duo of Kenth Kvien and Marcus Nordli...

New Entry

When DJ Mag catches up with Thomas Shaw and Ryan Henderson, the Canadian duo have just headlined Lavo and closed Pacha in New York, met with Sony Music and been...