Attracting nearly 500,000 people last year, Primavera Sound is one of the largest music festivals in Europe.
Over the course of its 22-year history, the mixed-genre festival has expanded from its epicenter in Barcelona, Spain to host events in cities like Porto, São Paulo, and Buenos Aires, making its American debut in Los Angeles last year.
This year, Primavera will bring nearly the entire lineup from its flagship Barcelona edition to the Spanish capital of Madrid for the first time, with performances from high-profile dance music artists like Calvin Harris, Four Tet, Fred again.., Skrillex, Charlotte de Witte, and more.
For those catching the impressive bill in Madrid from June 8-10, EDM Maniac has you covered with a rundown on the most eclectic European dance music acts on the bill.
Here are 5 European dance music artists that American fans should check out at Primavera Sound 2023.
1. Overmono
Welsh brothers Tom and Ed Russell began collaborating as Overmono in 2016. After a run of stellar EPs starting in 2020, the pair’s genre-defying beats have become a mainstay in clubs and festivals across the UK and Europe.
Overmono have turned things up a notch for 2023, recently releasing their debut full-length album Good Lies, which builds on an impressive release catalog that includes 2021’s dance floor anthem “So U Kno” and numerous collaborations with the UK leftfield act, Joy Orbison.
Overmono’s music has an infectious energy that beautifully marries the influence and expertise of each brother, both of whom had successful production careers as individuals in the techno and UK rave spaces.
They have been heralded as one of the UK’s most original contemporary acts by the likes of Resident Advisor, DJ Mag, and Mixmag; and are embarking on their second headline tour this summer, having already stopped off at big shows like Coachella and The Warehouse Project: Rotterdam.
2. TSHA
London-based producer and DJ TSHA is one of the most exciting new dance music talents from the UK.
Her sunny blend of intricately woven progressive house and dance-pop has garnered support from legendary artists like Annie Mac, Bonobo, and Gorillaz, as well as critical acclaim from Billboard, NME, Mixmag, and DJ Mag.
TSHA had a killer 2022, in which she was featured on Diplo’s smash hit “Let You Go” and released her debut LP Capricorn Sun on the UK-based tastemaking record label Ninja Tune.
Since then, she has done anything but slow down, setting off on an impressive run of performances at iconic venues and festivals worldwide, playing Printworks, Coachella, Circoloco Ibiza, and Movement all in the last six months.
Her newest single “Killing Me” with Aluna, is out now; and Primavera will mark her first shows playing with a live band.
3. Folamour
French producer and DJ Folamour is quietly the reason you’ve heard ABBA’s “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!” at nearly every house set you’ve been to in the past year.
His massive moment for Boiler Room at FLY Open Air went viral in 2019, but as he acutely states in interviews, his music is so much more than disco.
Folamour’s brand of masterfully orchestrated house pulls from core elements of funk, disco, and jazz to produce a blissful and romantic sound that brings shared experience on the dance floor into full focus.
With a gifted musical ear, the FHUO label boss is formally trained on a wide variety of instruments including drums, bass, and guitar, and he has worked with an impressive register of musicians including the Lyon National Orchestra.
Folamour has been touring his beloved A/V show for over a year now, and will bring the joyful spectacle, equipped with a motif of “power to the ppl,” to both Spanish editions of Primavera Sound.
Always in pursuit of bringing new sounds to the people, Folamour released his newest album Manifesto last week, and he just announced that he’ll be playing a dreamy open-air set for Cercle in Geneva, Switzerland this coming July.
4. Brutalismus 30000
One of the biggest up-and-coming techno acts for 2023, German couple Brutalismus 3000 will be the first to tell you that they aren’t actually techno.
Anti-establishment to the core, they have no problem totally disrupting everything you thought you knew about the genre, bringing a completely fresh aesthetic that they describe as “nu-gabber-post-techno-punk.”
Evident on hit tracks like “Satan Was A Babyboomer” and “Romantika,” their pounding drums are overlaid with aggressively shrill punk vocals, creating an unstoppable hard-party atmosphere that reaches into eternity, regardless of whether the clock reads 8PM or 8AM.
5. Mala
South London producer Mala is dubstep heritage personified. Playing a pioneering role in the genre before it even had a name, Mala founded the dubstep collective DMZ along with Coki in 2006.
Over 20 years later, DMZ and the pair’s trend-setting label Deep Medi Musik, are regarded as one of the most influential imprints electronic music has seen this century, helping to put dubstep on the map in the UK and worldwide by supporting acts like Skream, Truth, Khan, Egoless and countless others.
As bass music has rapidly shifted in sound on its path to more mainstream appeal, performances from true OGs like Mala have become far more elusive in the United States.
However, Mala continues to educate newcomers with performances rooted in the underground soundsystem culture that birthed the bass music movement. Class is in session.
Featured image from Primavera Sound. Credit: Christian Betrand.
