Artists to Listen to If You Hate Avicii

Like it or not, Avicii is running things right now. He's killing it on Billboard, with his True making actual history for EDM acts. He's a beast when

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Complex Original

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Like it or not, Avicii is running things right now. He's killing it on Billboard, with his True making actual history for EDM acts. He's a beast when it comes to marketing himself, aligning with a number of brands and further lining his pockets. He makes the kind of EDM that people who had EDM cringe at, and if you're new to dance music and detest Avicii's sound, you might end up writing off an entire scene without doing much digging. While DAD respects Avicii's work, and hold a number of his productions in high regard, we definitely understand if you dislike his material. In light of that, we felt the need to give you, the Avicii-hating consumer, some viable options in terms of the electro house/EDM sound. Some are names you should be familiar with, others are ones you might need to get to know. Don't abandon the EDM scene just because you don't rock with Avicii - try some of these options out!

Zedd

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To be honest, while Avicii is enjoying a very successful second-half of 2013, this year belongs to Zedd. We're going to assume that your local pop station has already picked up on "Clarity," which was released as a single back in February but really hit its radio stride over the summer of 2013. Avicii also has nothing on collaboration when you bring Zedd into the mix; his latest single, "Stay the Night," features a vocal from Paramore's Hayley Williams, and Zedd's been producing tracks for Lady Gaga's next LP, ARTPOP. We imagine you're already up on Zedd, but if you aren't, he recently re-released his debut album Clarity, and it includes "Stay the Night" and a number of remixes he's done since it was released last October.

Clockwork

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RL Grime's electro house moniker Clockwork has virtually exploded over the last year. Linking with Dim Mak to release his huge single "Surge" earlier this year, he's since gained popularity by just being that... damn... good. He's been solidly touring over the spring and summer months, and has just recently started his own website and mix series, which should help those who weren't previously informed get to know him much better.

Martin Garrix

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Avicii is affiliated with Island/Universal, but he might be too old hat for you. Enter Martin Garrix, who's been taken to task by DAD over the similarities that his huge single "Animals" has with other huge singles from this year. That aside, the 17-year-old producer has made a huge name for himself, with Republic Records recently re-releasing "Animals" to the masses. There's a hint of viral nature to people's reaction to "Animals," but the emphasis should be more on his talent, and what he'll be doing now that the American recording industry has taken notice.

Claude VonStroke

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So maybe you like house, but don't want to hear the obvious, "fist-pumping" anthems that Avicii creates to get crowds hype in the club. Might we suggest the dirtybird general, Claude VonStroke? Hailing from suburban Detroit, Claude's particular brand of house (which these days has become definitive with the sound of his dirtybird Records imprint), which is as bass-driven as it is tech-infused, provides a solid departure from the house that's more stereotypically associated with EDM. With a new album out (Urban Animal), now is the perfect time to get your VonStroke on and become a dirtybird devotee.

Victor Niglio

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Want someone who's on the cusp of making a lot of noise? Victor Niglio is your guy. In a short amount of time he's made short work of his competition, and with Jeffree's about to debut his latest bomb "Jiggy" (as well as having guys like Diplo already dropping his tracks in his current sets), Niglio's about to be a problem that no one wants solved. Get in on the makings of a future star now before he blows up.

Dusky

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The house sound has been expanding in the UK, and Dusky is one of the duos that has provided some of the more bass-driven house sounds that are synonymous with acts like Drums of Death and other affiliates of Black Butter Records. With a hint of old school vibes, Dusky has a knack for crafting captivating environments that only get better with time. We love bashing anthems, but DAD hates when a track feels stale; grow a little with Dusky's recent EP, Careless.

Chase & Status

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While not in the house scene, Chase & Status are a duo that are definitely in the running for album of the year with their forthcoming third project, Brand New Machine. They started out as drum & bass producers, started flirting with dubstep, and soon enough took off. They've collaborated with Rihanna and Snoop Dogg, and their new project features collaborations with Nile Rodgers (who's worked with Daft Punk and Avicii this year), Major Lazer, and Pusha T. It mixes everything from heavy trap-influences romps to classic early '90s rave music with flair, putting their own spin on everything they touch.

Hot Since 82

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Based in Leeds, Hot Since 82 is one of those acts that's making some truly hypnotizing house music, yet might get swept under the rug. DAD's actually loving that Ultra Music picked up on his forthcoming album, Little Black Book. If you're looking for some of the more captivating house music from the UK, you'd do yourself a favor by checkout out what Hot Since 82's got cooking.

Machinedrum

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Do you totally hate everything about EDM, but love listening to solid, moody electronic music? Machinedrum's material might be the total antithesis of what Avicii stands for, which can be brilliant when he gets into his breakbeat-heavy, melancholy somber style of production. Loads of influence from the worlds of jungle and dancehall, with a sprinkling of footwork for added seasoning. With Ninja Tune putting out his recently-released Vapor City album, he's in good hands.

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