The 10 Best EDM Producers Under 21

Lately, we're hearing more of the same thing: A dope track gets played, someone mentions the producer's age, and we immediately think, "wait, HOW OLD

Not Available Lead
Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

Not Available Lead

Lately, we're hearing more of the same thing: A dope track gets played, someone mentions the producer's age, and we immediately think, "wait, HOW OLD did you say they were?" Chalk it up to the early age children are using technology, or the easy access to production software, but there are a number of producers who are creating some impressive music that can't get into the bars they are getting played in. And it's not just about churning out a great melody, these producers are bringing a higher quality of sound to their productions as well.

Everyone from Breakage to A-Trak were seen as child prodigies when they first hit the scene, and now are helping lead the way. We've assembled a list of 10 producers who have the potential to make great strides in the EDM scene, and are young enough to have a 10+ year career in before they hit 30. Just make sure you card them when they hit the barkeep.

Alex Young

Not Available Interstitial

Age: 16

At 16, Alex Young is not only the youngest producer on this list, but he is one of those producers people just hate; he's a sophomore in high school that's already signed to Circle. He's just as good at making house as he is at twisting out trap, and in some cases, he will mix the two. The level of quality in his tracks is what really stands out; it's almost unheard of for someone to come out of the box and really be churning out top notch work. And he's only just getting into his zone. Give him another year? He'll be on the tips of everyone's tongues.

Hucci

Not Available Interstitial

Age: 17

Though the interwebs has been alive with the sound of trap music since early 2012, few have thrown themselves at the task of electrifying the genre with such utter disregard for proper mixing, song structure, or, well, anything. Hucci's music is almost sonic nihilism, elicit a neck-snapping response at every turn. It's heavy, raw, dark, and often quick sonically violent. Sound like an exaggeration? Try playing it on speakers with a sub or any capacity for transmitting bass and see if it doesn't sound completely irreverent of your ear drums. Add on creative sampling and you've got a producer who will be very intriguing to watch as he sharpens the idiosyncrasies of his style.

Ozzie

Not Available Interstitial

Age: 17

Sometimes you only need to hear one track to new that a producer is playing with a stacked deck. Though British producer Ozzie is only 17 and has but a handful of tracks to his name, his mixture of inventive sampling, wise use of negative space (often his beats are as interesting for what they leave out as what they keep in), and absolutely massive, bone-rattling bass. He's clever, young, and he's already carving a nice lane for himself. Fantastic for fans, unfair for competitors.

XXYYXX

Not Available Interstitial

Age: 17

It's almost as if anytime someone makes slow, downtempo, brooding and not easily understood electronica that people immediately assume the producer is BRILLIANT. They don't understand him so it must be sophisticated! Well, normally at least. With XXYYXX, we aren't quite ready to say he's brilliant or a prodigy, but we do know the kid has the chops to potentially carve out a long career filled with his own spacey R&B-infused future bass beat music. That's quite a mouthful and perhaps not the most encompassing description, but that's part of what makes his music so good. Cinematic and personal, emotive and universal, XXYYXX made waves with his eponymously-titled debut LP. He has already toured the nation, he'll have shows in Miami during Miami Music Week, and his name is always talked about in the same vein as the Brainfeeder and LuckyMe dudes.

Madeon

Not Available Interstitial

Age: 18/19

You love to hear the story again and again: YouTube sensation blows up overnight, signs deal, and rides the gravy train to billion dollar freedom. Well, if you're Madeon, the first two steps in that journey are spot on, but the last leg is still to come. In spite of a lack of Bieber money (unless he owns an oil well we're not aware of), the young Frenchman is responsible for some of the most fun, vibrant electro-house of the last few years, polished work that never strays far from its pop sensibility, but always feels right on target nonetheless. It's big, emotional music that satisfies. It's mac and cheese. Only people who are lactose intolerant or gluten free don't like mac and cheese. And even gluten free people can get pasta that isn't made with wheat. Madeon is mac and cheese that everyone gets to enjoy. Except for lactose intolerant people.

Young Smoke

Not Available Interstitial

Age: 18

The footwork scene is still pretty underground, but with guys like DJ Rashad getting love from major publications and releases on Hyperdub, the scene's only going to get bigger. One of its spaced-out upstarts is Young Smoke, who has already put out an album on Planet Mu (aka one of the only spots to truly give footwork its due), and is racking up production credits as quickly as he can. Footwork's only going to go up, and Smoke's intergalactic grooves will play a big part of its rise.

Shift K3Y

Not Available Interstitial

Age: 19

Very few producers making electronic music today routinely exhibit the musicality and versatility Shift K3Y has shown during his brief, bright ascent. A recent favorite of BBC 1, Shift K3Y takes the distinctive influence of his London home and meshes it with the ideas from the bleeding edges of deep house, trap, hip-hop, and festival EDM. His secret weapon? He can also sing. While he's still developing his own voice as a solo artist, his sheer range and the level of his ability at such an early stage in his career almost ensure that Shift K3Y's name will be buzzing around the more the interwebs and the British Isles soon.

CRNKN

Not Available Interstitial

Age: 20

It's wild to think that CRNKN's acclaim is so large when the number of releases this 20-year-old has is so small. He's already produced epic trap with UZ ("Booty 2 the Ground" and its VIP), has an official remix for Mad Decent on the way, and is seen as one of the true pushers of the trap sound. This LA representer is only going up from here, and deserves any awards and accolades coming to him.

Dyro

Not Available Interstitial

Age: 20

Dyro's part of the future of the EDM scene. At 19, his tunes were already being picked up by Hardwell for his Revealed imprint. He's remixed everyone from Katy Perry to Afrojack, and his remix of "Make Some Noise" by Tiesto and Swanky Tunes is an early favorite for remix of the year, as it runs the gamut of progressive house to dubstep... in one track! He's gaining the support from major players, and can't even buy brew in the US.

Porter Robinson

Not Available Interstitial

Age: 20

When you can count EDM titans Tiesto, Skrillex, and Deadmau5 among your legion of fans and you're only 20-years-old, you're probably doing something right. His particular take on house is always energetic and typically anthemic, so its unsurprising that he's climbed to the ranks of festival headliners and Vegas DJ-residents in short order. Not to be confined, though, Robinson is as capable as any of the best young producers at blending the ever-growing list of EDM subgenres into his undeniably festival ready sound. He's already well beyond being labeled "on the rise" and it seems like the next few years only hold higher heights.

Latest in Music