Artists exciting us in 2025 / April

Asia's underground scene continues to flourish, a testament to its boundless creativity and ever-expanding influence.

With a treasure trove of talent scattered across the region and its diaspora, we’re thrilled to keep discovering fresh faces that might not be on your radar—yet.

In the spirit of sharing, Mixmag Asia will be featuring a number of arguably under-the-radar artists who are currently making exciting noise in—and freshly out of—their respective scenes.

Get ready to mark those calendars and upgrade those playlists and —you’ll thank us later.

Pioneer is a strong word but just might just fit Biliguudei in his local scene. The Mongolian artist got his start back in the 2000s, but in a scene that’s long struggled for momentum, it takes time to build something lasting. After sharpening his craft at Berlin’s Electronic Music School, Biliguudei began a relentless cycle of touring. In the past 18 months alone, he’s self-toured over 80 cities without a return home. Musically, his sets are a trip — eclectic and wide-ranging, with a mind-bending array of sounds at his fingertips. Expect percussion-driven techno, serene house, cosmic breaks, and plenty in between. During his extensive Asia tours, he was so inspired by the regional talent that he shifted his own club nights in China and Mongolia to exclusively spotlight Asia-based artists. Recent tours have featured names like Mumsfilibaba, DJ HI-C, and CMT, just to name a few. Furthermore, not many artists can claim their own festival, but Biliguudei’s Solar Eclipse proves he’s not your regular artist. The most recent edition featured regional standouts like BongBongQuayQuay, Di Linh, DJ MARIA., and many more. He’s back on tour across Asia in May and June, and he’s definitely one not to miss.

C-KAY is currently serving as a resident artist at Tokyo’s Space Baghdad and Seoul’s Constant Value. Her productions have been released on esteemed labels including Constant Value, Modular Mind, Subsist Records, Mirae Arts, and We Build Machines. As a performer, she brings her dynamic sound to international audiences, with notable live and DJ appearances across Seoul, Beijing, Taipei, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Paris, Berlin, Budapest, and other major cities. Her sound is a relentless, psychedelic journey through pulsating basslines and textured percussion, with live performances that are built with tribal-influenced rhythms that create a trance-inducing effect. Moments of controlled chaos and noise—where distorted stabs cut through dubby atmospheres—give way to hypnotic techno grooves, showcasing a masterful balance between raw energy and meticulous sound design. Expect a deep dive into the psychedelic and percussive, engineered for those who like it dark, trippy, and a little dangerous.

PT. HARDCOREINDO is the high-octane collaboration between gamer/producer ib0 sayang and painter/selector Boyzu Rabu, blending hardcore dance music with distinct elements of gaming, internet subcultures, and otaku aesthetics. Drawing from a palette that includes mákina remixes, funkot bootlegs, euphoric J-core, hardstyle, and video game OSTs, their sound is fast, layered, and intentionally chaotic—anchored by a deep love for high-BPM club culture and enough kandi bracelets to last a full festival weekend. Regulars of Jakarta’s Give It To Me Harder and Club Vixxxen, Bali’s Razedbi and Bandung’s Black Magic nights, they’ve filled club and festival spaces with dancers-slash-moshers on a sugar rush. A must-experience for fans of the “harder, better, faster, stronger” sound…and then some. They’re currently putting together a mixtape featuring like-minded local producers, “so stand by for more info about that!”.

Experimenting with breaks, electro, techno, house, and Chinese elements, Ambu Bambu (real name Amber Chen) is one to watch. Based in Groningen, they’ve recently begun making rounds in the Dutch underground, from performances at the esteemed Club RAUM and a notable DGTL x Boiler Room festival slot, to a Relate Radio residency and Sisu Crew affiliation. Outside of the Netherlands, Ambu Bambu’s profile is also growing with appearances in Brussels, Berlin, and London alongside a self-booked, five-city China tour that took them to Beijing, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Shanghai, and Changsha. On the production side, things are taking off, as well. Their first release, ‘Soy Sauce And Eggs’, dropped in December on a SYS Sister Sounds VA, followed by ‘Feeling Off’, another VA contribution for Berlin’s KLEM, in February. The rest of April has Amber Bambu booked for shows in Amsterdam and London but most exciting of all is a debut EP confirmed via Intercept that is coming soon.

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