Since starting this as a monthly series in 2024, Mixmag Asia has consistently focused on spotlighting fresh and forward-thinking names from across Asia and its far-reaching diaspora. Now in 2026, that approach remains the same.

From those dedicated to cutting-edge electronic and dance music to the occasional left-field pick from another genre, each edition brings together a selection of artists who are making noise in their local scenes or just starting to reach beyond them.

We’re not rigid about sound; if they move us, they belong here. Some names may already be familiar, others less so, but all are surely worth your time and attention.

Keep a look out for these ones.

Acidclank is the shape-shifting solo project of Yota Mori, exploring the possibilities of electronic resonances through hardware-driven sound. On stage, he flips between immersive machine improvisations and full band energy, landing spots at Fuji Rock and the country’s largest modular synth expo, Tokyo Festival of Modular. Discography-wise, he’s released via Japan’s own 3P3B Ltd., Ano(t)raks, and last year’s ‘In Dissolve’ via P-Vine Records, plus has gained international recognition with a track featured on a FatCat Records UK compilation. But right now, it’s all about ‘Live at IMMERSION’; a freshly dropped, near two-hour Bandcamp release capturing his live set in full flow, raw and unfiltered. Think deep, high-intensity improvisation that drifts through IDM, electronica, acid techno, d’n’b, noise, juke, and trance. A perfect mix of sonic chaos, just how like it.

Chinese-Taiwanese-American artist PHANTAZN (pronounced like “invasion”) is a primary force bridging Southeast Asian sounds and ideas across borders. Now based in Brooklyn, they’re the founder and "mommy" of BOOTLEG KTV; a platform known championing queer diasporic sounds and working-class rhythms from East and Southeast Asia. Their sound is a brain-scrambling cacophony, littered with everything from hardstyle, footwork, and manyao to vinahouse, jungle, jersey, taike, deag, techno, complextro, and countless other genres you might not be familiar with just yet. This new-age attitude spills directly into BOOTLEG KTV, creating a space overflowing with support, bounce, and pure community spirit.

On our radar this month is REA, a UK-based DJ and producer whose sound blends her South Asian heritage with UK club culture and Latin influences. A resident of Bristol’s SWU FM, she has been racking up a healthy resume of headline and festival appearances across the UK (London, Manchester, Bristol, Glasgow) and further afield in Europe (Gothenburg, Belgium). Coming up this summer are more festival bookings (Boomtown, Love Saves the Day, Madruga) as well as a Berlin date in July with further details coming soon. For now, Rea is busy with the launch of her new imprint G Club, which dropped its first single, ‘Sube La Música’, last week. And in the near future? Her next appearance is in Bristol on May 8 with global club purveyors Club Djembe alongside Girls Don’t Sync’s G33, UK funky don DJ Polo and DJ Stolen.

SINO (aka Clarisa) is a Hong Kong– and LA-based DJ bringing African diasporic underground sounds into Asia’s club circuit, while also maintaining a strong practice as a trained dancer and choreographer. In 2025, she founded AFRORAVE HK; a growing party series spotlighting raw, underrepresented Afro electronic styles like gqom, kuduro, and batida alongside d’n’b, house, and techno (upcoming editions on April 11 and May 15 at Casa Dao, featuring international guests). She only began DJing in late 2023, influenced by sounds she encountered at parties across Europe, immersing herself in digging, selecting, and shaping a distinct sonic identity. Her sets draw from amapiano, Afrohouse, ndombolo, and beyond, with a focus on harder, percussive rhythms that sustain high energy on the floor. Having already played across Hong Kong, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Singapore, she’s rapidly emerging as a key connector for Afro diasporic club music in the region.

Cut through the noise - sign up for our weekly Scene Report or follow us on Instagram to get the latest from Asia and the Asian diaspora!