Once upon a time, electronic music belonged to the margins. It lived in warehouses, undisclosed basements and aircraft hangars; in unconventional scenes built around cult DJs, independent labels and word of mouth. Today, that sound is nearly impossible to miss. House has been absorbed into contemporary songwriting, techno has become a reference point far beyond the dance floor, and rave-inspired production can be heard everywhere from fashion and film, to advertising and social media.
Granted, electronic music has been crossing boundaries for decades. What’s different now is just how blurry that boundary has become. For a new generation of online listeners, there’s probably little to no distinction between “underground” and “mainstream”. And while that accessibility has opened doors for artists and audiences alike, it leaves us wondering: what happens to a culture when the world catches up with it? To explore the question, we spoke to five exceptional DJs, producers and artists shaping the next generation of dance music.
EmblaEliza
Multidisciplinary creative, DJ, and producer EmblaEliza has always known she wanted to express herself through music. Growing up singing and playing several instruments, vocal cord problems eventually led her to her brother’s vinyl setup — it was love at first sight. Her diverse, creative background and curiosity across artistic disciplines continue to uniquely shape the way she approaches her sets. Today she is one of Stockholm’s most distinctive voices in electronic music, taking her sound from local dance floors to venues and audiences internationally.
“I think it’s a really good thing that electronic music is reaching more and more people, and that people are becoming more open-minded about it. That said, I believe there will always be an underground scene. When electronic music becomes more mainstream, it creates even more space for new sounds and subgenres to emerge. There will always be artists pushing boundaries and exploring something different from what’s popular at the moment.”
“It also raises some interesting questions: Does a track become less good just because it reaches a wider audience? And why is “mainstream” sometimes used as a negative term? In certain circles, underground music can carry more credibility or cultural value, but I don’t think popularity automatically removes the quality from a piece of music. From art in general.”
Whether or not a track is considered underground or mainstream really doesn’t interest Embla though. She’s far more curious about how she’s able to emotionally connect with a song, how it makes her feel. And the potential that feeling holds to take an audience someplace new, somewhere they weren’t expecting to go.
“For me, great music is great music, regardless of where it sits on the underground to mainstream spectrum. One of the most essential parts of being a DJ is introducing people to tracks, sounds, or artists they may never have discovered on their own. If I can inspire, make them feel something unexpected or just create a lasting memory through music, then I’ve done something meaningful. That’s one of the most rewarding parts of DJing for me.”
As the industry continues to evolve, Embla is remaining focused on protecting her own taste and identity – arguably one of creativity’s most valuable and vulnerable assets – while also exploring new sounds, ideas and influences.
“I think people connect with an artist because of their unique perspective, so staying true to who I am creatively is something I never want to compromise. I will never play or make music that I don’t genuinely connect with, but I’m always open to experimenting and seeing where that creative journey takes me. At the moment, I would describe myself as a halfway open golden chest, haha. I feel like there’s still so much of myself that I want to share and I know I’ll be revealing more of it very soon.”
Adrian Lux
Swedish artist, DJ and producer Adrian Lux has lived through the cultural transition firsthand. Having emerged from Stockholm’s club scene nearly two decades ago, he has consistently developed his sound through his artistry, moving between house, melodic electronic music and deeper underground sounds.
“Back then it wasn’t so genre-based. There were definitely some different vibes to different parties, but I always seemed to hear that the best songs were playing everywhere — like Booka Shade, The Knife, Pryda, Justice, Mylo, Axwell, Özgür Can — mixed with lots of other underground stuff. Those were the golden years for me. Very eclectic times, and I always felt a responsibility to try and convey that in my artistry.”
In 2010, Lux broke through with Teenage Crime, a signature track that occupies a particular space between underground dance music and emotionally driven pop. The track went on to chart internationally and received support from some of the biggest names in electronic music, including Swedish House Mafia, Avicii, Tiësto, David Guetta and Eric Prydz.
“I also think that back then it was more important for artists to have a broad repertoire. That made artists more diverse and progressive in their thinking, which I loved. With the influence of social media, there’s more pressure to be more conceptual, “which to me could stagnate artistic development, especially if you’re just getting started.”
So, how has he navigated an industry that increasingly demands a recognisable identity while continuing to evolve creatively? For Lux, the answer comes down to hard work, time and, above all, staying true to yourself.
“If you follow your heart, vision and intuition, you will always be relevant — or at least altogether happier as a person. Maybe you will have times where no one cares about your music, and then there will be times when your sound is appreciated again. Sometimes it’s hard to see where on that path you are, but it’s better that way.”
Although the club scene looks very different from when he started, his passion for music remains firmly intact. For Lux, some of the greatest excitement still comes from approaching a project with a blank slate. “I think Hitchcock put it very well: ‘a clear horizon’. It kinda sounds boring, but it’s the sense of the possibilities when you’re thinking freely and don’t have any deadlines stressing you or expectations or stuff like that. This makes you better at creating the spark of a new vibe.”
Hedda Stenberg
Some of the best decisions in life often start with a leap of faith. For Swedish producer and DJ Hedda Stenberg, that leap was moving to Amsterdam. Since then she’s impacted everything from intimate rooms to prominent festival stages, including Loveland, Way Out West, UNVRS, Audio Obscura, Amnesia och Brunch Elektronik. Her sets, effortless grooves between melodic and indie dance, are intentionally paced yet never predictable. As the industry continues to transform, she relies less on genre and more on intuition.
“Instinct is even more important these days. With AI and algorithms curating so much of what we hear, I think there will be a pushback where people start craving real human taste and selection even more, in playlists, in productions and in sets.
I pick tracks for how they make me feel, not for what genre they are. Mixing different sounds in a way that still ties together is what makes a well-curated selection, and that’s what keeps a set unique and exciting.”
Creative expression has always played a big role in Hedda’s life. Having grown up taking music and theatre classes, she was first introduced to DJing in her 20s and decided to take a course. From there she hit the bars and clubs of Stockholm, learning by doing. “There’s no better way of learning than playing for a real crowd. Making mistakes at actual gigs helped me better understand what DJing is about, and the scene overall.”
If Stockholm is her foundation and Amsterdam where she found her sound, Berlin is where she’s finding her freedom to grow to new heights. The new sources of inspiration are allowing her to explore more of her own music production.
“I’m still pretty new to it, and I love that. Being in the studio and learning from talented people around me has been so inspiring, and it’s already changed the way I listen to music. It’s where I can make my sound and my storytelling even clearer and more personal – the more music I make, the clearer my vision gets of the world I want to invite people into.”
Connection and curation are key themes in Hedda’s artistry. And the ideas for a new project can come from anywhere.
“I picture where the track would live in a set. Is it an opener that slowly pulls people in, something for sunrise when the last dancers are still there, or a proper peak-time moment in a dark club? Some of my favourite ideas can come from somewhere completely unexpected, like sounds from nature, a genre that has nothing to do with house music, or collaborating with other producers.
For me, it’s all about connection: between the crowd, the people working at the club or festival, the DJ, the space and all the little details around it. When a lot of love and thought has gone into something, you can really feel it on the dancefloor.”
Despite the way the digital landscape has reshaped the electronic dance scene, Hedda would always choose a smaller dancefloor filled with people genuinely committed to the music over a big venue where the focus is on capturing the perfect video.
“I think some of the most magical moments happen when people from completely different worlds find themselves in the same room. That’s what I want my space and community to be about: creating a place where those unexpected connections can happen – a place where people can be fully present, curious and free, and leave feeling a little more inspired than when they arrived.”
Ario Molapour
There’s not a singular defining moment that drew multi-creative DJ-artist Ario Molapour to music, but a series of experiences. From a warm family living room dance floor to eclectic international stages, he has developed an instinctive ability to read and connect with a room; a way of tuning into space and energy that only countless hours of experience can afford you. Today, his artistry, coupled with his sense of taste and style, brings him a unique perspective on where the electronic dance scene is headed.
“Looking back, it feels like I had been moving towards what I’m doing now for a long, long time. Music was always around me growing up. Like your typical 90s kid, I started making cassette mixtapes from the radio at a really young age. I was obsessed with it. When I moved to Stockholm and was introduced to DJing by my now close friend, Ramin, it felt like a natural extension of what I’d been doing for years. At the time, Stockholm also had this incredible energy around electronic music. Avicii was rising, Swedish House Mafia were doing their thing, and house and EDM were everywhere.”
Like many cultural movements that enter the mainstream, something can quickly lose the very qualities that made it compelling in the first place. For Ario, there is something unattractive about that development. At the same time, he firmly believes that two seemingly contradictory truths can coexist.
“The presence of screens has really changed the experience of club culture. Five hours can suddenly be reduced to two minutes, and you can get a glimpse of an experience that would normally take an entire night. But there’s still something really powerful about people coming together to share something. I think it’s amazing that more have the opportunity to discover new sounds and lose themselves in those moments. There will always be raves and underground scenes — you just have to know where to look.”
A consistent theme throughout Ario’s career is the fluidity between DJ culture, fashion, and design. A process that’s allowed him to trust and develop his own taste and sense of style.
“When you work across a creative spectrum, you become sensitive to what resonates culturally. Designing a space isn’t all that different from playing music—it’s about creating a world and curating an experience. The moment the music starts, it becomes the biggest piece of interior design in the room. What makes a dance floor special is seeing people truly move with the music, connect with the sound and, even for a moment, forget everything else.”
Stockholm-based DJ and producer Anna-My first made waves in Gothenburg’s underground club scene at 17. From organizing and playing late-night sets in Stockholm to spending formative years in London and New York, she has spent more than a decade immersed in club culture. As an early member of the Boiler Room team, she has had a front-row seat to the evolution of electronic music over the past couple of years.
“I don’t think underground and mainstream are necessarily opposites anymore. You can have an artist playing a tiny club one weekend and reaching millions of people online the next. For me, the distinction is less about how many people know the music and more about the intention behind it — whether the music is being made because there’s something you genuinely want to express, rather than simply because it’s commercially expected.”
Although social media has opened up new ways for artists to reach audiences, Anna-My also recognizes a risk in how quickly music can be reduced to a moment.
“There are so many incredible artists who can now reach an audience without necessarily having to go through the traditional industry route. A track made in a bedroom can suddenly travel around the world, and I think that’s amazing. At the same time, a song can become popular because of a 15-second moment rather than the full track or the context it came from. I think there’s a risk of losing some of the deeper connection to scenes and communities.”
For Anna-My, that community remains vital.
“DJs, producers, promoters, photographers, dancers, club owners — everyone is contributing to the same ecosystem. I think it’s important that electronic music doesn’t become only about numbers, content and visibility. There needs to remain space for weird ideas, small clubs, new artists and music that doesn’t immediately make sense to everyone.”
Her own career has always moved between those worlds. Her infectious yet timeless sound has taken her to stages including Åre Sessions, PLX Tjärö Festival and Way Out West, as well as HÖR Berlin. In recent years, she has also begun translating her experience behind the decks into her own productions. Her debut EP, In Motion, Always, arrived in 2025, followed in 2026 by Ready, Kick It on Genesis Records.
“Obviously, I want people to connect with my music — that’s the whole point of sharing it. But I don’t want accessibility to come at the expense of personality. The more music I release, the more I realize that the things I’m most proud of are usually the things where I followed my instinct rather than trying to predict how people would react.”
As the industry continues to evolve, Anna-My believes there will always be space for new scenes to develop beneath the surface.
“Every time something becomes popular, another scene usually starts developing somewhere outside of the spotlight. There will always be people who want to experiment, create their own spaces and make music that doesn’t fit what’s currently popular. So I don’t think the underground is going away. If anything, I think the bigger electronic music becomes, the more interesting the next underground will be.”
Team Credits:
Words by Hannah Magnusson
Photography by John Scarisbrick
Fashion Credits:
1&2) Top by KRIBA. Skirt by ANIELE STROZ.
4) Top by J.SIMONE. Pants by KHÉLA THE LABEL INTERNATIONAL.
5&7) All clothing, stylist’s own.
6&8) Jacket by ANIELE STROZ. Pants and cap, artist’s own.
9) Top, artist’s own.
10&11) Top by KRIBA. Necklace by 886 LAB. Skirt by KRIBA.
12-15) All clothes, artist’s own.
16) All clothes, artist’s own.
17) Top by J.SIMONE.