From: Belgium
DJ style: “Techno, acid and anything crossover.”
Best known for: “‘Age Of Love’ remix with Enrico Sangiuliano and first techno (and female) act closing the main stage of Tomorrowland.”
Fave tune of 2022: “Alignment ‘Attack’.”
Rising star DJ/producer of 2022: “Fred again.. / Indira Paganotto.”
After scooping the top spot in the last two alternative Top 100 DJs polls, Charlotte de Witte climbs nine spots this year, settling in at No.14 in this year’s main poll — as well as taking the award for The World’s No.1 Techno DJ. The Ghent-born DJ, producer and KNTXT label boss’s climb in the polls mirrors her ascension on the techno charts, where she’s released records via her own imprint, as well as on Adam Beyer’s Drumcode, Kneaded Pains, Suara Music and Len Faki’s Figure Music. She’s also become a favourite on the festival circuit, hosting her own stage at Tomorrowland, as well as becoming the first female techno headliner, and made appearances at Sonár, Time Warp’s Brazil and Chile editions, and UK festivals like Parklife and Glasgow’s Riverside. She also performed her first headline set at Ibiza’s Hï club, and still has a string of gigs across the USA, South America and Europe later this year. De Witte has found the perfect formula for her own strain of acid techno, and it’s being rightfully recognised.
What’s the best DJ set you’ve seen this year?
“Completely out of the genre, but I witnessed a beautiful disco set in the morning at Burning Man from Bender. The vibe was so, so good. And in the end, that is a big part of what makes or breaks a party.”
Name one great festival you played for the first time this year…
“Burning Man. That place is truly magnificent.”
What’s the longest DJ set you’ve ever played?
“Ten hours for my all night long set in my hometown of Ghent in April 2022.”
What’s one piece of studio hardware you wish you owned?:
“Jupiter 8.”
What’s the last tune you bought?
“‘Torus ‘Chroniko VIP (Original Mix)’. Beautiful track.”
What’s the next big sound?:
“I believe things are going more and more eclectic. The edges of the boxes that used to encapsulate electronic music genres are becoming more and more blurry. It probably doesn’t hurt to have a more open-minded vision about music and genres. I don’t think it’s very stimulating for creativity to allow yourself to be put in a box.”