From: Guatemala

DJ style: “Drunken kung-fu master.”

Best known for: “Playing extended sets all over the world.”

Favourite tune of 2022: Victor Lou & Malive ‘Laurinnha’

Rising star DJ/producer of 2022: “With TARAKA, we always build a line-up with up-and-coming talent — so I’d say anyone on a TARAKA line-up.”

It’s been an eventful 12 months for Diamanté Anthony Blackmon, the artist now known solely by his big-room house and techno persona, GORDO. Among other activities, he played an ultra-packed itinerary of dates, including his own TARAKA throwdowns (named after his 2021 festival hit); he collaborated with the Martinez Brothers and Nigerian vocalist Rema on the dancefloor-conquering, woofer-waffling ‘Rizzla’; he even generated a bit of minor clubland brouhaha for allegedly bumping a pair of his fellow DJs by playing beyond his scheduled set time at a late-summer Ministry Of Sound gig, which he blamed on “miscommunication” and offered an apology. (You know you’re in the top tier when an incident like that makes headlines.)

Oh yeah, GORDO also found time to work on six of the 14 tracks from Drake’s dance music homage, ‘Honestly, Nevermind.’ Those tunes helped to elevate him to the top of Billboard‘s Hot 100 Producers chart — it all adds up to the kind of year that most DJs would love to have.

What’s the best DJ set you’ve seen this year?

“Marco Carola at Destino during the summer.”

Name one great festival you played for the first time this year…

“TARAKA at Pershing Square in LA.”

What’s the longest DJ set you’ve ever played?

“Superior Ingredients in Brooklyn on April 24th 2022 — 10 hours.”

What’s the next big sound?

“TARAKA, not just my release but also the sound you hear at a TARAKA event.”

What have been the highlights of this year for you?

“Producing six records with Drake on ‘Honestly, Nevermind’.”