From: Juiz de Fora, Brazil

DJ style: “House / bass house / tech-house.”

Best known for: “Stromae ‘Alors On Dance’ remix.”
 

2023 has been a year full of crowning moments for Marcos and Lucas Schmidt, aka Dubdogz. “We’ve been DJs since we were 14,” the Brazilian twins reflect, “but we think this is the best moment of our career yet.” Taking their trademark bouncy Brazilian bass sound to new heights, the duo have played in more than 15 countries in 12 months, with pit-stops at some of the world’s mightiest festivals, including Lollapalooza, Tomorrowland Belgium, and Tomorrowland Brasil. A bevy of infectiously fun singles have kept the production wheel turning too, including a ‘Mission Impossible’ dub with Zuffo and Rhōden, and the pop-infused ‘Just Like You Do’, featuring Reezer.

This summer, the powerhouse twins also launched a new side-project, ЯUBACK — a melodic techno venture inspired by a return to their more progressive roots, as well as visual pioneers like Afterlife and Zamna. Marcos and Lucas debuted the project — which is now accompanied by a label — to a crowd of almost 30,000 at Brazil’s Só Track Boa festival, which they describe as yet another highlight of their storybook year. This mighty twelve months has helped Dubdogz move up a whopping 29 spots in the Top 100 DJs poll, as they creep ever closer towards the top 50. Woof! 

Fave tune of 2023: “Pickle ‘Crank That’.”
 

Best DJ set you’ve seen in 2023: “Liquid Soul at Boom Festival.”
 

What was the most exciting tech development of 2023? “We’re really excited about the audiovisual label parties that have got bigger and bigger this year.”
 

Rising star DJ/producer of 2023: “Maz (BR).”
 

What gives you hope for 2024?: “The Brazilian electronic music scene has been growing each year and there are so many great talents starting to make an impact abroad.”