Alexis Raphael is a familiar face on the East London club scene, with a DJ residency at Sunday party Creche. This year has seen his own productions take centre stage with releases such as ‘Kitchens and Bedrooms’ and the galaxy-hopping soulful disco of ‘Spaceship’. 2012 will see Alexis put out another anticipated EP on the Hot Creations label and we can’t wait to hear more of his smooth soulful house.

Spaceship

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Our next producer to watch is a guy who has already had a phenomenal 2011. London based Blawan brings raw brilliance to each of his hard techno tracks. Whether chopping up an RnB vocal, remixing the legendary Radiohead, or making our noses bleed with his dark industrial beats, Blawan’s productions will always send dance floors into meltdown and that trend is definitely set to continue into 2012.

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Eliphino has had a string of strong releases in the last twelve months, with the infectious “Let Me Love You Forever” being the first and the euphoric “More Than Me” seeing us into this festive season. His latest tracks have had a heavier techno and two step influence with ethereal vocals and synths. We can’t wait to see what Eliphino comes with in 2012 – whatever it may sound like it is sure to be fire.

More Than Me

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Guy Furious is our final producer tip for next year. The Luton-based artist has been producing and studying music since the tender age of 13 and his latest release, Pillowtalk EP is laden with vocal heavy RnB samples with touches of early rave and garage. It’s a melodic mix and we are seriously looking forward to hearing his sound develop over 2012.

Guy Furious – Serendipity

Harlem-born Rakim Mayers aka A$AP Rocky is the rapper of the moment ever since dropping one of the biggest mixtapes of the year. LiveLoveA$AP catapulted the rapper into underground hip-hop stardom and it couldn’t have come at a better time for the artist. Part of the ASAP (Always Strive and Prosper) since a young teenager, his turbulent experiences as a boy have resulted in watertight flow, lyrics and production – the game needs to watch out!

Trilla ft. ASAP Twelvy & ASAP Nasty

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BBC’s Sound of 2012, chosen by members of the music industry (including us!) brought Jamie to a wider audience but it’s still early days in many respects, not for long however. The artist has a weighty belt of music primed for release next year and we were all treated to a taster in the form of The Preacher back in October. Since then he’s featured on Rob da Bank’s Christmas festival feature and we’ve just filmed an amazing session with him (coming soon) which will make any Tom Waits fans double take on themselves.

2012 for Jamie N Commons is going to bring sold-out gigs, dozens of festivals worldwide and a global audience who need to hear his music!

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Keaton is no stranger to Mahogany having featured on the blog numerous times as well as incredibly intimate and revealing session in October. The reclusion artist is beginning to give interviews and online promo but it’s not something we should get used to just yet - regardless of that, his audience grows by the day, all drawn in by his emotionally driven music and it’s that force that will empower Keaton to come out of his shell.

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Shakka is a rapper, singer, music and film producer, editor and more. His talents go further than most and his music hit a note in our hearts when first hearing it back in the summer.

Clever music videos, tight productions and a voice that commands not only power but respect. Shakka’s Coldplay cover taken from his Shakka Crown Affair release demonstates his versatility and we’re excited for what he’s got planned next year!

God Put A Smile On Your Face (Coldplay Cover)

Our first solo female to watch in 2012 is internet sensation Gabrielle Aplin. Her beautiful acoustic folk sound caught our ears towards the end of this year, and through the release of her two acoustic EPs and plethora of self-made YouTube videos her ghostly music is catching some serious buzz. A woman with a voice this heavenly has almost every major label clambering to sign her!

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Brighton based vocalist Jennifer Left is our second tip for 2012. Whether through her unique cover of New Order’s ‘Temptation’ or because of her own distinctive material, Left deserves serious recognition and she’s determined to get it. Her soft voice and quirky lyrics show theatrical flair, and just a hint of bluegrass and the blues. This track ‘Paper Trails’ showcase Jennifer’s poetic abilities. Big things.

Paper Trails

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Py, full name Jade Pybus, got our attention via her serendipitous collaboration with producer Throwing Snow. Their work together had beautiful haunting results in the shape of the Wallow EP: a clutch of edgy deep house / dub sounding tracks. Py’s unique vocal delivery on the record is utterly compelling and we can’t wait to see what 2012 has in store for her.

Throwing Snow & Py – Wallow

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South London’s YADi is the definition of raw pop. With songs like ‘Guillotine’ and the infectious ‘Sahara Heart’, she has shown she has a powerful voice and is capable of some great songwriting. With tracks this strong, 2012 should be YADi’s year.