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Toronto-based electronic music duo Zeds Dead is one of the most successful EDM acts to originate from Canada, with an extensive worldwide touring schedule as well as several Billboard-charting releases and Juno nominations to their name. Initially known for producing dubstep and electro-house, their sound has expanded to incorporate drum'n'bass, trap, electro-pop, and other styles. In addition to releases on labels like Mad Decent, Dim Mak, and RAM Records, they run bass music imprint Deadbeats, through which they released their 2016 full-length debut, Northern Lights. Actively releasing singles and remixes into the 2020s, the pair also issued the 2021 mixtape Catching Z's and the 2025 album Return to the Spectrum of Galactic Happiness, previewed with the euphoric "Heartbeat."

DC (Dylan Mamid) and Hooks (Zachary Rapp-Rovan) first formed the hip-hop-oriented Mass Productions in 2004 and released an independent album, Fresh Beetz, three years later. They switched to Zeds Dead -- named after a line from Quentin Tarantino's 1994 film Pulp Fiction -- in 2009, embracing house and the direct, physical side of dubstep. Their debut song, the All Seeing I-sampling "Journey of a Lifetime," arrived in 2009. It would be the first of many downloadable releases made available for free. The track was quickly followed by more free downloads, as well as a remix of Barletta's "Panther."

Throughout 2010 and 2011, they were increasingly active. The duo released material on a number of labels, including Kissy Sell Out's San City High, Steve Aoki's Dim Mak, and Diplo's Mad Decent; remixed tracks by Blue Foundation and the Electric; and they also toured extensively throughout the U.S. Their first release of 2012 was Adrenaline, an EP issued on Inspected that balanced blitzing dubstep tracks with lower-key breakbeat workouts. The Living Dead (Ultra) arrived months later, before a trio of Mad Decent EPs followed each subsequent year: Victor (2012), Hot Sauce (2013), and Somewhere Else (2014). The latter featured appearances by Twin Shadow and Perry Farrell and entered the Billboard 200.

The pair's debut LP arrived in late 2016. Released on their own Deadbeats label, Northern Lights included collaborations with Diplo, Pusha T, Weezer's Rivers Cuomo, Jadakiss, Styles P, and more. The following year saw Zeds Dead issue the Frontlines remix EP and a collection of Northern Lights remixes. They also won a Canadian Independent Music Award for Electronic/Dance Artist of the Year. The duo closed 2017 with a Jauz collaboration, "Lights Go Down."

In 2018, Zeds Dead collaborated with 1000Volts (rapper Redman and producer Jayceeoh) on the single "Kill Em," and additionally released tracks with Ganja White Night, Snails, and DNMO. 2019's "Lift You Up," with Delta Heavy, appeared on longstanding drum'n'bass label RAM Records. Several additional singles led up to the release of 2020's label showcase We Are Deadbeats, Vol. 4, which included additional collaborations with Droeloe, Slushii, Omar LinX, and more. The album's deluxe edition included remixes as well as further collaborations with artists like Rezz and Yultron. The following year, they issued the mixtape Catching Z's, which featured notable singles such as "Lost Birds" with Elliot Moss, "I Think You're Cool" with Jenna Pemkowski, and "Late Night Drive." The non-album single "Alive" featuring MKLA yielded a slew of remixes that landed on a pair of EPs. 2022 was occupied by a half-dozen collaborations and singles, including "Gassed Up" with Subtronics and Flowdan. Additional singles over the course of 2023 and 2024 led to the 2025 release of Return to the Spectrum of Galactic Happiness, an album promoted with extensive touring including Deadrocks XI, the 11th edition of their own music festival. ~ Andy Kellman & Neil Z. Yeung

Philadelphia-based producer and DJ Subtronics explores the filthy, aggressive side of dubstep as well as its more minimalist offshoot known as riddim. He gained fame within the EDM scene for his five-volume mix series Now That's What I Call Riddim, which incorporated hundreds of tracks, often rarities and exclusives, by major acts like Skrillex and Excision. He scored a viral hit with 2019's "Griztronics," a collaboration with Michigan's GRiZ, which reached the Top Ten of Billboard's Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart. Subtronics additionally worked with artists like Rusko, Marshmello, Zeds Dead, and Ganja White Night, and he issued his debut album, FRACTALS, in 2022. He followed with the remix album ANTIFRACTALS and his second full-length, TESSERACT (2024).

Jesse Kardon was introduced to music-making software GarageBand in middle school, and he made his first attempts at producing dubstep in high school. He spent several years watching online tutorials and practicing, and started releasing his first tracks as Subtronics (a portmanteau of "subwoofer" and "electronics") in 2014. After issuing EPs like 2016's Impact and Cyclops, he launched his mixtape series Now That's What I Call Riddim, uploading the first volume in early 2017. Mashing up hundreds of tracks, and featuring spoken introductions by some of the featured artists, the series released five volumes total, with the final installment arriving in January 2020. The series helped establish Subtronics within the EDM scene, and he became a festival mainstay.

Continuing to issue solo EPs like 2018's Depth Perception and Wook Laser, Subtronics released collaborations with Rusko ("Bounce!"), Boogie T ("Senpai"), Zeds Dead ("Bumpy Teeth"), and others in 2019. He also co-produced "Griztronics" with GRiZ, and the song became a hit on TikTok, peaking at number nine on Billboard's Hot/Dance Electronic Songs chart, and additionally landing Subtronics in the Top Ten of the publication's Next Big Sound chart. In 2020, Subtronics released Scream Saver, which included a collaboration with British grime crew Virus Syndicate. A Subtronics and Zeds Dead remix of "GodLovesUgly" by Atmosphere was officially released as a single by Rhymesayers Entertainment. An additional solo EP, the trap-influenced String Theory, appeared later in the year. Kardon co-produced the song "House Party" on Marshmello's 2021 album Shockwave, and he issued the single "Bunker Buster" with Excision, as well as "Griztronics II (Another Level)" with GRiZ.

Subtronics' ambitious, cinematic debut album, FRACTALS, arrived in 2022, with guests including grime emcee Flowdan, Nevve, Grabbitz, and several previous collaborators. Subtronics additionally worked with Rezz on the song "Puzzle Box." The remix album ANTIFRACTALS followed, and Subtronics released collaborations with Ganja White Night, HOL!, and Excision in 2023. TESSERACT, his second album, arrived in 2024, with artists like Kwengface, Crooked Bangs, and Caitlyn Scarlett making appearances. ~ Paul Simpson

Easily recognized by his booming, austere voice and patois-heavy lyrics, Flowdan is an unmistakable presence throughout the U.K. bass music landscape. As a founder of the storied Roll Deep collective, he played a crucial role in the development of grime, then expanded his audience with the massive 2007 single "Skeng," one of several tracks with his frequent collaborator the Bug. He released his debut full-length, Original Dan, in 2009, with two more albums arriving during the 2010s, as he ventured further into production. A longtime stalwart of the underground, Flowdan made his mainstream breakthrough with two inescapable 2023 singles, the Grammy-winning "Rumble" (with Skrillex and Fred again..) and the U.K. Top Five hit "Baddadan" (with Chase & Status and Bou). He continued working with Skrillex on songs like "Pepper" (featuring Lil Baby).

Born Marc Veira in Bow, East London, Flowdan came from a background in drum'n'bass. He was part of Pay as U Go Cartel, a U.K. garage crew briefly active during the early 2000s which featured Wiley, Geeneus, and DJ Slimzee, among others. The group disbanded as they evolved into Roll Deep, a name suggested by Flowdan. Seemingly every major name in the grime scene passed through Roll Deep, including Dizzee Rascal, Tinchy Stryder, Skepta, and Jammer, while Flowdan, Wiley, DJ Target, and others, from the beginning until their 2013 hiatus. Flowdan appeared on all five Roll Deep albums but wasn't featured on any of their five singles which hit the U.K. Top 40. However, he was featured on Lethal Bizzle's "Pow! (Forward)," which reached number 11 in 2005 and won a MOBO Award for Best Single. His next major feature was on "Skeng," the Hyperdub-issued single by the Bug in 2007. The track became a dubstep anthem and was included on the Bug's 2008 album London Zoo (Ninja Tune), along with two additional Flowdan collaborations, "Jah War" and "Warning." Original Dan, the emcee's debut album, was released by Wiley's Eskibeat Recordings in 2009, featuring tracks produced by Scratcha DVA, Target, and the Bug, among others.

Flowdan appeared on Jubei's half-time single, "Say Nothin'," released by Metalheadz in 2012. His first solo EP, Serious Business, was issued by Hyperdub in 2014. He signed to Tru Thoughts, which released his second album, Disaster Piece, in 2016. Several songs featured singer Animai, and Roll Deep's Tinchy Stryder and Manga lent guest verses, while Commodo, Dexplicit, and Cato were among the producers. Flowdan released "Original Raggamuffin," a single with Wiley, in 2017, and continued his ongoing work with the Bug on the song "Bad." Flowdan's grime label SpentShell began releasing music in 2018, including tracks he produced for PK and GHSTLY XXVII. His EP One Shell Fits All included guest features by D Double E and Meridian Dan. The EP Tramplezone appeared in 2019, and Flowdan returned to Tru Thoughts for his third album, Full Metal Jacket, as well as the 2020 EP The Red Pill. No Celebrations, an EP with Abstrakt Sonance, was released by SpentShell. His final EP of 2020, Guilty as Charged, was issued by Bare Selection at the end of the year.

Flowdan was featured on the Bug's 2021 single "Pressure," as well as "Trenches" by Duke & Jones and Millbrook's "Power." He released the EP Black Rain with Snowman Baby and Abstrakt Sonance. He continued releasing songs with Abstrakt Sonance in 2022, and his voice was introduced to mainstream EDM audiences when he was featured on the 2022 single "Gassed Up" by Zeds Dead and Subtronics, and especially when he appeared on the Skrillex and Fred again.. single "Rumble." Initially premiered on Fred again..'s viral July 2022 Boiler Room set, the song was officially released during the first week of 2023 and became a major hit, peaking at number 19 on the U.K. singles chart; a year later, it won a Grammy for Best Dance/Electronic Recording. The single kicked off one of Flowdan's most productive and successful years to date, as he was featured on at least a dozen other tracks, including Sammy Virji's "Shella Verse," Schlachthofbronx's "Ready and Bad," and the U.K. Top Five-charting "Baddadan" by Chase & Status and Bou (featuring IRAH, Trigga, and Takura). Flowdan also released additional Skrillex collaborations, including "Hydrate" (with BEAM and PEEKABOO), "Badders" (with PEEKABOO and G-Rex), and "Pepper" (featuring Lil Baby). ~ Paul Simpson