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Dutch EDM producer Fedde Le Grand (born in Utrecht in 1977) is best known for hitting the top of the U.K. charts with the 2006 single "Put Your Hands Up for Detroit." A DJ since his teenage years, Le Grand is also known for his production and remix work, adding his singular touch to tracks by artists such as Sharam, Freeform Five, Tall Paul, Pete Tong, Ida Corr, and Robbie Williams. Along with his music and touring -- he has performed in all corners of Europe, as well as Oceana, North America, and China -- Le Grand has also been involved in the development and business end of the industry, starting the Flamingo Recordings label with Raf Jansen and Funkerman in 2004.

"Put Your Hands Up for Detroit," an electro-house anthem that heavily sampled "Hands Up for Detroit" by Detroit-area producers Matthew Dear and Disco D, was initially released in 2006. Originally a minor hit, the song leapt to number one on the U.K. singles chart after a CD single was released. A remix of the song featured guest verses by Bizarre and King Gordy of Eminem-affiliated Detroit rap group D12.

In 2007, Le Grand scored two major hits: a remix of Camille Jones' "The Creeps" and "Let Me Think About It," a collaboration with Danish soul singer Ida Corr. That year, his label started the club night Flamingo Nights in Amsterdam. The following year, he released the mix album Flamingo Nights, Vol. 1: Ibiza. In 2009, he returned with Output, his first album of original productions. In 2011, Le Grande paired with DJ Markus Schulz for the double mix CD Be at Space. He kept busy releasing singles including "So Much Love," "Sparks," "RAW," "No Good," and "Where We Belong."

In 2015, Le Grand started a new label called Darklight Recordings, debuting with "Tales of Tomorrow," a collaboration with Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike. A subsequent vocal version, featuring singer/songwriter Julian Perretta, hit number two on the Belgian singles chart. Le Grand singles "Robotic" (with Jewelz & Sparks) and "Take Me Home" (with Patric La Funk) also appeared that year. In 2016, Darklight released Le Grand's second artist album, Something Real. ~ Chris True

Rooted in the sounds of '90s indie rock, San Francisco's Carta began as a recording project by Kyle Monday and Jason Perez in 2002. Attempting to expand to a four-piece, they ran through a long list of rotating members before ultimately settling on bassist Ray Welter and drummer Sonny Culbertson for their 2005 debut The Glass Bottom Boat. However, it took two years for the group to find a label, and by the time Resonant released the debut in 2007, Perez and Culbertson had left the fold. Drummer Raj Ojha of Run & Return and bassist/guitarist Sacha Galvagna joined later that year to start work on Index of Birds, which saw the last original member, Kyle Monday, leading his new band toward ambient textures and Krautrock rhythms. Soon after it was released in 2010, Gabriel Coan of Continental and the Orange Peels took over as Carta's drummer. The Faults Follow was released in 2013 on Saint Marie Records. ~ Jason Lymangrover

With his unique, spaced out production style and offbeat lyrical content that could have been taken out of a Bradbury novel, New York City's Paradigm has been blessed with the title of "Science Rap." Freshchest Records liked what they heard and release his debut single "Leverage" in the spring of 1999. ~ Mike DaRonco