7 Northwest Artists You Should Be Following Pt. III

Bandit

Dabbling in everything from dubstep to trap and beyond, Bandit is a Seattle-based duo made up of Brandon Noftsger and Jono Evenson. There’s no doubting the Northwest’s love of bass music, and combining that with our passion for local artists creates the perfect environment for acts like Bandit to shine. With more than a dozen remixes and original tunes released this year, the prolific duo are everything we love about our Northwest acts. Their most recent remix, a bass re-work of fellow Seattle act Go Periscope’s Wasteland is one of our favorite tracks of the year, and we’ll be waiting (im)patiently for more from Bandit in 2016 and beyond.

Bandit on Facebook

Bandit on Soundcloud

Manatee Commune

A Northwest-favorite who’s local performances we won’t miss, Manatee Commune is a Bellingham-native everyone can get behind. Also known as Grant Eadie, Manatee Commune released his self-titled LP earlier this month, hot-off of his performance at Bumbershoot 2016. The 12-track work is all of the high quality, down-tempo, and easy-listening of Manatee Commune that we’re used to, with an impressively refined sound. The guy knows what he’s doing, and following him is as easy to do as enjoying his tunes.

Manatee Commune on Facebook

Manatee Commune on Soundcloud

Tollefson

Rachel Tollefson, formerly known as Altesse, is a Seattle-native who’s talents earned her the honor of being named Seattle Nightlife Award’s Female DJ of the Year in 2016. A mainstay at Q Nightclub, Tollefson is another local-act we make sure to try to see whenever she performs. With shows at Aston Manor, Substation, and The Underground as well as Q this year, we’re happy to have plenty of opportunities. The sky is truly the limit for the young artist, and we’ll be following her undeniable rise from here on out.

Tollefson on Facebook

Tollefson on Soundcloud

https://soundcloud.com/tollefson_x/division-mix

Symbion Project

Symbion Project, also known as Kasson Crooker, is a Seattle-based producer who’s been creating electronic music for more than 20 years. Doing everything from releasing albums (eight of them!) to creating synth-pop bands, working on music for video games, and beyond, Symbion Project is an artist in the truest sense. Over the years, his tunes have ranged from down-tempo to classical synth, and much more. But, his latest release, Arcadian, is a more beat-driven, electronic-based work, “that draw circles around the world’s more melancholy realities”. Arcadian also features a collaboration with Jenni Potts, and more great artists. His catalog of tunes is more than worth a browse, regardless of your genres of choice.

Symbion Project on Facebook

Symbion Project on Soundcloud

https://soundcloud.com/symbionproject/sets/arcadian-private-album-preview

Channel Surfer

Channel Surfer, also known as Chris Herrera, is the founder and manager of Televisionary Records who’s released a wide range of music throughout his career. His tunes have featured on labels like Armada, Perfecto, and more, while opening for the likes of JES at Foundation Nightclub last year. We follow his monthly “Surf Report”, formerly “The Intrepid Mix”, and can’t help but love his unique blend of breakbeat, trance, and electro.

Channel Surfer on Facebook

Channel Surfer on Soundcloud

https://soundcloud.com/chrisherreramusic/the-surf-report-may-2016-by-channel-surfer

We love our locals, and are lucky to have so many great Northwest artists to follow. Let us know what you think of our local artists and which ones you follow on a regular basis. Comment below, on Facebook, or reply on Twitter!