Benin: AMÉMÉ makes Beatport Next class of 2022

Born Hubert Sodogandji, AMÉMÉ specialises in Afro-leaning electronic music, fusing contemporary deep house and tech. He is the founder of One Tribe, a creative hub that unites diverse individuals across art, fashion and music through events. The Afro-house musician will also play at Coachella in April.

Other musicians selected for the Beatport Next class of 2022 include Ukrainian house and techno star 8Kays, 20-year-old British DJ and producer Emily Nash, British DJ, producer and owner of the Midnight Parade label Jaden Thompson, French DJ and house producer Marina Trench, UK-based Jamaican native Nia Archives, American dance music producer and soul sampler Nikki Nair and Japanese techno artist and underground music enthusiast Risa Taniguchi.

Beatport chose the eight promising musicians following an open call for artists and a vigorous selection process. The company says the participants have diverse backgrounds and demonstrate a broad spectrum of sounds.

Launched in 2021, Beatport’s Next programme is an initiative providing emerging artists with a year of dedicated support. The participants will receive promotional placement on Beatport, which includes dedicated artwork designs, LINK playlists, editorial features on Beatportal, live streams and extensive social media support throughout the year.

In 2021, Beatport Next championed six talented acts: TSHA, Alignment, Logic1000, IMANU, VNSSA, Kevin de Vries. The platform says the programme helped strengthen their connection and visibility to its global DJ and fan community through the aforementioned features and offerings. Beatport says the artists collectively saw a 70% increase in store revenues and a 101% hike in Beatport followers after the conclusion of the programme.