UPDATE: With the news of BBC Radio 1 saying goodbye to Diplo & Friends, we’re revisiting this list—and we’ve added 5 more of our favorite mixes.
Almost every electronic music fan has a favorite Diplo & Friends mix.
The radio show, started by Diplo for BBC Radio 1, has not only hosted some of the most significant acts in EDM, but played a major role in shaping some of their careers. Artists like Kygo, Cashmere Cat, and even Marshmello saw a major increase in popularity after their mix on Diplo & Friends aired. Diplo & Friends was and continues to be one of the biggest spotlights in the industry, and today we’re going to look at some of the best of the best.
Below are the ten artists who brought the most heat during their Diplo & Friends appearance. Check them out and enjoy!
RL Grime (2013)
This is perhaps the moment that RL Grime made the full-on switch from Clockwork, an alias he used to create big room house music from 2012-2014. There was no looking back after this massive mix full of new style of dance music that went onto explode in the following years.
Big Gigantic (2014)
Having already smashed a Coachella performance, the Big Gigantic hype was at crazy levels when they took the stage for 2014’s mix for Diplo & Friends. “I know this sounds weird: jazz dance music,” Diplo introduces them. “But it’s not that weird.”
Cashmere Cat (2013)
We all know Cashmere Cat now, but even during this mix, he hid very stealthily behind his pseudonym, even using a woman’s voice for his intro. The once shy Cashmere Cat has since gone on to work with the biggest artists in the world like Ariana Grande and Selena Gomez.
Jack Ü (2014)
2015 was undoubtedly the year of Jack Ü. Before their massively successful album released however, Diplo & Skrillex dropped this mix for Diplo & Friends. These 2 hours were nonstop energy and even contained a handful of Jack Ü tracks that were still only IDs at the time.
Zeds Dead (2014)
Zeds Dead has made many appearances on the show since its start, but their 2014 mix was definitely their strongest. We can’t count the amount of times we’ve played this one. The deep house opening into bassline into dubstep is perfection.
DJ Snake (2013)
DJ Snake was already a Grammy nominated producer at the age of 25 during this mix. He then launched his own DJ career with the release of “Bird Machine” and “Together” on Mad Decent, and this Diplo & Friends appearance followed shortly after.
Kygo (2014)
Kygo burst onto the scene back in 2014 with an irresistible tropical house sound. You couldn’t go to any party back then without hearing some Kygo songs. He’s since changed it up his style a bit, but this mix will always be a highlight of his career.
DJ Shadow (2013)
DJ Shadow was already a legend when this mix aired, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that it was one of the best of the best. Shadow put on an absolute clinic of bass and hip-hop on this one.
NGHTMRE (2015)
NGHTMRE went from bedroom producer to selling out headline shows in a very short span of time. His mix for Diplo & Friends aired right around the time he started to become one of the most coveted acts in EDM.
Branchez (2015)
Branchez can take mainstream pop bops and flip them into club bangers with ease. He brought his eclectic, irresistible sound to Diplo & Friends in 2015 and the result was one of our favorite things we’ve ever received from Branchez.
Tchami (2014)
On the brink of his future house stardom, Tchami made an appearance on Diplo & Friends to show the world this brand new sound he was pioneering. The rest is history.
ODESZA (2015)
During the midst of their meteoric rise to mainstage fame (and in the midst of their NO.SLEEP series), beloved duo ODESZA stopped by Diplo & Friends a more club-focused set.
Trippy Turtle (2014)
Lido’s mysterious side project, Trippy Turtle, may be retired, but this Diplo & Friends mix will live forever. Under the guise of Trippy Turtle, Lido dove into some of the most euphoric jersey club music you could imagine. Those bed squeaks, tho.
Diplo (2013)
Any longtime listener of Diplo & Friends will know that some of the best mixes came from the episodes were Diplo held it down on his own. This “no friends” episode from the end of 2013 may be one of his best sets he’s ever recorded. Super eclectic, super on point.
Avicii (2013)
The late great Avicii delivered an all-time mix for Diplo back in 2013, the same year he released his debut album, True.