New Artists to Watch as presented by Obscure Agency – August 2025
In partnership with Obscure Agency
By Daniel Fusch
From modular disruptors to Afro-house visionaries, poetic minimalists to cinematic rebels, this month’s selection spans continents and genres, but shares one trait in common: presence. These are not just performers. They are architects of emotion, ritual, and resonance.
Janosch Moldau
Janosch Moldau has spent the past two decades walking the fine line between melancholy and momentum. A veteran of the post-pop era, his sound evokes late-night synths, ghostly textures, and quiet defiance. With a global following and past chart appearances on laut.de, and Spotify, he’s carved a niche that’s both intimate and expansive. His catalogue, spanning singles like Soul Recovery, Where I Believe, and Sense for God, shows a rare commitment to emotional precision.
His upcoming single The Ground (out August 29) marks a return to soul-bending territory. This fall, he joins Chris Goss (Masters of Reality) on tour, followed by Balkan dates in December. Moldau isn’t just consistent. He’s quietly built an alternative legacy, one ghost track at a time.
David Castellani
Born in Italy and now based in Lisbon by way of Los Angeles, David Castellani is a live performer, educator, designer, and inventor at the cutting edge of modular techno. His sets move like living machines: organic, intelligent, and deeply physical. Founder of the label Noetic, he’s hosted showcases with Hiroko Yamamura, Ken Ishii and DJ Hyperactive, released remixes by Etapp Kyle, Matrixxman, Truncate and Redshape, and shared stages with the likes of Rødhåd and Luke Slater.
His projects regularly blend art and sound: an immersive a 360° LIVE performance alongside Colin Benders and ONYVAA, a dance-techno hybrid project ‘Hysteria Dichotic’ with AnnMarie Arcuri broadcast on Mixmag TV, a popular workshop on modular synthesis at Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) and his ongoing collaborative work with spoken word artist and muse Brittney Vandal that’s birthed two EPs (‘ienemy’ & ‘Self Saboteur’). Castellani also features the didgeridoo in his sets, a nod to First Nations culture that’s as intentional as it is atmospheric. His invention, the Precision Disrupter module by Anti-Kulture, is used by some of electronic music’s most respected artists, solidifying his place as one of the scene’s true disruptors.
Psychologically layered and sonically immersive, Castellani’s work blurs the line between internal sabotage and creative release. Each production feels like a deep dive into consciousness itself: equal parts tension, curiosity, and catharsis.
Sky White
Born and raised in Mozambique, Sky White is setting the Afro-house scene ablaze one hypnotic drop at a time. A producer, DJ, and remixer, his sets channel deep rhythm, emotional uplift, and future-facing percussion. With over 600,000 streams and a loyal following across Africa, his impact is already global.
His new single Start The Fire, released in August, builds like a ritual: dark, minimal textures give way to tribal drums, smoldering synths, and a groove that erupts into full-blown Afro-tech euphoria.
Inspired by Black Coffee’s iconic Human Orchestra performance, Sky began producing at just 10 and hit the stage at 16. His early love for the piano evolved into a deep passion for house music, shaped by mentors like Afro-Cuban percussionist Juma Santos.
With endorsements from genre giants like Black Coffee and Tale of Us, Sky’s tracks blend entrancing rhythm with evocative melody, striking a powerful balance between energy and emotion. From festival stages to iconic venues, his performances captivate and transcend.
Saba
Saba is a singer-songwriter from Olbia blending heartfelt vocals with club-rooted energy. After debuting in 2017 with the support of platinum-selling artists, he quickly gained recognition for his writing and performance skills, honed through exclusive masterclasses and collaborations.
In 2021, his breakout single Fireworks, produced with DJ duo No Name, revealed his vocal strength over a polished dance-pop beat, cementing his presence in the Italian market. From Times Square screens in New York to underground dancefloors, his journey is marked by both visibility and depth.
Now collaborating with Cosmophonix, Saba is preparing a new Queer EP merging pop with voguing and club culture. The first single is imminent and with it, a statement of identity, sound, and movement.
Da Africa Deep
Da Africa Deep, real name Teleki Wilfred Mphahlele, is a South African producer and DJ transforming Afro House into a spiritual experience. Born in Seshego, Limpopo, and shaped by jazz, gospel, and the deep pulse of South Africa’s musical legacy, his productions channel ancestral energy and hypnotic rhythm into something cinematic and soul-stirring.
Influenced by legends like Hugh Masekela and pioneers like Da Capo, his music is rooted in culture yet reaches far beyond. Tracks like Feel The Love and Where We Belong highlight his emotional precision, while his remixes, like the 800K-stream version of Until Tomorrow and his take on Black Coffee’s Need to Know, have earned him a global audience and critical support.
His new single No End released in August, explores themes of love, timelessness, and spiritual unity through deep synth work, organic percussion, and Afro-infused textures. It’s a sonic invocation, powerful, grounded, and otherworldly.
With over 45,000 monthly Spotify listeners, 21K followers on Instagram, and regular performances across Europe and Southern Africa, Da Africa Deep invites listeners into a soundscape where rhythm, soul, and history collide.
Fredrik Forss
Where music meets mysticism, Fredrik Forss invites you into the beautiful unknown. The Swedish singer-songwriter and author crafts songs like he writes books: as portals into the soul. His lyrics awaken questions.
Also known for his philosophical novel UNUM: AI – God or Servant, Forss explores the frontier between spirit, humanity, and technology. But while his writing examines these themes through language, his music does it through presence. Rooted in Nordic minimalism and poetic stillness, each song becomes a moment of reflection less performance, more perception.
In his latest track Where Does the Ocean Begin, ambient textures and stripped-down melody become vessels for emotion and awareness. Listening to Forss feels like entering a sacred space one where silence speaks, and the invisible becomes audible
Obscure Agency continues to highlight independent voices that operate outside conventional formats. Whether solo or collaborative, personal or expansive, these projects make room for complexity without losing coherence.
To stay updated, follow Hidden Gems. No algorithms. Just artists worth hearing.