Austin Leeds

This time of year most superstar DJs are reclaiming their residencies off the coast of Spain, entertaining the beautiful people summering in Ibiza. Fortunately for Miami, Austin Leeds is a travel junkie, and his tireless schedule brings him to Studio A for a set before he heads off to the exotic climes of Kuala Lumpur and Seoul.

Okay, exotic for us, maybe, but nowadays Leeds, after several years of playing some of the biggest and best clubs and parties in the world, sees it as just another bunch of layovers. Oh, and another mammoth crowd of hypnotized people freaking to his swirling, rhapsodic melodies and dark, driving bass lines.

Originally a guitar player, Leeds took up DJing in 1997 and quickly distinguished himself with his fetishes for technical accuracy and black-belt programming. Regular inclusion of Leeds's tracks on mix compilations by big shots such as Deep Dish and Sasha & Digweed is testament to the respect he has earned throughout the DJ community. These days he works out of Las Vegas alongside his neighbor, longtime friend, and collaborator Nick Terranova. Over the years, the duo has written several chart-topping dance singles, including "Shake Me Rock Me" and "Discoteka."