Showcase: Melomaniac

Your name says a lot about you before you even play a note. “Melomaniac” is someone consumed by music to the point of obsession. Where did that obsession begin for you, and how did it eventually pull you toward DJing?

So, I’ve been heavily into music for as long as I can remember. My parents had a big influence on me musically growing up. They weren’t musicians or anything but they themselves had, and still do have, a deep love for music. I was immersed in it from an early age, listening to stuff like Dire Straits, Depeche Mode, and many others.

My musical tastes obviously shifted throughout the years. I went through a big metal/goth phase, which was intense and emotional. Then I found electronic music through a friend around ’98/’99 and became completely obsessed with those ESP CDs that came out. From there, day parties like Splash and H2O, and loads of late nights at Truth and Nexus/ESP really solidified my love for EDM.

Genre-wise I’m always pretty open. I like what sounds good, I don’t label myself as a purist in any form, although I am still picky if that makes sense.

DJing came about quite late for me though. I was always very happy just being a punter, going out, having fun at the parties, and never really keen to actually mix my own tunes. Fast forward to around three years ago: I was sitting in my lounge one day playing Call of Duty on my PS5 and thought to myself, What am I actually doing here with this games console? This thing isn’t really enriching your life.

Right around that time I was forming a serious obsession with psy tech, DJs like Breger, TiM TASTE, David Phoenix, Aaron King, Akari System & local legends Miles from Mars and the like. So I told myself, “Hang on a second, let me teach myself a new skill.” I sold the PS5, bought a Traktor S2, and that’s really where the whole DJ thing kicked off.

Psy tech is your primary world, but indie dance sits alongside it as a genuine second home, and within psy tech itself you move between funky daytime energy and darker late-night atmospheres. How do you hold those different sounds together, and what does moving between them give you?

The psy tech thing is obviously my main passion. I love the layering, the space, the quirkiness of it, that hypnotic, almost meditative quality really does something special to me.

Indie dance still comes straight from that early influence my folks had on me, so it probably pays homage to that. Most of my friends are a fair bit older than me too, so they connect really well with that sound.

I don’t see them as completely separate worlds that I have to switch between. For me it’s all one big musical journey. A groovy, funky daytime set might have that bouncy, psychedelic energy that makes people smile and move, while the late-night stuff dives deeper into darker, more atmospheric territory.

The thread that ties it all together is the feeling, the journey. Whether it’s uplifting and bouncy or hypnotic and intense, I’m always trying to take the dance floor somewhere meaningful. Moving between those energies keeps things fresh for me and lets me express different sides of my own musical personality.

The language around your sound centres on journeys: hypnotic, immersive, and mind-expanding atmospheres. What does building that kind of experience actually look like from behind the decks, and how do you know in the moment when it is really happening?

From behind the decks it’s all about patience and really listening, both to the music and to the crowd. I don’t just throw tracks together. I spend time building layers, letting tracks breathe, using long, seamless transitions so the energy shifts almost without people noticing. It’s like telling a story: you start somewhere familiar, then slowly twist the atmosphere, open up new sonic spaces, and drop in those weird little quirky elements that make people go, what is that?”

The real magic happens when the dance floor stops being a bunch of separate people and turns into one moving organism. You start feeling the energy coming back at you. Suddenly everyone is locked in, eyes closed, hands in the air at exactly the same moments. When that connection clicks, you just know. The hair on your arms stands up, the whole room feels like it’s breathing with the music, and time kind of disappears. That’s the moment I live for, when the set stops being something I’m playing and becomes something we’re all experiencing together.

You have built your identity around a genuine obsession with music, and Beatlab is a community of people who understand that obsession from the inside. What has being part of it meant to you, and what has it given you that wasn’t there before?

Ahh man. This Beatlab platform is so cool.

It’s the first time I’ve been part of a proper community where everyone actually gets it on the same level, that same deep obsession, the late nights spent digging for tracks, the thrill of nailing a perfect mix. Before Beatlab I was mostly playing for myself and the occasional gig. Now I’m surrounded by people who are just as passionate, constantly sharing tips, supporting each other’s mixes, and pushing one another to grow.

It’s given me real confidence, a sense of accountability, and a feeling of belonging I didn’t have before. I’m not just a bedroom DJ anymore, I’m part of something bigger. The feedback, the friendships, and the constant inspiration from other members have taken my playing to another level. It’s genuinely made the whole journey more enjoyable and meaningful.

Your sound moves between two distinct territories: funky, psychedelic energy for the daytime and darker, atmospheric moods for the late night. A 6pm Saturday slot on The Sound Craft sits right at that crossover. What did it mean to have your mix in that space, and what would you say to a Beatlab member who has a mix ready but hasn’t yet submitted?

Getting that 6pm Saturday slot on The Sound Craft felt perfect. It’s exactly that magical crossover moment, the sun’s going down, the energy is shifting, and you can still ride the last bit of daytime funk while easing into deeper, more hypnotic territory. I loved building that journey for the listeners and seeing how the mix sat right in that sweet spot.

To any Beatlab member sitting on a mix they’re proud of but haven’t submitted yet: just send it in, man. Seriously. The platform is full of people who love this music as much as you do. Nobody’s judging, we’re all here because we’re obsessed. Your mix might be exactly what someone needs on a random Tuesday night or during a Saturday drive.

Worst case? You get some constructive feedback and level up. Best case? People connect with it, it gets played, and you become part of someone else’s musical journey. Either way you win. Stop overthinking it and hit submit, the community is waiting and ready to vibe with you.

Responses may have minor edits for clarity.

If you have a mix that deserves to be heard, join the Beatlab community and submit. Your sound could be next.