From the very beginning, my world has been steeped in music. My first word was “music,” which feels fitting for a life where sound has become my guiding force. As a child, I’d eagerly point to the car’s CD player whenever we’d drive somewhere, and some of my earliest memories are filled with moving to the beats of early Step Up movies.

Growing up, my taste evolved across a lot of genres: I loved folk and pop icons like Jack Johnson and Bob Marley, got into the edgy sounds of Linkin Park and Rammstein, and eventually found myself pulled into electronic music with artists like Deadmau5 and The Prodigy. But the real game-changer was discovering Infected Mushroom’s Artillery. The textured sounds, groovy breakbeats, and psychedelic elements opened up a new world for me. That track set me on my journey into psytrance.

My brother also played a big role in this journey, introducing me to artists like Astrix, U-Recken, and Ajja. These artists inspired me to explore the boundary-pushing, immersive sound that’s now central to my music at 144–148 BPM. Before fully committing to music, though, I was into competitive gaming, even reaching semi-pro levels in a few South African leagues. But I realized that gaming wasn’t a sustainable path for me. Toward the end of high school, I felt a pull toward music, so I picked up drumming—but quit after a few months when I didn’t pick it up fast enough. That’s when I noticed a pattern of giving up too easily, and I decided to change that.

With a new commitment to learning, I dove into sound engineering, determined to create music I loved, under a new identity: “MadMerlin.” I saw it as a project for fearless experimentation, breaking boundaries to create something authentic and different. Now, my goal with music is to bring Love, Joy, and Peace into the world. I dream of performing at festivals where people let go, under open skies, in states of connection. My aim is to guide listeners on a journey—taking control of the spaceship and leading everyone toward a place of infinity, a place where they can remember our unity.

Personally, this journey has taken me down a road of self-discovery I’m grateful for. I love to move—rock climbing and frisbee have been recent favorites. When I’m not making music or moving, I’m into breathwork, meditation, and quality time with genuine friends and family. I believe in finding connection that’s authentic, without needing anything beyond what we already have within.

My vision of the future is full of nurturing communities, where we all thrive together, breaking down boundaries and stomping to the rhythm of the drum.