Биография

Multi-award winning Producer and Artist Dera Meelan is just 24 and continuing to mesh styles across genres to create his own hypnotising soundscape. Meelan is a member of music collective YKK alongside rappers Church & AP and deadforest, and works as their in-house producer and engineer. Dera produced Church & AP’s award-winning debut album TEETH (2019). Taking home Red Bull Best Producer at the 2020 Pacific Music Awards in addition to an Aotearoa Music Award for his efforts. Meelan entered NZ’s underground hip hop scene in May 2018, attending local gigs to support and meet fellow artists. Over the next 6 months, Meelan proved himself as one of the most promising upcoming producers in the country, attracting the attention of New Zealand heavyweights. This would eventually open the door to his role as Executive Producer on TEETH. While TEETH landed well, it was one of Dera’s records with deadforest that brought his name to the awareness of international audiences. Their track Fire Sale went viral in 2019 and has generated 10+ million streams with no push from a record label, or radio. On top of working with a wide array of artists in New Zealand since then, which includes executive producing and engineering multiple records & albums for fellow YKK members Church & AP, and deadforest’s debut Album Plastic (2021). Dera continues to build his sonic soundscape and release music of his own, fusing Hip-Hop, House, Electronic, Grime and everything in between.