An established electronic music veteran in the scene for the past 25 years, POPOF is a legendary techno DJ-producer whose eclectic musical style continues to evolve throughout time with genres like hard techno, minimal, house, acid, and everything in between. Despite the evergrowing, competitive industry and lots of new talent emerging by the hour, the French musician continues to be acknowledged for creating quality, interesting, and original music including the release of his latest EP today.

Hailing from a rich and diverse musical background with strong jazz, rock, and hip-hop influences, Popof absorbed a passion for music from his father who was a bass player in a pop-rock band in his youth in Bulgaria. Before he started composing music with electronic machines and hardware, he had learned to play the piano, guitar, and drums by himself, and has always liked to compose and produce his own melodies versus doing covers. “Creation has always attracted me much more than interpretation, and it is certainly thanks to this paternal heritage that I released my first EP at 18 years old and am still here today.” The dedicated craftsman also started his own label Form Music in 2009 as a means to host a platform for all kinds of artists, promote a diversity of sounds, and have the freedom to release whatever and whenever he wanted.

Set to play at Ultra Music Festival this year at the Resistance stage alongside Space 92, Popof and his dear friend are excited to debut their new Turbulences project, a live-hybrid act with custom-made tracks and new edits of cult techno classics. “When it comes to techno, we share the same musical vision and taste for dancefloor beats and soaring melodies. In fact, we have a natural alchemy. There is nothing left unsaid between us and we know that we can count on each other, which is vital for our joint project.”

Over the past year, the profound character learned that you should never give up or stop doing what you love without good reason, whether it be production, DJing, or any other artistic devotion. “There was a period during which I stopped producing music for a long time, and in the last few years, I started again with great enthusiasm and ambition. I regret having stopped for so long while my passion had remained intact! As a result, I learned that you should always be in search of novelty and originality and in constant search of your very best self.” While reflecting on his past and in an alternate universe, he’d also love to spend a day with his older self as it would be much more intellectually interesting than with his younger self, where he was quite introverted in his youth and a bit foolish.

Composed with fellow Parisian producer Vezi, the anticipated EP Linear Damage is described as “globally more violent, sound-wise, and faster” than what Popof usually produces. “I consider it a tribute to my early days back when I was producing hard techno rave music in the 2000s. It merges big beats and acid with a touch of industrial sounds sprinkled with catchy vocals!” He has several projects in the works including a release on the label Factory 93, another one on his label FORM Music, several collaborations in progress, and a festival project in Paris called Sakral. Check out his latest EP on Filth on Acid, catch him next at Ultra Music Festival Miami, and support the cultivated musician now on Instagram and Beatport.