Dera Meelan

Raised on a mix of radio pop, hip-hop and traditional Kurdish music, Dera first started making beats as a kid using a basic music program on a Nintendo 3DS. That early curiosity quickly turned into an obsession with house, jungle/drum & bass and electronic music discovered through YouTube, before moving from iPad production apps to Logic Pro and developing the sound he’s known for today. The son of a Kurdish freedom fighter who served with the legendary Peshmerga, Dera is an award-winning Auckland-based producer, DJ and engineer whose work blends rap, house, jungle and bass music into a sharp, club-ready sound. Since 2018, he has worked closely with a tight-knit circle of new generation New Zealand hip-hop and R&B acts, including Church & AP, RNZŌ and deadforest as a producer and engineer. His work has earned recognition at both the Aotearoa Music Awards and the Pacific Music Awards, including Red Bull Producer of the Year. Defined by heavy low end, icy synths and clean, futuristic sound design, Dera’s production brings together influences from rap, pop and electronic music into a consistent, high-energy aesthetic built for clubs, festivals and everywhere in between.