Marlon Hoffstadt

At nineteen, Marlon Hoffstadt had the most Shazamed track in Ibiza. "Shake That," his 2013 collaboration with Dansson, sampled Nate Dogg and caught the ear of Pete Tong, who signed it to his FFRR label and called Hoffstadt a "future star" on BBC Radio 1. The Berlin-born producer had already been sneaking into clubs at fifteen and released his first EP at seventeen. Early recognition came fast, but the most interesting phase of his career was still years away.

Born in 1994, Hoffstadt spent his early twenties building an underground infrastructure. In 2016, he co-founded the house label Retrograde with Natureboy Gold, releasing records from collaborators like Paris Brightledge and Matteo Luis. A year later, he launched a second imprint, Midnight Themes, as a home for his own productions. He also started Club Heart Broken with MALUGI, a party series that drew long queues across Berlin before expanding to a Boiler Room showcase in London and becoming its own label in 2024.

Around 2019, Hoffstadt pivoted sharply. He began making unabashedly melodic, '90s-inflected trance and Eurodance, releasing the EP "Ready for Take Hoff" and then his debut album "Planet Love" on Midnight Themes in 2020. That same year, he became a father, adopted neon hair, and rebranded as DJ Daddy Trance. A second album, "Moments of Extasy," followed in 2022. Where much of Berlin's electronic scene favored austerity, Hoffstadt leaned into euphoria, big hooks, and booming kick drums. The approach proved polarizing but wildly popular.

His philosophy extends beyond the music itself. Hoffstadt created "Savour The Moment," a series of phone-free events at Berlin's Salon Zur Wilden Renate, some running over thirty hours. Attendees are asked to pocket their phones, skip the Shazaming, and simply talk to the DJ afterward if they want a track ID. The concept reflects a broader conviction that the dancefloor works best when people are actually present on it.

The mainstream caught up in 2025. In May, Hoffstadt played the mainstage at Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas for an estimated 70,000 people, slotted between Tiesto and Armin van Buuren, marking his U.S. live debut. He signed to Capitol Records in partnership with Goodlife Management and MC3, releasing the double single "Supersonic" / "Hands Up In The Sky." Resident Advisor profiled him with the feature "Who Is Marlon Hoffstadt, Really?" — a question that, given his constant reinvention, remains genuinely open.