In Conversation with MEL: Neurofunk Intensity and the Vision Behind ‘Night Fire / Madness’

Few producers have carved their way into the drum and bass spotlight with quite the same ferocity and focus as MEL. A rising force within the neurofunk circuit, her signature sound is high-impact, finely crafted, and completely unapologetic. With a back catalogue that includes RAM, UKF and Device, and a touring schedule that's seen her tear through line-ups at Virus, Neuroheadz and Korsakov, MEL has become one of the most compelling new voices in the genre.

Her latest release on VTO Records, Night Fire / Madness, is a bold statement of intent—two high-powered tracks loaded with tension, grit, and dancefloor energy. We caught up with MEL to talk studio process, live energy, and why she’s kicking back from streaming pressures to focus on making music that feels true to her.

What was your creative vision going into Night Fire and Madness? Did you approach them as a linked concept, or were they designed as standalone pieces?

Going into Night Fire and Madness, I had a handful of tunes I was working on, and I usually try to treat each one as its own standalone piece…But with these two specifically, there’s a certain energy and vibe that connects them. I didn’t necessarily plan them as a pair from the start, but as they came together, it became clear they complement each other really well. So while they were created independently, they ended up feeling linked in a way that made sense.

Night Fire opens with this cinematic, atmospheric swell—it almost feels like it could soundtrack the opening scene of a sci-fi film. How did you go about crafting that intro and building the tension?

Yeah, I think a lot of the drum and bass tracks I draw inspiration from have these intros that really set the tone…designed to get the heart pumping before everything kicks in. With Night Fire, I wanted to lean into that idea and create an atmosphere that feels like you're being pulled into a scene, almost like the opening shot of a sci-fi film. I used layered pads and reverb-heavy textures to create that swell, gradually introducing rhythmic elements and subtle sound design details to build anticipation. It’s all about tension and pacing, giving the listener just enough to feel something’s coming without revealing too much too soon. 

Madness starts with uplifting, almost euphoric tones before switching gears into something far more driving and intense. Was that contrast something you planned from the start, or did it evolve naturally during the process?

That contrast was something that evolved pretty naturally during the process. I started with just playing around with melodies. As the track developed, I felt like it needed that switch-up to really land…I love when a tune takes you somewhere unexpected, and that shift into a more driving, intense section gave the track a sense of movement and unpredictability. It wasn’t something I mapped out from the beginning, but once it started heading in that direction, it clicked, and I just leaned into it.

VTO Records called these “nanslapping mammoth” tracks—how did the link-up with the label happen, and what made you feel this was the right home for the release?

The link up with VTO happened pretty organically. We crossed paths at a few shows and I’d been aware of what they were putting out and really respected their taste and the energy behind their releases. When I had Night Fire and Madness finished, they just felt like they fit the vibe….loud, unapologetic, and a bit unhinged in the best way. So when they described them as “nanslapping mammoth” tracks, I was like, yeah, that’s exactly it. VTO’s got this raw, no rules approach that really resonated with how I approached these tunes, so it felt like the right home straight away.

You’ve released on some serious imprints like RAM, UKF and Device. Where do you see this EP sitting within your wider catalogue? Does it signal a shift, or is it a continuation of your signature sound?

This EP definitely feels like a continuation of my core sound, but at the same time, it marks a point where I’ve fully embraced the darker, heavier direction I’ve been leaning into. Over the past year or so, I’ve been steadily carving out my place in the neurofunk scene, and this release really reflects that. It’s aggressive, detailed, and unapologetically intense.

As my sound evolves, I’m pushing deeper into that space, I’m experimenting more with texture, tension, and high impact sound design. I’m also at a point now where I’m not conforming to what I think I should be making just to chase numbers on Spotify. I’m kicking back from that pressure and focusing on making music that feels authentic to me. This EP is part of that shift raw, upfront, and right where I want to be.

You’ve been smashing lineups across the UK and Europe—Virus, Neuroheadz, Korsakov and more. Has the energy from those shows fed into how you approach your studio work?

Yeah, 100%. Playing shows like Virus, Neuroheadz, Korsakov, it’s been wild, and the energy from those crowds definitely feeds back into how I make tunes. When you’re in the middle of a set and you feel a drop hit, it changes how you think about tension, flow, and just how a track moves.

I’ve started thinking more about what moments will slap live, how to build that pressure and when to let it all go. It’s not like I’m only writing for the rave, but that live energy definitely creeps into the studio. You just get a better sense of what actually connects with people.

Neurofunk is such a technically demanding style. What keeps you locked into it creatively, and how do you keep pushing your sound forward?

Yeah, neurofunk quite technical, but that’s exactly what makes it exciting for me. The sound design side is where I really lose track of time…just diving into weird resampling chains, granular textures, that kind of thing. I’m always experimenting with layering, taking something clean and surgical, then dirtying it up, reprocessing it, bouncing it out, and flipping it again until it’s got that grit and character I’m after.

I love playing with contrast too, having something razor sharp sit next to something warped and chaotic, or automating movement so the sound feels alive. I’ve also been messing with modulation routing a lot lately, trying to get more unpredictable results out of otherwise clean synth patches. It’s that process of controlled chaos that keeps it fresh. 

What’s the reaction been like so far to the new tunes? Any standout moments where you knew they were hitting just right?

I’ve been playing these tunes out for about a year now, and the reactions have been good! It’s always a good sign when people are pulling faces on the drop. One moment that really stood out was at Blackout London last December, I dropped Madness, That was when I knew it was hitting the way I wanted.

When you’re in the studio, are you someone who gets ideas down fast and shapes them later, or do you build things methodically from the ground up?

Bit of both, to be honest. A lot of the time I’ll just try to get ideas down and catch the vibe, maybe sketch out a bass idea or some atmosphere, and just follow the energy. It doesn’t have to be clean at that stage..it’s more about the vibe… But once I’ve got that core loop that hits, then I switch into more of a methodical mindset. That’s when I start breaking things down…tightening up sound design, making sure the arrangement flows, layering drums properly. I’m big on revisiting ideas too, sometimes I’ll leave something for weeks, come back to it with fresh ears, and suddenly know exactly what it needs.

What’s coming up next for you? Are there any new releases, collaborations, or shows we should be keeping an eye on?

Next up, I’ve got a big one in Rotterdam, playing for Eatbrain and going b2b with Enta, which should be absolutely monstrous. We’ve been bouncing ideas back and forth in the studio too, so don’t be surprised if some collab chaos comes out of that link-up! There’s also a lot brewing with the Virus family, some really exciting stuff in the pipeline. One I can mention is my Hospitality on the Beach debut which I’m hyped for, and there are a few other bits still under wraps for now... but trust me, it’s going to be a heavy year! 

And finally, if you could take just one drum and bass track—by any artist, from any era—to a desert island, what would it be and why?

If I had to take just one drum and bass track to a desert island, it’d be Signal by Fresh. That intro is just iconic, dark, cinematic, full of tension and then the breaks in the drop and the grit in that bassline still gives me chills. It’s raw, it’s punchy, and somehow still sounds ahead of its time. It’s also a proper staple in my sets, every time I drop it, it goes off. Tracks like that are a big reason I got into this sound in the first place. I take a lot of inspiration from the early 2000s era; Bad Company, Andy C, Shimon…

Huge thanks to MEL for sharing her insights with us. Her latest release Night Fire / Madness is out now via VTO Records—don’t sleep on it.