“I never fitted in” - Marlon Hoffstadt Interview
Marlon Hoffstadt, AKA Daddy Trance, is a DJ from Berlin who plays a heady mix of trance, hard house, techno, and whatever else feels right. Marlon’s sound is too pop for the underground, too rave for the mainstream, and he doesn’t care one bit. The unconventional, anti-purist DJ and producer released his new album DAS IST DADDY in August 2026 via Capitol Records. It’s a record that features collaborations with Rose Gray, Niko Rubio, TAET and Alex Chapman, and captures his euphoric rave sound perfectly. The German selector is in the middle of a “relentless” touring schedule, and on Friday 11th September he plays David Guetta’s Galactic Circus at [UNVRS] in Ibiza.
We sat down with Marlon Hoffstadt to talk about his love of trance, the freedom of not fitting in, and what we can expect from his set at [UNVRS].
Hi Marlon. So, did growing up in Berlin shape your musical journey in any way?
I was born and raised in Berlin, Schöneberg. Growing up here obviously had a huge influence on me and eventually introduced me to club culture and made me want to become a DJ. At the same time, I never really fitted perfectly into the Berlin scene. For a long time, I tried to make the kind of underground music I thought I was supposed to make, but eventually I stopped trying to fit in and just started making what I felt. I also think you can really hear this journey throughout my past releases. I’ve never changed my name, so do some research and you’ll be able to find some ridiculously bad tunes [laughs].
Do you remember the moment you fell in love with electronic music?
I started clubbing pretty young, around 15. My girlfriend at the time had an older sister who was supposed to look after us when her parents were away, which she absolutely did not do [laughs]. Instead, we’d go out with her and her friends, and that’s how I really got into electronic music.
[2008 film] Berlin Calling was also a huge influence on me. Seeing Paul Kalkbrenner in that film completely blew my mind as a teenager. I remember watching it and thinking, “I want to do this with my life.”
When it came to forming your sound, were there any artists you took inspiration from?
Paul Kalkbrenner was a huge early inspiration, and later artists like Armin van Buuren, Arne L and Randy Katana really shaped my relationship with trance. That combination of emotion and really big dancefloor moments.
David Guetta and Calvin Harris are also huge inspirations for me, especially in terms of the careers they’ve built and the amount of incredible music they’ve released over the years. Their legacy is insane, and I hope that one day I can look back at a similarly crazy body of work.
Musically though, inspiration can come from anywhere. I listen to UK rap, K-pop, indie, pop, techno, old trance and Eurodance, so it’s definitely not limited to one genre.
Do you have a specific approach to making music?
I make a ridiculous amount of music, way more than I know what to do with at any given time. I used to think much more about whether people would like what I was making or whether it fitted into a certain scene.
Now I mostly just follow whatever excites me. If an idea moves me, feels exciting or is simply fun to make, that’s usually enough reason to follow it and see where it goes. I’m also not a perfectionist. I get a lot of joy out of writing and producing music, but once something feels ready to be played out, I’m usually already excited to move on and start writing something new.
What’s your relationship with Ibiza like?
Ibiza obviously has such a huge history with dance music, so it’s always exciting to play there. I’m also super curious whether my sound will find a home there with a residency at some point in the future. But what I really like is that there’s so much more to the island than just the clubs. Whenever I’m there, I try to stay for a few days and actually enjoy it. You can have these huge club experiences and then completely switch off from all of that the next day. I really like that contrast, and it’s definitely a place I’d like to spend more time in.
Tell me about your [UNVRS] experiences.
This will actually be my third time playing [UNVRS]. I played there for FISHER and Sara Landry before and both times were amazing. I’d heard so much about the club before going for the first time and it definitely lived up to it. The scale of the place is insane. I’m very excited to be back!
You’re playing at David Guetta’s Galactic Circus this Friday. Have you done much together in the past?
I’ve obviously known about and followed David’s work for a long time. He’s just a legend. We haven’t actually done that much together yet, so I’m really excited to join him for Galactic Circus and bring my sound into that world.
What can people expect from your set?
Definitely a lot of energy [laughs]. Some harder moments, some emotional ones and probably a few surprises.
What’s your favourite song to open your set at the minute?
At the moment it’s “One Time For The DJ”. It’s one of the tracks from my latest album DAS IST DADDY, which came out at the beginning of August, and one of my favourites from the album. It has the perfect energy to start a set and immediately get everyone into it.
I love that tune. Is there another song you love playing in your sets at the minute?
“Water”, for sure. I’ve been playing it in my sets for a while now. I wrote it about a year ago in LA with some incredibly talented people, and we’ve just confirmed that it’s going to be my next release, which I’m really excited about. We don’t have a date yet, but we’re working on it.
It’s quite different from what people might expect from me. It’s not a typical dance track, but it feels like a timeless song and it’s something I’m really proud of.
Where is a good place for people to start if they’re new to you?
Probably my Coachella set from this year. It’s all my own music, so it gives you a really good introduction to my sound. We also had a bunch of ravers on stage with me, which made the whole thing so much fun.
That's a great set. Outside of the [UNVRS] show, what else is going on for you at the minute?
I just released my album DAS IST DADDY in August and there’s already loads more music in the works. I’ve been teasing that track “Water” since last year, so that might finally find a release date soon. I’ve also been playing a new collaboration with Funk Tribu in my sets recently, plus there are a few other things coming that I’m really excited about.
Touring is pretty relentless at the moment too, with lots of shows across Europe and the US over the next few months. So plenty going on!
And finally, what do you love most about DJing?
The connection with the crowd. I love reading the room and seeing where a set takes us. I get to play the music I love, share new stuff with people and see their reactions straight away. Every set feels different, and that’s what keeps it exciting. At the end of the day, if people are having a good time, then I’m having a good time.
Marlon Hoffstadt plays Galactic Circus at [UNVRS] on Friday 11th September. He’s on the lineup with David Guetta and MARTEN HØRGER . Tickets and VIP tables are available now.