Artist of the Month: Mu540

Behind the enigmatic and technical moniker Mu540 lies one of Brazil’s most daring and visceral sonic visionaries. Born in Praia Grande, São Paulo, and raised among car audio systems, samba bars, and gritty funk rhythms, Mu540 isn’t just blending genres – he’s reengineering them. His work defies categorization, rooted in emotional urgency and audio design philosophy, drawing bold new lines between baile funk and electronic music. 

“My sound is dynamic noise – unclassifiable and ever-shifting,” he says. Even his alias reflects this hybrid approach: Mu540 references a trigonometric angle – 360° of perception plus 180° of creative foresight. “It’s like I’m slightly ahead of the curve,” he jokes. 

Mu540’s upbringing was steeped in sonic diversity: his mother’s pop flashbacks, samba from local bars, and, above all, the culture of automotive sound systems in Brazil’s favelas. But surprisingly, his first musical awakening came via European hardstyle – artists like Headhunterz, D-Block & S-te-Fan, and Wildstylez left a major imprint.

Without formal training, he became a self-taught engineer, absorbing YouTube tutorials (many from Chilean producers) and books like The Art of Mixing. Funk remained his foundation, but he approached it with the precision of a sound designer. The result is an artist who straddles the emotional and the technical with rare fluidity. 

To Mu540, blending funk and electronic music isn’t a trend — it’s a lineage. “I’m just continuing the research that DJs from the Baixada Santista (costal area of São Paulo state) were doing years ago. There was even a Psy Funk movement at 128 BPM,” he recalls. 

For him, the joy of fusion comes from seeing Brazil’s marginalized cultures infiltrate historically exclusive spaces for the privileged. “It’s like seeing your neighbor when you’re far from home – it brings a sense of belonging.” 

He’s also vocal about the erasure of funk’s electronic roots, citing Kraftwerk, Afrika Bambaataa, and DJ Battery Brain’s "Volt Mix" as foundational to its DNA. “People don’t connect the past with the present – and that makes the future uncertain.” 

Behind all these fusions, the artist shows that music is limitless and using the perfect curation, you can create something new and unique.

Performing at Batekoo (São Paulo beloved underground LGBTQ+ collective) was a pivotal moment. “It was like college for me. They welcomed me like family.” Since then, Mu540 has played other labels in the likes of Mamba Negra, Elipa, and community, “baile funk” eventually reaching many European stages. “I met the world’s outskirts – now I return with new references.” His endeavors around the world taught him more than he could have imagined. This is pivotal to the development of the Brazilian Funk sounds and all the mixtures of genres. 

Tracks like “Fantástico Mundo da Oakley” reimagine house music through a “favela” lens, while “Pompoarismo” with Bia Soull blends Jersey Club, spoken word, and voguing energy into one explosive release. Primary examples of how Mu540 is shaping the scene in Brazil. 

Mu540’s connection with Mochakk began with an online debate: Is funk a form of electronic music? Both agreed it is and from there they started a real friendship. “But we never finished a track together – we talk too much. About everything but music,” he laughs. Still, their bond runs deep. “Mochakk taught me about the house music market – in an afterparty conversation, he shared his heart and how to transmit feeling through sound.” From this, Mu540 started to perceive the scene with different eyes, developing his style even more. 

His collaborative network is vast and eclectic, including other important artists such as Boys Noize, Adami, and producers across funk, rap, MPB, and even tecnobrega – a mesh of influences stretching from Bahia to the Netherlands. 

The music always begins in his head – the DAW (FL Studio, of course) comes second. “I’ve never had a creative block. I only start when the idea is fully formed in my mind.” Key tools and plugins include Serum and Ozone 11, which he wields with both technical mastery and nerdy devotion. 

But for Mu540, gear is secondary to emotion. “I want people to reflect on their lives. It’s not about me. It’s about how they feel on the dance floor.” Intensity and devotion are the words to describe the sounds of this DJ and producer who captivates the deepest emotions and transform them into beats. 

Mu540 sees Brazil not as a market – but as the power source of a new sonic era. “While other countries have oil, we’re the Tesla coil. The renewable energy of music.” He believes funk is both influenced by – and influencing – genres like hard techno, teaching producers how to use tools with authenticity and ingenuity. 

His role is to amplify this exchange – exporting Brazil’s peripheral sound to the world and bringing global innovation back to the communities where it all began. 

“If small acts by ordinary people helped me keep going, maybe everything that I am doing will help someone else. That’s why I keep showing up and producing.” 

Mu540 is more than a beatmaker – he’s a DJ with a capital D. His sets are emotional narratives, blending strong sounds based on Laidback Luke, Speed and UK garage, and even Whitney Houston edits into journeys that challenge and comfort simultaneously. “I like to play what I’m missing. To build nostalgia and with the drop bring something fresh. The dance floor is like someone passing me the ball – and I have to score with the drop.” 

Inspired by Fatboy Slim, Jeff Mills, Aphex Twin, and even Kobe Bryant, Mu540 trains physically to enhance his presence and sensitivity on stage. Music, to him, isn’t a job – it’s a life’s commitment. 

“I gave up my life to live for the music. Like Mano Brown said, music is ungrateful – but when you’re inside it, you forget everything else. And you can’t quit.” 

Looking ahead to 2025 and beyond, Mu540 promises to deliver “the venom of electronic music” – pairing cutting-edge audio engineering with minimal, effective production. “Brazil is the new renewable energy of electronic music. I want to be a cultural communicator – a DJ with legacy.” 

The message is clear: Mu540 represents the future of Brazilian music — merging raw experience with sonic innovation. 

“For me, Funk is science. And I want to be remembered as someone who advanced that science.” 

Stay tuned – Mu540 is just getting started, and with every drop, he’s pushing Brazilian culture further onto the global market.

Listen to Mu540's 'Artist of the Month' chart below or check it out on Beatport.