Illusionize
Illusionize, born Pedro Mendes in Goiânia, is a Brazilian DJ and producer who began DJing at 15 and played his first gig at 16 under his own name before adopting the Illusionize alias that carried him to national prominence while still in his early twenties. He is known for playing extended sets that move seamlessly between house, techno and bass genres, a versatility that helped him headline close to 200 shows in 2016 alone, including performances at Lollapalooza, Tomorrowland, Ultra Music Festival and Brazil's XXXPerience and Green Valley festivals. His breakout production, Bass, released with collaborators Chemical Surf and Sharam Jey, helped establish the low-slung, bass-forward style now often described as Brazilian Bass, and he followed it with additional hits including Take, Time, Better Day and Bring It Back. Illusionize signed his first international label deal in 2017, the same year he launched his own label, Elevation, and undertook his first international tour, expanding beyond the Brazilian clubs and festivals that first built his following. He was named DJ Revelação at Brazil's Cool Awards in 2015, an early recognition of the touring and mixing career that has since taken him to venues and festivals across South Africa, the UK and beyond, alongside continued studio work with collaborators including Victor Lou and Visage Music.