DJ Melloffon (real name — Yuriy Melofon; also performed under the name MLFN) was a Ukrainian DJ, music producer and electronic music artist. His work was primarily associated with house and dance-pop. Melloffon released his own tracks, created club versions and remixes for Ukrainian artists, and collaborated with Moon Records.
Among the musician’s most notable works are Forget, «Рай» with Katia Rudelman, First Be a Woman, «На краю земли», «Осколки», The Sun, the album One Love and the track «Героям Слава!». Remixes for Lavika and the band «Скрябін» became an important part of his career.
DJ Melloffon: early releases and remixes
Relatively little reliable information has survived about the early years of Yuriy Melofon’s life. By the end of the 2000s, he was already professionally involved in electronic music, and one of the first well-documented releases in his catalogue was Forget, released in 2010. The release included several versions of the track as well as remixes by Alex Menco, Marsbeing, Ivan Demsoff, Zmey and other producers.
Melloffon’s early sound developed within the club electronic scene: a direct dance rhythm, synthesizers, extended arrangements and separate versions for clubs and radio. Alongside his own tracks, he also worked extensively with material by other artists.
One of his longest-running collaborations was with Ukrainian singer Lavika — the music project of Liubov Yunak. Melloffon created versions of «Вечный рай», «В городе весна», «Осень — это я» and other songs. In 2014, Moon Records released the single «Родные люди (DJ Melloffon Remix)», which also included My Only One (DJ Melloffon Remix).
In his remixes, the producer usually went beyond simply adding a dance beat. He reworked the dynamics and structure of the original while preserving its recognisable melody and vocals.
«Мам» by «Скрябін»
One of Melloffon’s best-known works with Ukrainian music was his remix of «Мам» by «Скрябін». The producer transformed the emotional pop-rock song by Andriy Kuzmenko into an electronic dance track without changing its melodic foundation.
The remix was officially distributed through Moon Records, received radio airplay and appeared on music compilations. The track is a good example of Melloffon’s approach: electronic production did not replace the original song, but gave it a new club-oriented form.
From DJ Melloffon to MLFN
During the 2010s, Yuriy increasingly used the shortened stage name MLFN. It was not a separate music project, but a new stage in the same career. Along with the name change, his sound gradually evolved: Melloffon moved from predominantly club-oriented remixes toward original vocal tracks with a more clearly defined song structure.
In 2013, Moon Records released the single «Рай», recorded with Katia Rudelman. The track combined melodic house with female vocals and was released both as a radio version and in a longer club format.
Other works from this period included «Популярный» with Vasilevskiy, First Be a Woman with Arina, released in 2015, «На краю земли» with Kovalski (2016) and «Осколки» with Anna Khibental (2017). On these recordings, vocals and melody played a role at least as important as the electronic production.
One Love album
On November 2, 2018, Moon Records released One Love, MLFN’s largest full-length release. The album contained twelve tracks, including Get Money with Austin Digo, My Love, The Sun, Fly with U, «На краю Земли», «Высоко» and Love Story.
One Love brought together two sides of Yuriy Melofon’s music. The club-oriented electronic foundation remained, but vocal tracks designed not only for DJ sets but also for standalone listening became a permanent part of his sound.
«Героям Слава!»
The track «Героям Слава!» came to hold a special place in MLFN’s discography. According to memories shared by the musician’s friends, Yuriy had written the original version when he was still young. The official release took place on June 10, 2022, through Moon Records, after the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Under these new circumstances, the patriotic song became directly connected with the fate of its own author.
Volunteering, service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and death
After the beginning of the full-scale war, Yuriy Melofon, who lived in Odesa, became involved in volunteer work. In August 2022, he took part in delivering drinking water to residents of Mykolaiv and helped organise fundraising campaigns and humanitarian trips.
Later, the musician voluntarily joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine and served in the 35th Brigade. By that point, his professional music career had given way to military service, although his recordings continued to receive radio airplay and remained available in music catalogues.
On December 2, 2024, Yuriy Melofon was killed on the front line while carrying out a combat mission. He was 39 years old. His death was reported by relatives and colleagues, including Liubov Yunak, with whom he had collaborated for many years as a producer and remixer.
Main discography of DJ Melloffon / MLFN
Albums and major releases
- 2010 — Forget (Maxi Single)
- 2018 — One Love
Selected singles
- «Популярный» feat. Vasilevskiy — 2012
- «Рай» feat. Katia Rudelman — 2013
- First Be a Woman feat. Arina — 2015
- «На краю земли» feat. Kovalski — 2016
- «Осколки» feat. Anna Khibental — 2017
- The Sun — 2018
- «Героям Слава!» — 2022
Selected remixes
- Lavika — «Вечный рай (DJ Melloffon Radio Edit)»
- Lavika — «В городе весна (Melloffon Remix)»
- Lavika — «Осень — это я (DJ Melloffon Radio Edit)»
- Lavika — «Родные люди (DJ Melloffon Remix)»
- Lavika — My Only One (DJ Melloffon Remix)
- «Скрябін» — «Мам (DJ Melloffon Remix)»
The legacy of DJ Melloffon
Yuriy Melofon represented a generation of Ukrainian electronic musicians for whom DJing, remixing and studio production were all parts of the same profession. Starting with club-oriented electronic music and reinterpretations of songs by other artists, he gradually built his own catalogue and eventually released the full-length album One Love.
His musical legacy includes original singles, remixes for Ukrainian artists and recordings released under the names DJ Melloffon and MLFN. The final years of Yuriy’s life connected his biography with far more than the electronic music scene: after the beginning of the full-scale war, he became a volunteer, later a serviceman, and was killed while defending Ukraine. In this context, «Героям Слава!» became one of the most symbolic works in his catalogue.
