Madd Rod

Born in Lisbon in 1997 under the name Rodrigo Pinheiro, Madd Rod has since 2013 developed a path between Portugal and Germany, with a base in Berlin that accompanies a sharper turn toward the crossings between indie dance, post-punk, techno, new wave and italo disco. DJ, producer and composer, Madd Rod founded in 2017 the label Inner Shah Recordings, initially launched during his studies in Tübingen, then used as a frame for part of his releases and collaborations. His first EPs and singles navigate between melodic house, breakbeat and more tribal textures, before evolving toward darker, tighter and more frontal tracks. This trajectory is reflected in the albums Dystopian Desert in 2020, then Sad Behaviour in 2023 on Discotexas, extended by Sad Behaviour: Expanded Edition in 2024. Madd Rod blends dry basslines, club rhythms, spoken or detached vocal delivery and post-punk references without leaving the electronic music field. His activity also extends to remixes and collaborations, notably with Tomás Branco, Noporn, Moullinex and Xinobi. Present on the Portuguese club scenes then dates in Europe and beyond, Madd Rod also launched the Panthera collective in Lisbon in 2024, prolonging a work located both in production, the DJing and organization of stages.