Daniel Merlot
ABOUT
Daniel Merlot is a filmmaker, music producer, and creative director based between Los Angeles and Tokyo. His work spans across music, film, and live performance, blending visuals and sound into unique entertainment experiences.
He started his career in music production, releasing dance floor tunes, creating hit songs in Japan, working with K-pop groups, and producing major artists in China. His music has also been featured in Hollywood films like Blade Trinity, Parts Unknown with Anthony Bourdain, and fashion videos for Vogue.
Expanding into filmmaking, Daniel directed the award-winning sci-fi fantasy short House of the Unholy (2023). His work focuses on bold visuals and storytelling, combining different creative disciplines to bring fresh ideas to audiences.
MUSIC BIO
Daniel has worked in music production, live performance, and event curation for years, collaborating with artists in the U.S. and Asia.
His journey began in San Francisco, where he organized trip-hop and dance music events in the late ’90s. After moving to Los Angeles, he released music under the name Crash Berlin and worked with artists like DJ Bassnectar, drum & bass group Aquasky, and Kool Keith. His projects included releases on Virgin Records alongside Perry Farrell (Jane’s Addiction, Lollapalooza) and reggae producer Mad Professor.
As a DJ and performer, Daniel has played at Coachella, Ultra Music Festival, and Lollapalooza, while also curating and producing festival stages. He later worked as a live music director for Red One, Lady Gaga’s producer, and toured with Porcelain Black, opening for Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross, and Drake. His performances included appearances on The David Letterman Show and Apple Music events.
Daniel’s music has also been featured in films and TV shows, including Modern Family, Volkswagen commercials, and MTV projects. He contributed music to Blade Trinity, collaborating with Kool Keith and RZA (Wu-Tang Clan).
In Asia, he has produced chart-topping songs for artists like China’s Shang Wenjie and K-pop group SPICA. His work gained attention in the U.S. when he released an English version of SPICA’s single, leading to TV appearances and concerts with G-Dragon and Girls’ Generation. In Japan, he produced #1 singles for Morning Musume and ℃-ute, touring the country and performing at festivals in Taiwan.
Daniel also served as the music director for Tokyo Girls Collection’s expansion into China, organizing large-scale fashion and music events at Cadillac Center (Beijing) and Mercedes-Benz Arena (Shanghai). He helped develop dance festivals in China and built partnerships for Ultra Music China.
Now based in Hollywood, Daniel continues to produce music, direct films, and collaborate on projects internationally.
TECH
Founder and Creator of supermassiveglobal.co.jp
Daniel Merlot is the visionary behind Super Massive Global, a WEB3 company he conceived in 2018 and officially established in Japan in 2020. As the founder, Daniel built a leadership team that included CEO Makoto Naito and professionals from diverse fields. Among them was Hideki Shibata, a core engineer behind the development of the virtual currency Ripple, and the CEO of fintech company Kortvaluta, both serving as board members.
Super Massive Global also brought on distinguished external advisors, including Norio Murakami, former Vice President of Google USA Headquarters and Honorary Chairman of Google Japan. The company’s app development is guided by engineers from the U.S. team that created the location-based technology for Pokémon Go. Additionally, the engineering division consists of specialists from Japan and around the world, including Vince Argentine, CTO Advisor and owner of ROUGE MOCAP, one of the largest motion capture studios on the U.S. West Coast.
True to its name, Super Massive Global is designed to push boundaries, drive innovation, and redefine industries through virtual spaces and blockchain technology. The company successfully secured 750 million yen in a pre-Series A funding round from private investors, fueling its vision for the future.
Daniel is also the original creator of the Massive World mobile app platform, further cementing his role as a pioneer in the digital and entertainment landscape.
