South African electronic music standout TiMO ODV is gearing up for one of the most anticipated performances of the year at ULTRA South Africa 2026, where he will bring his signature mix of melodic techno, tech house, and indie dance to one of the country’s biggest festival stages. This year, he’s taking things up a notch with a special B2B set alongside fellow electronic maestro Kyle Cassim. Known for refusing to be boxed into a single genre, the Save Me hitmaker promises a performance that pushes boundaries while celebrating the power of homegrown talent. With only weeks to go before the festival lights up Johannesburg and Cape Town, TiMO ODV opens up in this Q&A about his musical journey, creative process, and—most excitingly—what fans can expect from his upcoming set. Let’s see what he had to say: 1.TiMO, you are a massive name in the local dance scene. Where did your passion for music begin? “My passion for music began when I was five, carting my cassette tape player with me everywhere. At that age it was Backstreet Boys. As far as electronic music goes, my love for it started in my late teens while listening to tech house and other genres in nightclubs on the East Rand of Johannesburg,” said TiMO. 2. You love being experimental in the music you produce. How important is it to let that creativity flow for you? “Well, I’m the type of artist that can only make what they are feeling. If I’m not feeling it, I can’t make the vibe, no matter how much I actually want to. This obviously has good and bad sides, because sometimes what I feel aligns with a lot of people, and other times it doesn’t,” said TiMO. 3. You just dropped your new single ‘Me, I Dance’ with Advent. Tell us a little bit more about that track. “I just felt like making something cool for some sets, so Advent and I cooked up that bad boy. The vocals I wrote are obviously making fun of the current state of club culture, where people go out more for other things than the music,” said TiMO. 4. You are set to perform at ULTRA South Africa this year. What does playing a festival of this scale mean to you as a South African electronic artist? “It’s always really cool playing the big stages, especially when you look out and see people engaging with the music in a big way,” said TiMO. 5. Festivals like ULTRA bring international and local acts onto the same stage. Why do you think platforms like this are so important for growing and legitimising the local electronic music scene? “Letting people see their favourite local on the same stage as the internationals sometimes ends up with people preferring their homegrown talent on the day. Without having local acts on big stages, they would be relegated to tiny little venues where they can’t show their actual potential, hidden away in a corner of a dirty bar with a subpar sound system,” said TiMO. 6. ULTRA South Africa audiences are known for their energy and diversity. How does that kind of crowd influence the way you approach your set? “You definitely come in with higher energy, and you try to blur the lines between genres a bit instead of sticking to one particular sound. You might move between melodic techno, tech house, and indie dance, as opposed to a nightclub where you might stick to one genre for the night,” said TiMO. 7. Can you give us a hint of what fans can expect from your ULTRA set? “I am so excited about playing B2B with Kyle Cassim this year. Fans can expect to hear my new single, some VIP edits, some unreleased music, and then some of my current favourite tracks,” said TiMO. 8. What else do you have up your sleeve for the remainder of 2026? “I’m trying to finish more music than I have in previous years, so I’m just working away in the studio. Then I shall be releasing those tracks,” said TiMO. Tickets are on sale now at https://ultrasouthafrica.com/. HAVE YOU SEEN THIS ONE?: WATCH: Netflix Drops Trailer for Seven-Part Winnie Mandela Docuseries Post navigation Babyface Says Brandy Is ‘One of the Greatest Voices of Our Time’ After Walk of Fame Honour
