South African deep house producer China Charmeleon joins Proof of Life for a conversation about music, business, creative independence and building a career without losing the sound that made people listen in the first place.From growing up in Carolina, Mpumalanga, surrounded by church music and family choirs, to performing internationally at stages such as Defected Croatia, China reflects on the journey that shaped both his music and his understanding of the industry.He unpacks the gap between South Africa’s incredible musical talent and the infrastructure needed to support it, including the pressure on producers to become DJs, marketers, engineers and businesspeople all at once.China also opens up about launching Animal Records, learning from an earlier attempt at running a label, and creating a platform that can give distinctive artists and overlooked records a proper home.The conversation moves through sound design, originality, touring, creative confidence, mental health, community and the importance of building a life around music that can actually last.At the heart of it is a question we return to often at Proof of Life.How do you build the systems around creativity without losing the humanity inside the work?#ProofOfLife #ChinaCharmeleon #DeepHouse #SouthAfricanMusic #MusicIndustry