The Alific world
About
Alific (pronounced Ah-lif-ik) is the musical project of San Diego producer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and performer Brendan Dane. His sound blends roots reggae and dub with hip-hop, downtempo electronica, live instrumentation, and cinematic production, creating music that can feel meditative one moment and built for a crowded room the next.
Raised in Athens, Ohio, with summers spent in New Hampshire, Brendan began playing piano under the influence of his father, whose blues-inspired keys would later appear throughout the Alific catalog. He picked up the bass in middle school and became fascinated with movie soundtracks and the power music has to transform a scene. An older brother introduced him to Bob Marley, opening the door to reggae and dub while Brendan simultaneously explored trip-hop, golden-era hip-hop, electronic music, the Grateful Dead, Phish, Sublime, and Toots and the Maytals.
Brendan studied audio production with a minor in music at Ohio University. That education became the foundation of a professional audio career spanning more than 25 years, including work in music, film, television, video games, and live sound. He has also taught audio production at the college level and mentored developing musicians and producers across the country.
His career eventually brought him west, including a formative six-year period in San Diego. There, Brendan reconnected with Scott Woodruff, whom he had originally met while they attended the same boarding school in New Hampshire. The two began playing together, and Brendan became the bassist in one of the earliest live versions of Stick Figure, establishing musical friendships that would continue throughout his career.
In early 2011, Brendan relocated to Washington, D.C., where the city’s nightlife, DJ culture, and electronic downtempo scene reshaped his musical direction. Inspired in part by the atmospheric sound of Thievery Corporation, he began combining reggae basslines and live instrumentation with electronic beats, samples, ambient textures, and dub production.
That new environment inspired Alific’s debut album, Dub in the District, released in 2011. The album connected the warmth of West Coast reggae with the late-night energy of Washington, D.C. Frank Mitchell Jr. of Thievery Corporation contributed saxophone to “Madness,” connecting the project directly to the musical community influencing Brendan at the time.
Rootfire soon became an important part of Alific’s story. Brendan developed a friendship and creative partnership with Rootfire founder Seth Herman and helped create the organization’s original digital mixtape series. Following Reggae/Dub Worldwide in 2012, he released Echoes From the Soul through Rootfire Records in 2013. Featuring members of Stick Figure, Frank Mitchell Jr., and other guests, the album reached No. 2 on the reggae charts and earned television and film placements.
In 2014, Brendan joined The Movement as its touring keyboardist and DJ, completing two national tours and performing alongside artists including Iration, Fortunate Youth, The Green, HIRIE, and Stick Figure. He later spent several years playing bass with KBong & Johnny Cosmic and also performed with Vana Liya.
After chapters in Washington, D.C., Las Vegas, and Los Angeles, Brendan eventually returned to San Diego. Albums including Pacific (2016), Eclectic Radio (2018), and Write It On The Wall (2023) continued expanding Alific’s sound. By 2026, the Alific catalog had grown to eight full-length albums and nineteen singles, including Healthy Soul, inspired by a 40-day solo journey through New Zealand, and Something Going On, a collaboration with Jahtiva that blends reggae, hip-hop, and Southern California energy.
Live, Brendan combines DJ-style mixing, looping, bass, guitar, keyboards, vocals, and immersive visuals. That experience has now expanded into a full San Diego band featuring Brendan Dane, Kyle Valle, Derek Waldmann, Johnny Keys, Jacob, and Jordan. Together, they transform Alific’s layered studio productions into an energetic live show filled with reggae, heavy dub, hip-hop rhythms, cinematic instrumentals, and improvisation.
The band has built a strong hometown following, selling out The Harp in Ocean Beach three times and headlining a sold-out performance at The Holding Company. The result is a show that feels polished without becoming predictable, bringing years of studio experimentation to life in front of an audience.
With new music, collaborations, and touring plans taking shape for 2027, Alific is entering a new era with the same curiosity that started it all, creating music that moves the body, clears the mind, and gives the listener somewhere else to go for a while.
Built in the studio. Reimagined on stage.
Live Band
ALIFIC - Brendan Dane
Vocals, Bass, Guitar, Producer
Kyle Valle
Bass, Guitar, DJ/Samples
Derek Waldmann
Violin, Vocals
Johnny Keys
Keyboards
Jacob
Electric Guitar/Shredder
Jordeen
Drummer
