Douvelle19’s path into dance music comes with a bit more context than the usual producer pivot. Before his current run of club-focused releases, the Welsh artist was part of Astroid Boys, a rap and rock-rooted project that already placed him close to vocal energy, rhythm, and live momentum. Since moving deeper into his solo work, he has released through RCA, remixed artists including Sammy Virji, Skepta, and Reggie, and built out his own D19 imprint as a space for the records that feel closest to his own taste.
His new single “Far Away” brings him back together with MOBO-nominated rapper Manga Saint Hilare, and that collaboration makes sense inside the larger shape of Douvelle19’s work. There is a clear interest in how vocal character, club pressure, and underground dance music can sit together without one side flattening the other.
The record also points to how much of his ear has been shaped by social discovery, whether that is a friend sending a link, a trusted producer giving a quick reaction, or a moment on a dancefloor where someone turns and asks what the hell is playing.
In the interview below, Douvelle19 talks about the people who shape his digging habits, why a few trusted ears can be more useful than a large feedback loop, and how local scenes and unreleased music pushed him toward DJing and production in the first place. His answers make a useful point about modern DJ culture: digging may feel solitary in the moment, but taste rarely develops in isolation. Friends, producers, festivals, and small conversations all leave traces in what eventually ends up in the set.
Interview With Douvelle19
Are there people in your life, whether friends, crew, or mentors, who have shaped your digging habits or your taste?
Every show I play, every artist I go to watch perform, and every link to new music I get sent from friends all influence what I discover.
I would say that everyone I spend time with makes a difference in the decisions I make as an artist.
Do you ever send tracks back and forth with other DJs as part of your process?
For sure. Not many, to be honest, but I do have a few pairs of trusted ears.
They are usually producers I have become friends with over time out of mutual respect for the music we create. A quick vibe check is invaluable when your ears are feeling fatigued and you want a thumbs-up to spur you on.
How has being part of a local scene, label, or community influenced what ends up in your sets?
The reason I started DJing, and then ultimately making music, was to have my hands on music that was unreleased.
I am often perplexed by my favorite DJs and do the classic “What the fuck is that?” while looking at a friend on the dancefloor. That expression is so fun and is what I truly enjoy about electronic music. It is a huge driver for me when I get back in the studio.
Do you think collaboration and conversation make the digging process deeper or more intentional?
I have a friend called Primo. He is an incredibly astute producer who can find any kind of sonic you need, or did not know you needed.
He inspires me to be more intentional and dig a little deeper.
What is a track that came into your world through someone else and ended up becoming a signature for you?
My friend Tom took me to see a producer called Jorg Kuning at Love International Festival in 2025.
There are around five of his tunes that get constant attention and plays from me. He is such a unique producer and a fellow Welshman.
Have you ever felt like digging alone versus digging socially gives you different results creatively?
Digging alone, even if I am with someone in a record store, is still such a solitary thing for me.
I do not really want to be thinking about what is going on around me.
Will Vance is a professional music producer who has been involved in the industry for the better part of a decade and has been the managing editor at Magnetic Magazine since mid-2022. In that time period, he has published thousands of articles on music production, industry think pieces and educational articles about the music industry. Over the last decade as a professional music producer, Will Vance has also ran multiple successful and highly respected record labels in the industry, including Where The Heart Is Records as well as having launched a new label with a focus on community through Magnetic Magazine. When not running these labels or producing his own music, Vance is likely writing for other top industry sites like Waves or the Hyperbits Masterclass or working on his upcoming book on mindfulness in music production. On the rare chance he's not thinking about music production, he's probably running a game of Dungeons and Dragons with his friends which he has been the dungeon master for for many years.
