November 29, 2024 |
A sprinkle of R&B, a dollop of deep house, a pinch of jazzy vocals – mash it with a generous helping of electronic beats and what do you get? You get Douvelle19’s sonically spontaneous soundscape.
The Welsh-born DJ and music producer who operates under the pseudonym Douvelle19 – real name Elliot Brussalis – has never stuck to one genre. In fact, his natural inclination towards genre-bending music keeps listeners on their toes, from the underbelly of grime and metal to the euphoric heights of trance-like synthesised sounds. From playing at Fabric in London, to the dingy clubs of Southern Wales, or even the metal band Astroid Boys which Brussalis was formerly a member of, it’s hard to pin down his next move too; but that’s the fun of the Douvelle19 universe. Unsurprisingly, his latest single Crawl which released earlier this month, is an amalgamation of all of the above.
As with all of Douvelle19’s releases, Crawl comes accompanied with a trippy album cover designed by LA-based artist Jaenam Yoo that features inverted peach-toned hues and two abstract, interlocked bodies. The track sees Brummie-born artist Sipho gracing us with his raspy vocals against bassy house beats and R&B backing vocals – it fuses bouncy club anthems with soulful melodies.
Moulding his love for pumped-up club nights and his Welsh roots, Douvelle also gets partiers bouncing with his Locally Sauced self-promoted events. After three sold out nights earlier this year which the Newport talent hosted in South Wales, Locally Sauced is all about welcoming the unique visions of artists local to the area. It’s a guaranteed sweat-infused night, sure to leave you bouncing up and down on the dancefloor.
Coming in hot off the release of Crawl, we caught up with Douvelle19 to talk about all things Crawl, shower song essentials and his hilarious current lock screen (he should seriously consider a side-hustle in comedy; read on to see what we mean).
1. Describe your sound in three words
Distinct, energetic, emotive.
2. What was the main inspiration for your new single Crawl?
I really love an emotional part of a performance, something that stands alone and speaks to people however they interpret it. I wanted to match that emotion with a release of tension (classic dance music theory to be honest). The lyrics from SIPHO came from somewhere incredibly real, and I’m proud to have captured it on this record with him.
3. What’s your current phone lock screen?
My main butty Seamus wearing a pair of sunglasses and a cowboy hat at 9am after one of my events in Cardiff. You’d need to see it to understand the unadulterated aesthetic. EXCELLENCE.
4. Your house is on fire, what’s the first thing you’re saving?
The teddy that my nanny doe got me when I was fresh out of the womb. That’s my fuckin main squeeze right there.
5. What’s the best music venue In Wales?
Jacobs Market Basement is my current fave, but I’ve had a wealth of experiences from Clwb Ifor Bach throughout my career, so for nostalgic purposes it would have to be top floor Clwb.
6. Crawl marks the second offering from your forthcoming EP – can you give us an inside scoop as to what listeners can expect from it?
With every release, it’s not sonically linear, I explore different emotions and moods under the same umbrella of dance music. The aim is to make it all make sense and create newness in the scene.
7. Where would you most likely be found at a house party?
Throwing it back like a bad b.
8. Who would you want to play you in a Douvelle19 biopic?
Keira Knightley.
9. Do you have any pre-show rituals?
Be a nervous wreck for a good few days, lock myself in the studio and produce music for the set, then keep busy until the set.
10. What can fans look forward to from you in the future?
I pride myself on not conforming to the status quo of the scene too much, so you can look forward to my own journey and exploration of taste and sounds that excite me. At the bottom line, I aim to always inspire new sonics and interesting choices.
Photography by Reuben Bastienne-Lewis.
