Interview with IVELA
A conversation with the UK-based producer about DJing, inspiration, football, and finding his place in the modern music landscape.
Hello Sean! How are you today, and what have you been up to lately?
Hello, I'm good thanks! I've recently been on holiday in Spain, so feeling refreshed and ready to make more music!
Can you briefly share when you started producing music, your first piece of equipment or software, and reflect on your debut release?
It was probably many years ago but in terms if making music "seriously"; about 3/4 years ago. I started on FL Studio (12 I think) and it's still what I use now. My debut release was a track called Focus back in early 2022, I got support from Lex Green which was amazing.
Did you have a mentor or take any lessons, either offline or online, to enhance your skills?
Other than Youtube videos/tutorials, I have always just winged it until it sounds good! I flirted with the idea of doing a music production course/degree a few years back and wish I would have! Every day is a learning curve.
Do you have a preference between producing music and DJing? (only answer if you’re dj’ing, if not, you can ignore this question)
DJing. It's where I get the most thrills. Nothing better than a full dancefloor. Producing music is a different kind of buzz and ultimately in the modern era, it is necessary to fulfil the dream of one day being good/big enough to play the big clubs/festivals etc.
What do you consider the highlight of your career so far, both as a DJ and a producer?
As a producer, releasing Dance (Upon The Ceilin') on Wise Jester - of course! #100
As a DJ, probably a show I did in a club called Meraki in Liverpool. Really cool venue and I played with some well-known artists such as Felix Leiter & Tephra.
I do enjoy my residencies too - 7/8 hour gigs sometimes!
How did you first learn about The Audio Atelier (& sublabels) and could you mention some of your favorite releases on the labels?
I was aware of The Audio Atelier via Soundcloud and then became aware of the sublabels after that and via LabelRadar.
One of my favourite releases is "SRIBLO - Feel The Sky", I love the vocal in this one - no surprise it's one of the most popular on Wise Jester!
"Super Electric - Another World" on Electric Eden is a cracker to drop in towards the end of a set!
Many artists have a signature sound or style. How do you balance staying true to your artistic identity while also experimenting and evolving as an artist?
I think the "signature" style kinda develops once an artist releases something that hits and they realize they have found their formula. Then once they solidify their following, they have the trust and confidence to experiment and evolve. For me, I sort of know roughly what I want to make and aim in that direction haha, no pressure from management, labels, huge fanbase, etc - easier in many ways!
The music industry has undergone significant changes in recent years, with streaming platforms and digital distribution reshaping the landscape. What are your thoughts on the current state of the industry, and how have these changes affected your career?
It's definitely made it more difficult as an aspiring artist. There are so many platforms and ways to put out music that you have to make something that is going to stand out from a vast ocean of content. I guess one on hand, it's brilliant for consumers as it's so accessible to everyone but this comes at certain costs to artists - it's tricky!
I do think the industry could do with a bit of a reset in terms of prioritizing quality over quantity.
What are some of your favorite record labels, and do you have a specific goal or aspiration to release your music on a particular label in the near future? Can you share some insights about the current underground music scene in the United Kingdom?
Anjuna, Pryda, Size, Axtone, STMPD, Protocol, Release, Enhanced, ZeroThree, Colorize, Mau5trap - loads more!
Would obviously love to get to the level of being able to release on one of those - one day maybe?!
I think the current UK underground scene is healthy, certainly moreso than recent years. There seems to be new events/venues popping up all over the place, which is great. Sadly, some of the best venues from previous eras are gone but like with everything, we have to move with the times for better or worse.
Besides music, do you have any other passions or hobbies?
Football - music has definitely overtaken it as number 1, but football not far behind. Sadly for me, I'm a lifelong Everton supporter - a lot of stress and suffering.
Other than that, I suppose I try and get away to different cities as much as I can to see the world and experience different foods, cultures (beers!), etc.
Are there any books, documentaries, podcasts, or TV shows that you'd like to recommend to your fans and fellow artists?
I tend to listen to sports podcasts - can recommend The Overlap if you're into football (particularly the Premier League).
Favourite TV shows are definitely Breaking Bad, The Blacklist & of course The Simpsons (Seasons 1-10 only, it went downhill fast after that!)
Documentaries - cannot beat a wildlife documentary by Sir David Attenborough. Unbelievable stuff. Britain's biggest national treasure IMO!
Could you share some of your all-time favorite tracks or songs that have had a significant impact on your musical journey? What can we look forward to from you in the near future?
There are so, so many I find it difficult to choose. I have always had a soft spot for 90s piano house and my long-standing favourite from that genre is "N'Joi - Anthem".
I was also fortunate enough to grow up in the golden era of EDM too and could list about 100 tracks, I have really fond memories associated with "Kygo - Firestone (Third Party Remix)" and "Eric Prydz - Every Day" - honestly, just anything from their entire back catalogue!
In terms of the proper "Progressive House" sound, one that I always come back to is "Jeremy Olander - Let Me Feel" - I love that track so much!
What can we look forward to from you in the near future?
From me, you can expect more music - which will hopefully be better each time. This year my aim is to put out more remixes/bootlegs, as well as original productions. I have recently released a fresh remix/update of "Pryda - Niton" which I am pleased with!
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