J Deval is Manchester-based artist Michael Kelly. His sound encompassed many different styles from urban breakbeats to soulful melodies, reggae rhythms to deep house. Deval’s progress during his career was rapid and diverse; from DJing in small R'n'B clubs at the age of 15 to working with some of the biggest names in the UK and performing internationally.
Having presented the morning radio show on Sunset 102fm with Greg Edwards in 1990, Deval set up Nu Styla Sound with his brother Wilson-K. After numerous private parties they established many event across the North-West that lasted for over 3 years. Deval presented on many of Manchester’s well known pirate radio stations in the 1990’s including Buzz FM, Fresh FM, Frontline FM and Sting FM..
From 1999 Deval promoted several successful Drum and Bass in Manchester. He went on to DJ at nights such as Soup, Squiggle Dee Mash, Full Fat, Rollin, Urban Nation, Off Da Hook, First Earth and became the resident at Spellbound. Through the support of its founder Inkey, Deval began to showcase Nu Skool Breaks music alongside the world’s biggest Drum and Bass artists, proving to be one of the top Nu Skool Breaks/Drum and Bass/Break-Beat artists in the North of the UK.
DJ Deval established 12th Round Recordings, Industry Artists agency and the Soundscape events as well as releasing music on a range of record labels including Reformed, Flex, New Vibe, Formation, New Identity and Future Proof. Deval won Manchester DJ of the year 2002 at the Night and Day annual awards, featured in publications such as DJ Magazine, Source magazine, Knowledge Magazine and on radio stations including BBC 1xtra and Galaxy FM.
Having DJ across the world and performed at many of the UK’s best known festivals and events, Deval called time on his career towards the late noughties. This was, in part, due to a loss of passion for performing as he observed the art of DJing becoming diluted and less recognised due to the rise of the digital DJing era.
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