Louis Vellacott

Louis Vellacott is a London-based DJ, promoter and music marketer. Raised outside Bristol on neo-soul, R&B edits and alternative rap, he studied music production in Leeds before founding Tone Central, whose flagship night Global Tones runs in a hidden Soho speakeasy, Zum Barbarossa. He plays across RnB, global sounds and house, works in music marketing at CORD Media Group, and collaborates with Triqis on furniture, lighting and a custom DJ booth.

Louis Vellacott has spent the past decade building a life around music, as a DJ, a promoter, in marketing and, more recently, in design and furniture. He grew up in a small town outside Bristol, where a close circle introduced him to DJing and to the music that has shaped his taste since: R&B edits, neo-soul and alternative rap. He moved north to study music production in Leeds, where the city’s jazz and hip-hop scene became a steady, formative pull, working with local artists and engineering records while putting on his own events.

That promoter instinct became Tone Central, the platform he founded and still runs. Its flagship night, Global Tones, is held at Zum Barbarossa, a low-lit, red-interior speakeasy in Soho, where Louis programmes the nights and plays them himself across RnB, Afro House, Amapiano, Latin, Brazilian sounds and more. Alongside the residency he works in music marketing, supporting campaigns around new releases, which keeps his ear close to what’s coming next. An ongoing collaboration with Triqis has him working across furniture, lighting and a custom DJ booth: the feel of a room, the design, and the music being played inside it.

Preferred: XDJ controller for digital sets, 2 × Technics SL-1210s for vinyl. Plays both.