Dingle [Interview]

Dingle (Daniel Mc Daid) Is a progressive house Dj/Producer hailing from Derry City in the Northwest of Ireland. With over 2 Decades of experience, Dingle has shared the stage with Legends such as Nick Warren, Dave Seaman, Danny Howells, James Zabelia, Mario Picotto, Charlie May and Paul Woolford . He has appeared at some of Irelands top clubs and festivals. Most notably, The might Lush in Portrush, Jika Jika and The Celtronic festival in Derry.

Also a well accomplished producer. Dingle has released on some of the very best labels in Prog and trance including Platipus, Baroque, Bonzai, Looq, Solaris and System recordings.

After a hiatus. Dingle returned in 2024 and Hit the ground running with his comeback Ep on Flatline recordings. ‘A place of the mind’ hit the number 1 spot on Beatport melodic house and techno and number 11 in overall releases. Now as 2025 begins to take shape, Dingle continues on an upwards trajectory, making his Brisbeats debut with a remix of 'World's Apart' by label boss Brisboys.

Progressive Astronaut caught up with Dingle to learn more about his remix of 'World's Apart', 2024 highlights, growing up in Ireland, his hiatus, DJing, and much more. Enjoy.

Hi Daniel, I hope all is well and thanks for speaking with us today, how has your start to the year been so far?

No worries. New year has started well. Survived the festivities and looking forward to what this year will bring.

Let’s look back on 2024. What is a track or tracks which have come out last year that have impressed you the most and why?

Floating points - Fast forward (standout track from one of my favourite Albums of the year)

Ian o Donavan - Kosmos ( One of Ireland finest. Quality every time . Stormer on bedrock)

Verche - Healer ( Love this guys productions, really spaced out melodic vibes. Always great )

Fred Everything, Stereo MCs - Soul Love ( Another great album and feat the Stereo MCs. Beaut track)

Rodriguez Jr. - Twilight Language ( another of my favourite producers. Love all that he does )

What about DJ sets, what was in constant rotation for you across 2024?

Sander Kleinenberg Balance Selections 300

John Digweed - Live in (Stereo)

EG 992 - Danny Howells

James Zabiela 909 at Wav Liverpool

EG.1000 - Sasha

In terms of electronic music, was progressive house the style you discovered first? And what was it about the style that made you want to pursue it at the level you are now?

The First Dance music I ever heard came from recordings of all the raves that where happening at the time around 93. It was a mix mash of house, Techno and rave. I didn’t really catch the progressive stuff until the late 90s.

For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you?

I'm still in that phase. I have a clear vision for where I want to go with it . It is just putting in the work and learning at the same time . The learning curve is exponential.

How did growing up in Ireland affect your music taste and direction into becoming a DJ and producer?

I was always influenced by that European trance sound that a lot of my favourite Djs here used to play. So those elements still come through and feature in my music.

When I think of Ireland the first club that comes to mind is Lush. Did you spend any time there and how influential was that club during its time?

Spent loads of time as a clubber and was privileged to play there on a number of occasions. It is massively influential both as Kellys and lush.

Who else from Ireland inspired you when you first discovered electronic music? And what was it about their DJing or production which led you to pursue it yourself?

Dj Xray was my biggest influence growing up. The stuff that he played and how he played it grabbed our imaginations . Everyone wanted a set of decks to try and emulate. Many tried, few succeeded.

From a production standpoint My friends Stephen Porter of Jika jika and Liam Melly of Flatline studios have alway been of great help and guidance to me.

I’m curious how the nightlife there would differ from Ireland to the UK? Or does it at all?

It did in the past in terms of what music was played. And the licensing laws here were always far more stricter. I don’t see much of a difference these days tho the vibe and that all seems to be similar.

You’ve been a producer for close to two decades, when you look back on your career can you pinpoint pivotal moments to the success you’ve achieved today? Maybe a gig or two, or a release which really helped your propel career?

For me ,remixing the Art of Trance was a pinch me moment. Platipus is one of my all time favourite labels and to see your name among the releases is amazing.

Looking back more on your gigs, what have been some of the most memorable ones for you and why?

Sooo many. Loads of great nights playing for my friends @ Jika Jika of the years.

Playing at the celtronic festival here in Derry. One that probably sticks out the most is east Monday @ Lush. Always a big night and it was jammed from the off. Great days.

What is a track that reminds you of your early days DJing and what event/club do you associate with it?

Smak - Micromodule. Played that any time I played in Lush and always got a great reception. Great track from a very talented fellow Derry man.

You’ve recently returned to producing and DJing after a long hiatus. Tell us what you have been up to and what was it that brought you back into the studio and behind the decks?

I've always been tinkering about and putting out mixes. But it wasn’t until recently that I got a dedicated space for production. So I decided to jump back in.

You’ve had releases on labels such as Baroque and Platipus which were iconic labels during their time, so i’m wondering how you look at the future now that you’ve returned to producing and DJs? Do you have goals you want to achieve in electronic music at this point? Or do you think about this kind of thing at all?

For me now I think it is more important that I am enjoying the process. Every track is progress and new lessons to learn. Of course there’s Labels And Djs id love to work with. That will come in good time.

You have a new remix of ‘Worlds Apart’ by Brisboys out now via Brisbeats, tell us a bit about the remix and how you approached it, what sort of vibe were you aiming for?

I was aiming for more of a retro progressive sound. My sound leans more toward that vibe anyways.

Let our readers inside your studio for a moment, what is your current setup and what studio tools are featured heavily in your recent productions and more specifically on your ‘World’s Apart’ remix?

I'm still totally in the box currently. I Am an avid Reason user since Version 2.5 now on 13. Il be branching out this year tho with some hardware . Im looking forward to falling down that rabbit hole.

Shifting to DJing for a moment, what were some of the main challenges and goals when starting out as a DJ and how have they changed over time?

Getting heard . Back then you were just bombarding promoters with promo mixes on cd lol. Getting out and going to events meeting the actual promoters was important. I would not like to be starting out now. This whole TikTok viral Dj think. It is not for me.

What is it about DJing, compared to producing your own music, that makes it interesting for you?

I discovered Djing first. I love the whole process of finding new music and putting together mixes. It hasn’t really diminished for me.

Can you tell me a bit about how your work as a DJ and performing for larger crowds has influenced your view of music, your way of listening to tracks and perhaps also, your work as a producer?

Playing a a big event and it going well is the ultimate motivation for a producer I feel. It just inspires you no end. You just want to go and try and write stuff that had the same impact the music had at said event.

How much prep do you put into the sets you play, or are they spontaneous for the most part?

I would put a  fair bit of prep into a mix. But not totally to the point where you know what you are going to play before hand. I think its best to have a rough idea and have enough ammo to cover yourself

Current Top five tracks in your sets?

Pink Floyd - Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Niko Garcia & IVANG Bootleg)

Kasey Taylor & Jamie Stevens - Round Around (Original Mix)

Second Sine - Labyrinth (Original Mix)

Miquel Salla - Elevation

Gorkiz - Soul Alchemy (Extended Mix)

If you could set up an event with a line-up of five artists of your choice, who would you book and what set times would you ascribe to the artists?

Henry Saiz

Framewerk

Lee Burridge

Eelke Kleijn

Hernan Cattaneo

It wouldn’t matter about time but in that order. The main reasons for choosing is I have yet to hear any them live yet!!!

If you are not DJing, producing or socializing at clubs, where do we find you? And doing what?

I love to spend as much time as possible in Donegal. Have a holiday home there and its just paradise.

What’s something people do not know about you?

I once owned the worlds largest crisp!!

Who would you most like to collaborate on a track with and why?

David Holmes. another Irish legend. would love to get in his studio and pick his brain.

What TV series have you been enjoying recently and what are some of your all time favourites?

3rd body problem. The penguin . Dune prophecy.

Classics would be. Sopranos . The wire . Breaking bad/better call Saul.

What can we look forward to from you for the rest of 2025

3 Releases coming early in the year plus loads more in the pipeline :D

'World's Apart' is available now via Brisbeats: https://tinyurl.com/4xxtmk77