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De Shawn Fowler

Check Out Mr. Fowler’s Story

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Mr. Fowler.

Hi Mr. Fowler, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My story really starts in Cleveland, Ohio. I’ve always been connected to music and movement in some way. Before DJing and producing music became the main focus, dance was a huge part of my life. I danced professionally with the Cleveland Cavaliers plus a few touring artist, and those experiences taught me a lot about performing, understanding a crowd, and being comfortable expressing myself in front of thousands of people.

Eventually, that relationship with music started evolving. I became more interested in what was creating the feeling behind the movement—the records, the DJs, the history, and the people building culture around the music. That curiosity led me into DJing and eventually deeper into house music, especially the soulful, deep, jazzy sounds that connected with me naturally.

I started building under the name Mr Fowler and created Connections Radio as a way to share music and bring people together. What started as a platform for mixes gradually became something much bigger. It grew into events, collaborations, releases, and now a label with my great friend and fellow label mate Javier Davis aka 1800-SOS . Through that journey we’ve been fortunate enough to build genuine relationships with artists we respect and learn from people who have helped shape the music and culture that inspired me in the first place.

Moving from Cleveland to Los Angeles was another major chapter. I came here knowing I wanted to challenge myself and see how far I could take my ideas. Since being in LA, I’ve had opportunities to play spaces and platforms I once looked at from afar, from Dublab to NTS and Day Trip Festival, while continuing to build my own world through Connections Radio and my event series, Divine Timing.

The biggest thing for me is that I’ve never wanted to just be a DJ. I see myself as an artist, curator, performer, and connector. DJing is one part of the bigger picture. Whether it’s through a set, an event, a release, or simply introducing two people who should know each other, I want what I’m building to create real connections and leave something behind.

I’m still early in that story. A lot has happened, but I feel like everything up until now has really been me building the foundation for where I’m trying to go.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road, but I don’t think it was supposed to be.

One of the biggest challenges has been believing in something before there was really any proof that it would work. I moved from Cleveland to Los Angeles with a much bigger vision for myself, but that doesn’t mean everything immediately falls into place. There have been moments where I’m working a regular job, handling real-life responsibilities, and then using whatever time, money, and energy I have left to DJ, throw events, build Connections Radio, make music, and continue creating opportunities for myself.

There’s also the challenge of navigating an industry where a lot of spaces can feel gatekept. I’ve learned pretty quickly that being talented doesn’t automatically mean you’re going to be invited into every room. Sometimes people see what you’re doing and support it, and sometimes you have to build your own room instead of waiting for someone to let you into theirs. That realization became a big part of why I started creating my own platforms and events.

I’ve also had to learn patience. I have a very big vision for where I want to go, so sometimes the hardest thing is accepting that everything doesn’t have to happen immediately. There have been disappointments, missed opportunities, financial sacrifices, and plenty of moments where I’ve had to adjust the plan.

But I think all of those experiences have made me more intentional. I’ve learned that I don’t need every opportunity—I need the right ones. And if the space I’m looking for doesn’t exist yet, I’m comfortable creating it myself.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
At the core, I’m a DJ, artist, curator, and connector. Music is the foundation of everything I do, but I’ve always looked at it as something bigger than just playing records. I’m interested in creating experiences, introducing people to sounds they may not have heard before, and building spaces where genuine connections can happen.

As a DJ, my sound is rooted heavily in deep, soulful, and jazzy house music, with a lot of influence from where I come from in the Midwest. I love music that has feeling and tells a story. My background as a dancer also plays a huge role in how I DJ. I understand music through movement, so I’m always paying attention to how something feels physically, how a room reacts, and where I can take people next.

A major part of my work is Connections Radio, which we created as a platform centered around music, community, and discovery. It started with mixes and has continued to grow into events, collaborations, releases, and now our own Bandcamp label. Through Connections Radio, weve also created events like Divine Timing, where the goal isn’t just to put names on a flyer—it’s to intentionally bring different artists, communities, and generations into the same space.

I’m proud of the opportunities I’ve had to play platforms like Dublab, NTS, and Day Trip Festival, but I think I’m even more proud that I’ve been able to create opportunities of my own. There’s something special about watching an idea that existed only in your head become a real space where people are dancing, meeting each other, discovering an artist, or leaving inspired to create something themselves.

What sets me apart is probably the combination of everything I’ve experienced. I came into this through dance, I’m a DJ, I’m becoming more involved in production and releases, I curate, I host, and I genuinely enjoy connecting people. I don’t really see those things as separate jobs—they’re all different parts of how I express myself.

Ultimately, I want people to associate Mr Fowler with an experience. Whether you hear me play, come to something I curated, discover music through Connections Radio, or encounter something I helped bring together, I want you to walk away feeling like you experienced something with intention behind it.

What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
The most important lesson I’ve learned is that relationships matter more than opportunities.

Early on, it’s easy to look at every interaction as, “How can this person help me get somewhere?” But I’ve learned that the strongest things in my journey have come from genuinely connecting with people without expecting anything in return. Some of the relationships I value most started simply because we loved the same music, respected each other’s work, or enjoyed being around each other.

I’ve also learned not to force my timing. There have been rooms I wanted to be in, gigs I wanted, and opportunities I thought I needed that didn’t happen when I wanted them to. Looking back, sometimes that was actually a good thing. It gave me time to develop my own identity instead of shaping myself around what I thought someone else wanted.

Now I try to focus on building something that is authentically mine and letting the right people connect with it naturally. I’d rather have ten genuine relationships than a hundred contacts in my phone who only know me when they need something.

The music industry can feel very transactional, so I think being intentional about remaining human has been one of the biggest lessons for me. People remember how you made them feel long after they remember what party you played or what was on your résumé.

Contact Info:

DJ wearing headphones and a cap, operating equipment at an outdoor event with people and tents in the background.

Person DJing on a stage with a

Group of people standing outside a building with glass doors, some holding drinks, smiling, and posing for the photo.

Person wearing sunglasses leaning on a white railing in front of a large observatory dome, with a purple sky and clouds above.

DJ wearing headphones operates turntables and mixer in a room with framed photos on the wall, audience in foreground.

People in a dimly lit room with red lighting, some sitting and some standing, with framed pictures on the wall.

Two people taking a selfie outdoors, one making a peace sign, with trees and blue sky in the background.

People gather in a park with trees and grass, a person in white is operating a camera, others stand around.

Three people smiling and making peace signs indoors with warm lighting.

Person wearing a blue cap and white shirt speaking into a microphone, holding a phone, with audio equipment and a blue speaker in front, wooden background.

Person wearing headphones and sunglasses, operating DJ equipment outdoors with trees and sky in background.

Two people in a dimly lit room with orange lighting, one wearing a red jacket, looking at a screen, with equipment nearby.

Two people, one in a red jacket and the other in a patterned jacket with a red hat, are DJing with equipment in a dark setting.

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