Ollie Mundy on Stillness, Storytelling and Finding ‘Home’ in Ibiza
As 2025 closes, the producer and OVAVA founder opens up about vulnerability, travel, and the stories now leading his sound
Closing out 2025, Ollie Mundy finds himself in a moment of calm. The OVAVA Music founder and Ibiza-based producer marks the end of the year with Home, a release that feels less like a club record and more like a personal reflection. “Home came from a moment of stillness in the middle of a massive life shift,” Mundy explains. “Moving to Ibiza forced me to slow down and look inward.”
After years of creating music for crowds and peak-time energy, Home emerged from a more intimate place. “After years of creating for clubs, for crowds, for the energy of the moment, this track came from a much more personal place,” he says. “It was me trying to capture the feeling of finally landing somewhere that feels aligned… physically, emotionally, and creatively.”
Built on warm atmospheres and intricate melodic detail, Home explores belonging as an emotional state rather than a physical destination. Its mood was shaped by a specific moment shortly after Mundy’s move to the island. “One evening, not long after I arrived, I was hiking with my dog up near Es Vedrà,” he recalls. “The sun was dropping, the island was completely still, and I just had this overwhelming feeling of ‘I’m meant to be here.’” That experience became the emotional blueprint for the record. “The warmth, the nostalgia, the sense of returning to yourself, all of that fed into the melody and the emotional arc of Home.”
The track also reflects a broader evolution in Mundy’s artistic approach throughout 2025. “This year, I’ve been moving deeper into storytelling,” he explains, shifting focus away from purely functional club tools. “Home is the most honest piece I’ve released so far. It marks a shift from rhythm-first to meaning-first.” While his love for groove remains, the priorities have changed. “I still love powerful drums and grooves, but now everything begins with emotion, with a narrative. That’s the evolution, less technical, more human.”
That distinction extends into his creative process. While there is overlap between emotional and club-focused music, the intention differs. “When I’m making something for the club, I’m thinking tension, energy, and architecture,” Mundy says. “When I’m making something emotional, I’m thinking vulnerability, memory, and connection. The tools are the same, but the intention is different. Emotional tracks start with a feeling… club tracks start with movement.”
Travel has been a defining influence throughout Mundy’s career, shaping both his sound and worldview. “Travel is everything for me,” he says. “Every place hits me differently: the openness of the playa, the calm of Ibiza, the chaos of long-haul cities, the grounding energy of nature.” Burning Man, in particular, reframed his understanding of what music could be. “Burning Man especially taught me that music can be transcendent when you let the environment lead,” he notes. “That’s why my sound often feels cinematic, earthy, and expansive, it’s built from the places that have changed me.”
Those values sit at the heart of OVAVA Music, the label Mundy founded to champion depth and authenticity in electronic music. “Depth, authenticity, and emotion,” he says, are the guiding principles behind the curation. “We only release music that feels honest, music that carries a story, a memory, a sense of place.” In an industry often driven by trends, OVAVA has taken a different path. “OVAVA isn’t about hype cycles or trends. It’s about energy, resonance, and artistic integrity.”
When it comes to signing artists, intention matters more than technique. “I look for artists who create from truth… people who aren’t trying to copy what’s already working, but are carving out their own lane,” Mundy explains. “Technique is important, but intention is everything. If I can feel something real in the music, they belong at OVAVA.”
The label’s growing influence has been reflected in support from industry heavyweights including Black Coffee, Damian Lazarus and Claptone. For Mundy, that recognition carries personal and practical significance. “These are artists who shaped my journey, so seeing them support OVAVA releases is incredibly validating,” he says. “But more importantly, it opens doors for the artists on the label. When someone at that level plays your music, it changes your trajectory.”
Beyond releases, OVAVA’s world extends into long-form listening through OVAVA Music Radio. “Long-form listening is central to the OVAVA identity,” Mundy explains. “The radio mixes are where people truly understand the world we’re building.” Rather than quick hits, the platform offers immersive journeys. “They aren’t just DJ sets… they’re journeys, spaces to breathe, to think, to feel.”
That appetite for atmosphere is echoed in Mundy’s Burning Man-inspired mixes, which have surpassed five million views. “Because it’s honest, human, and unhurried,” he says of their resonance. “The Burning Man sound isn’t about drops or trends… it’s about atmosphere, emotion and escapism.”
On the performance front, 2025 delivered a career milestone when Mundy supported Sasha & John Digweed at 528. “It was a massive moment,” he reflects. “They shaped how I understood progression, storytelling and energy control.” The night felt symbolic. “It was one of those moments where you realise the hours, the graft, the patience… it’s all been worth it.”
As Home closes out his 2025 releases, it also signals the direction ahead. “Home is the bridge into what’s coming,” Mundy says. “2026 will be deeper, more cinematic, and even more emotive, but still grounded in groove and organic energy.” With storytelling now firmly at the centre of his work, the next chapter is clearly defined. “If Home feels warm, reflective, and personal,” he adds, “that’s exactly where the next chapter begins.”
Read the full interview at The Night Bazaar HERE.
