Acclaimed Italian producers, The Deepshakerz, are well known for their dynamic fusions of vocal, Tech, Chicago House and Afrobeat sounds. Since they formed in 2010, their productions have graced labels such as Cajual, Saved, Defected, Crosstown Rebels, Snatch! and Toolroom, to name a few, as well as their own popular label, Safe Music. As their fab new single ‘Oh Phunk’ with Turntables Night Fever drops on Fool’s Paradise, DMCWorld checks in for a chat with The Deepshakerz.
Hi Guys, Thanks very much for taking the time to chat with us at DMCWorld. How’s 2024 been for you so far?
Hello guys, thanks, the pleasure is all ours. 2024 has been great and very busy so far, we’ve already released so many tracks and remixes this year on labels such as Moon Harbour, King Street, Adesso, Kittball, our own label, Safe Music and more, which have received amazing support. It’s very encouraging for us to receive support from our followers that believe in our music. There’s lots more to come as this year will be full of new music projects.
Please can you introduce yourself to our DMCWorld readers.
We are Domy Berardino and Mirco Sonatore – two Italian close friends and music lovers, who combined our different musical influences and talents back in 2010 when we formed The Deepshakerz.
How did you first get into producing dance music?
Dom: I always loved to produce when I was young, using my first Gem keyboard and drum sequencer. I eventually moved on to Logic studio. My first music style was very hard, because I came from a background of mostly Techno before I started to appreciate House Music.
Mirco: I was a DJ first and began to produce house music with afro influences as my DJ background was immersed in afro-beat and soulful. I first started producing with Cubase, later moving on to Ableton.
How would you describe your signature sound?
Over the years we’ve worked to create an unmistakable signature sound into our DJ sets and productions. Our pure love for percussion and vocal house has influenced our music a lot. Recently we’ve produced a lot of Afro and Tech House.
Who or what inspires your music?
Everything, a movie, a record, a particular artist, or a personal mood on a specific day, etc…
What’s been your most successful release so far?
We have released tons of original productions and remixes during our 14 year career with highlights on Defected and Toolroom. But in particular our best hyped single, ‘Get On’, with the legendary Angel Moraes (RIP) in 2017 on Cajual Records, reached the 1st position overall on Traxsource for more than 8 weeks.
Congratulations on your new release, ‘Oh Phunk’, with Turntables Night Fever on Fool’s Paradise. What was the inspiration behind the release and what can we expect to hear?
Yes, this track was born purely out of an experiment, due our passion for sampling everything and wanting to give a different touch to our current music style, bringing pure energy and some old school funky house vibes. It’s a very versatile tune with a killer funky groove to bring a really uplifting vibe to our DJ sets and a great fit for Mark Knight’s Fool’s Paradise label.
![The Deepshakerz, Turntables Night Fever - Oh Phunk [House/Disco]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/cWz8ErmbMGk/0.jpg)
How do you typically go about putting a new track together?
First we start from an idea, and that might be a sample, a bassline, a loop, a hook or a vocal, and after we bring each single piece together to create the final groove.
You also run your own label, Safe Music. How’s that going and who can we expect to find on the label?
Yes, Safe Music is our little home that we started in 2014, where firstly we showcase our own Deepshakerz music and fully express ourselves, its going well! We’ve also discovered and released music from so much talent from around the world, including Aldo Cadiz, Ki Creighton & Rowetta, Saeed Youngman, Rene Amesz, and Kill Them With Colour and more, all from the hundreds of demos we receive each month.
You’ve remixed tracks for Marshall Jefferson, Todd Terry, Kerri Chandler, Ultra Natè, Blaze and Marlon D, among others, have you got a favourite?
Our remix of Blaze’s classic ‘Most Precious Love’ (Feat Barbara Tucker) is probably the remix we’re most fond of.
You’re based in Italy, how is the house music scene there at the moment and who is hot?
Italy’s scene has lots of pure talent (newcomer and established), but the best of our artists are actually appreciated more outside of Italy. Italy unfortunately has the flaw of championing foreign artists rather than our home-grown talent, and the music situation here is predominantly commercial with the exception of just a few important festivals.
You’ve been making music for a long time, how has the industry changed since you first started out and what now needs to change for the better?
Labels and promoters should give more space to meritocracy and true talents without paying too much attention to the big names of the moment. Let’s say that the digital world and social media have distorted the way of seeing and understanding music a little compared to the golden year (the last decades of the 20th century), when dance music was in its infancy and everything was focused exclusively on real talent.
We come to raid your record collection, which embarrassing record do you chuck out the window before we arrive?
Dom: 99% of my old Techno and hard dance collection, lol!
Mirco: I personally love each record I have in my collection and I’d be proud to show you.
Finally, what new productions are you working on that you can tell us about?
Right now, we have some tunes in progress that we’re getting ready for the summer, but we wanna keep them secret until we get a good label and official contract for them.
The Deepshakerz, Turntables Night Fever ‘Oh Phunk’ is out now on Fool’s Paradise.
https://Fools.lnk.to/OhPhunkAS
