Alongside his remarkable contribution to the series, we sat down with Deepbass to find out more about his label Informa, his collaboration with Ness and his upcoming projects. Have a nice week end!
- Hi Darren, thanks for taking time to chat with us. We are glad to host you on Paradox. What have you been up to lately?
Lately I have been working behind closed doors in the studio on a new album and live project which is still a long way off but I am very excited about.
Also I released the 10th release on my label Informa and am putting a lot more focus onto the label in the future.
- How would you describe the Techno you produce?
My music I make these days I would best describe as hypnotic or atmospheric techno, I don’t like to stress so much on sub genres but I think this is rather self explanatory.
- What is the most challenging thing in running a label? And the most exciting one?
Running a label proposes many challenges, for instance the pressing plants are so busy these days the turn around can be super slow making it difficult to set solid release dates and to do more than a few releases per year.
However it is still so exciting every time the record actually comes out and you get the reactions from your fellow artists and the fans of the label, that never gets old.
- Are you planning future releases with new artists besides the ones already signed on the label?
Yes I have some new artists who have already given me some great new material for the label, I really try to keep to the core artists from Informa or artists I want to continue collaborating with, this is important to me.
“I want my live to sound different each time I play it”
- Last year you released your first album on Informa and performed a live act based around this output. What is the setup you usually have for a live performance? Do you keep a space for improvisation based on audience reactions?
For the live I find it important to use mainly processed audio because all my sounds in my music are treated so much for me would be impossible to recreate the sounds just with machines.
In addition to the audio which I have all set out in loops in various sizes controlled with my midi controllers I also use various drum machines and synths for improvisation, I want my live to sound different each time I play it so I am always changing it and looking for more interesting ways to play it, the most important thing for me is to keep myself excited about it.
- You played in Japan for the second time at Paramount festival. You mentioned last year’s gig there as a highlight. What was so special in that experience?
For me, it is the most beautiful setting for a party I have ever played, in the mountains with a landscape which is so different from anywhere I have ever seen.
Musically everyone involved embrace the sound I love and I can feel a real family vibe there.
Most of all it is not corrupted by money like the bigger festivals, Paramount is just clean fun and the people are there to enjoy the music, this shows a lot.
- You’re originally from Glasgow and moved to Barcelona few years ago. How did this life change affected your musical directions?
I think my music has changed a lot over the last years not only for changing city but just a progression in myself, however I am rapidly falling away from the darker side of music which perhaps was influenced in the past by the constant darkness and cold living in Scotland.
- Your backcatalogue counts many collaborations with Italian producer Ness. How have this collaboration happened? How do you guys work together?
This was a very natural collaboration that started just as I entered the scene and we ended up joining the same agency as each other. We had an instant connection musically and new we had to work together, since then whenever we have has the chance we have got together in the studio to continue our collaboration.
- Is there any specific reason that you didn’t chose an alias for this collaboration?
For us it never felt like we were starting anything different it was just us getting together to make music, simply Deepbass & Ness was sufficient, no alias needed.
- What would be the clubs you would recommend in Barcelona?
Barcelona has a pretty cool scene, for anyone visiting I would suggest Nitsa club or Moog, every week you can find something cool going on in either one of them.
- How did you came out with this mix for Paradox?
For the mix I wanted to be a little more eclectic in my selection and chose tracks I have not played out so much before and would like to hear while traveling, driving, etc and not particularly for the club.
- What new artists/labels would you recommend to check out at the moment?
My top recommendations of the moment would be Repart who I made a collaboration with on Planet Rhythm, he has been making lots of great new music and had a bright future ahead of him.
Also Massa who is label boss of the new techno label Hidden Traffic and is also making some top quality releases. Both highly recommended.
Thanks a lot Darren, we hope to see you very soon somewhere, keep the deep vibe on!
Love and respect