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DJ Deep | |
---|---|
Birth name | Cyril Etienne des Rosaies |
Also known as | Cyril Etienne des Rosaies, Deep Moments, Mondo (14), Rébeval |
Origin | Paris, France |
Genres | House Deep House |
Occupation(s) | DJ, music producer |
Labels | Deeply Rooted House |
DJ Deep, stage name of Cyril Étienne des Rosaies, is a French deep house producer and DJ.[1] He is active under a large number of names and has several collaborations with others to his name. Initially he mainly makes deep house, but later he also made techno with Roman Ponett. He owns the Deeply Rooted label, on which he releases records from various underground producers. He has also been active in various radio shows.
Musical career
DJ Deep, whose real name is Cyril Étienne des Rosaies, is a Parisian DJ and producer of electronic music. His passion for House music dates from his discovery of the title I'll House You by the Jungle Brothers, which led him to attend the rare Parisian house evenings of 1988/1989 to finally meet Laurent Garnier, who invited him to mix alongside him. to the Boy and the Luna. DJ Deep becomes the ambassador in France of deep house and New York garage, notably through his residency at the Rex Club (Wake Up and Legends evenings) and at the Queen (Respect evenings), as well as through broadcasts weeklies on Radio FG between 1992 and 1996 then Radio Nova from 1997.
As a producer, DJ Deep made his debut on the Fnac Music Dance Division label alongside Ludovic Navarre under the name Deep Contest, then under the name The Deep in duo with Julien Jabre on the Basenotic Records label. DJ Deep has also collaborated with Olivier Portal (son of Michel Portal) under the name of Funk Force Project (Straight Up Recordings).
DJ Deep is also the head of two independent labels, House Music Records and Deeply Rooted House.
In 2018 he created Deep Moments, a new alias and label to release songs with deep house and hypnotic sounds.
He formed with Romain Poncet (or Roman Poncet, it depends) a duo which produces under many aliases (Adventice, Sergie Rezza, FANG, Slang etc.) music that is both House, Techno, but also Ambient.
Since his beginnings he says himself to consider himself as a kind of "filter", spending many daily hours in novelty stores, he offers the public a musical selection through his own "prism".
Paris-born DJ Deep becomes active as a DJ in the early 1990s and is one of the first generation of DJs to be active at the Wake Up! parties that Laurent Garnier hosts at the Rex club.[2] One of his first projects as a producer is Deep Contest, which he makes in collaboration with Ludovic Navarre. With that they release the The Ripost EP, which contains solid house. As a DJ he is active on the pirate station Radio FG, where he has a show together with DJ Gregory.[3] In 1997, together with Julien Jabre, he forms the short-lived project The Deep, of which several singles are released in the period 1997-1998. Around 2000 he does a number of collaborations with others. A striking one is the jazzy Back In The Dark/Spring, which he makes with the American deep house producer Jovonn. When the popularity of French house music reaches its peak around 2001, he brings together the collector Respect to DJ Deep. In 2003 he founded the label Deeply Rooted House because he was dissatisfied with the space he has to use his creativity. The label features work by various underground producers, as well as Kerri Chandler. The House music records sub-label is also created, on which he tries to give old forgotten house records a new life.[4] Partly because of this, for a while there are fewer productions of their own hands.[5] When he starts making a foray into techno around 2013, he renames the label to Deeply Rooted. In 2014 he meets the producer Romain Reynaud, who releases a track on his label. The two click and they start a collaboration.[6] With him he produces some tracks for the Tresor label with the project Adventice. They also build a live act for that. He also forms the duo Sergie Rezza with Ponett, with whom he releases several singles and a self-titled album.[2] As Fang they release more house-inspired tracks. A large number of EPs are also released solo and every so often a mix collection.
Collaborations
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ab/E%26S_DJR_400_-_First_Portable_Rotary_Mixer_-_conceived_by_Jer%C3%B4me_Barb%C3%A9_%26_Dj_Deep_-_angled_%282010-12-05_19.45.12_by_Tristan_Schmurr%29.jpg/220px-E%26S_DJR_400_-_First_Portable_Rotary_Mixer_-_conceived_by_Jer%C3%B4me_Barb%C3%A9_%26_Dj_Deep_-_angled_%282010-12-05_19.45.12_by_Tristan_Schmurr%29.jpg)
Funk Force Project (with Olivier Portal) Deep Contest (with Ludovic Navarre) The Deep (with Julien Jabre) Adventice (with Roman Poncet) Sergie Rezza (with Roman Poncet) Slang (with Roman Poncet) Fang (with Roman Poncet) Deep Traum (with Traumer)
Mixer design
TKTK
Discography
Studio albums
- Sergie Rezza – Sergie Rezza (2015)
Compilations
- French Sessions Distance To House Vol.4 (1999)
- Respect to DJ Deep (2001)
- Deep Sessions 01 (2002)
- City To City (2005)
- City To City part 02 (2006)
- Resident Advisor 275 (2011)
- Kern Vol. 01 (2012)
- Rebirth (2014)
- Truancy Volume 190 (2017)
Singles
TKTK
Remixes
TKTK
References
External links
https://www.discogs.com/artist/682-DJ-Deep
RESEARCH (delete when done)
https://www.lemonde.fr/culture/article/2021/11/13/dj-deep-l-encyclopediste-de-l-electro_6101929_3246.html DJ Deep, l’encyclopédiste de l’électro L’homme des platines, génial collectionneur, publie « Chaotic Harmony, A T-Shirt Non-Collection By DJ Deep », un catalogue de ses passions. Par Stéphane Davet Publié le 13 novembre 2021 à 07h00 - Mis à jour le 16 novembre 2021 à 09h46 Temps de Lecture 8 min. Partage
Partage désactivé
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Partage désactivé Article réservé aux abonnés Cyril Etienne des Rosaies, alias DJ Deep, dans son studio, à Paris, le 1er octobre 2021. Cyril Etienne des Rosaies, alias DJ Deep, dans son studio, à Paris, le 1er octobre 2021. LAURA STEVENS POUR « LE MONDE » Cela pourrait n’être qu’un petit volume stylé. Un de ces livres pour table de salon, à feuilleter entre deux verres. Mais Chaotic Harmony, A T-Shirt Non-Collection By DJ Deep, publié par Headbangers Publishing (304 pages, 39 euros), branche édition de la maison de disques Ed Banger (Justice, Cassius, Myd, Mr Oizo…), dirigée par l’ex-manageur de Daft Punk, Pedro Winter, est bien plus qu’un catalogue pour fashion victim électro. Car, sous leur air de garde-robe street-wear, ces photos de tee-shirts siglés du nom de labels ou d’artistes house ou techno sont l’occasion pour leur propriétaire, Cyril Etienne des Rosaies – alias DJ Deep – de raconter une histoire. Celle d’un mouvement musical et d’une passion. L’air de rien, au gré d’anecdotes et de playlists (sélection de titres des labels et musiciens évoqués), ce quinqua, autant respecté par ses pairs qu’ignoré du grand public, compile dans cet ouvrage sa vision d’une culture underground qui a changé sa vie. « Cela va au-delà de la passion, souligne son confrère et ami, Laurent Garnier, le DJ pionnier de la French touch. Cyril est un fondu, complètement intransigeant, qui défend ces musiques corps et âme et connaît leur histoire mieux que personne. » « Grâce à lui, j’ai découvert des dizaines d’artistes, comme Romanthony [devenu célèbre après avoir été invité à chanter sur One More Time (2000), le tube de Daft Punk], Moodymann, Kerri Chandler… », se souvient Pedro Winter en rappelant que, avant de devenir lui-même DJ sous le nom de Busy P, il enregistrait sur cassettes les émissions de DJ Deep. Lire aussi Pedro Winter : « Chez Ed Banger, nous sommes des hédonistes et Palm Springs colle à notre état d’esprit » Du temps où celui-ci initiait aux arcanes de l’électro les auditeurs de FG et de Radio Nova, du début des années 1990 jusque dans les années 2000. « Cyril est l’un des DJ qui m’impressionne le plus par le choix de ses morceaux », estime Garnier.
https://mixmag.net/feature/i-get-deep-dj-deep/
I GET DEEP: DJ DEEP
The mainstay of French dance music on how technology has shaped him and the music he loves WORDS: THOMAS H GREEN | PHOTOS: KEFFER 1 DECEMBER 2016 If ever there was a true stalwart of the French techno and house underground it’s DJ Deep. Known to his mum as Cyril Étienne des Rosaies, he’s been an associate of Laurent Garnier since the early 90s and has a long association with the city’s legendary Rex Club, plus seminal Parisian parties like Oz and Zoo at Club Boy and Le Palace respectively. A series of EPs as The Deep saw his music embraced by original US house dons such as Louie Vega, and he went on to achieve further success with mix albums on Distance Records. And like any DJ or producer with such a long love affair with dance music, that passion extends to the machines that help make and play music.
“I’ve always had a feeling that the machines from the early days of techno really influenced the sound,” he says. “Those Detroit musicians put their hands on equipment which had often been discarded by other musicians – [Roland] TR-909s, TR-808s and Juno keyboards. Somehow the meeting of those specific instruments with those musicians created a unique sound. I was really in love with the early Transmat records of Derrick May and Carl Craig. We heard them as landscapes of tomorrow, of the future. Twenty years later, hearing those same sounds recycled, I can’t help but ask: what does that mean now? Where is it going?”
Perhaps this has been the impetus behind the explosion of activity from this most debonair yet unpretentious of DJ-producers. In recent years his pairings with Roman Poncet, as the techno outfit Adventice, and the more experimental Sergie Rezza, have drawn plaudits, both in the live arena and for their recorded output (on Berlin techno mecca Tresor and Paris imprint Desire, respectively). Deep recalls Sergie Rezza’s concert debut, three years ago at the Institute du Monde Arabe in Paris, as an extraordinary and exciting experience. He takes pride in the way his projects combine old and new technologies.
ARTISTS
I GET DEEP: DJ DEEP
The mainstay of French dance music on how technology has shaped him and the music he loves WORDS: THOMAS H GREEN | PHOTOS: KEFFER 1 DECEMBER 2016 « READ THIS ARTICLE FROM THE BEGINNING
“We draw from both worlds,” he says. “Ableton Live is our main sequencer but I love old samplers such as the Ensoniq EPS or ASR series, also the Ensoniq DP/4 Multi-Effects Unit or the Eventide H3000. That’s the sort of vintage equipment we like to combine with the digital world. We have the [Akai] MPC1000 for the road as it’s easy to load samples from different origins.
We have two or three drum machines, usually two [Roland Aira] TR-8s because they’re reliable and easy to use, plus a [Roland Aira] TB-3 for acid parts. We don’t carry around our original [Roland] TB303. And there’s a set of two Livid DS1 controllers, as we feel their faders have a bit of an organic touch, and a Midas Venice F24 as our onstage mixer.”
While Deep built his reputation on the dancefloors of Paris, more recently it’s his Deeply Rooted label that’s been getting him attention. With flavoursome releases from Jonas Kopp and Zadig, as well as a forthcoming showcase night at FUSE in Brussels in December, the labels’ on something of a roll. He also used to have a label called House Music Records that reissued lost classics but the admin side became too much hassle. Staying true to the underground roots of techno and house remains supremely important, though, as is made clear by his love of vinyl.
“The record stores in Paris are full of kids but I don’t see my DJ friends there,” he says with a smile. “However, I buy around 50 vinyl records a week, not all of them dance music.”
He doesn’t play vinyl out, though, finding that almost all clubs are now set up in such a way it’s impossible to do so without hours of sound-checking first. Instead he digitizes the records.
“I play vinyl on USB stick, recorded through a mixer I helped conceive, the E&S DJR 400 Rotary Mixer, going to Pro Tools, EQing them, making them good. I can promise that vinyl played by a blue needle on a Pioneer turntable won’t sound as good as my recording of the exact same vinyl via Pioneer CDJ3000.” He admits he’d prefer to play vinyl as he did when he was coming up, but it just isn’t practical now. Still, at least his current system is more conducive than CDs.
ARTISTS
I GET DEEP: DJ DEEP
The mainstay of French dance music on how technology has shaped him and the music he loves WORDS: THOMAS H GREEN | PHOTOS: KEFFER 1 DECEMBER 2016 « READ THIS ARTICLE FROM THE BEGINNING “I would get so disorganised,” he recalls. “I didn’t find it easy to locate material because I’d have these wallets, so many wallets, and I’d get lost with them. Kerri Chandler was the one who convinced me of the vinyl-USB route. He told me, ‘I know how much time you spend sorting out vinyl, digitizing it – if you plug those machines digitally to the mixer, you’re going to kill it!’.”
The E&S DJR 400 Rotary Mixer, which Deep worked on with Jerôme Barbé, was not his only foray into technological innovation. He also worked, a few years back, with Rémi Dury, one of the last students of Pierre Schaeffer, the great French ‘Musique Concrete’ electronic musician, on the Karlax MIDI-controller, a digital instrument which reacted to movement. It offered an astonishing new way of creating and presenting music. Deep found, however, that the techno community was wary of this strange, utterly original development. It leads him back, once again, to the theme of originality in techno and house.
“Without wishing to sound negative, things have become very polished,” he says. “I like it when the music is quite challenging, innovative and sonically rugged, and I try to play the sounds of producers such as Kareem, Surgeon and Blawan. I suppose what a lot of younger producers are doing is making tributes to the old sound of techno and house, appropriating it for themselves, but I want to be surprised by how we invent the techno of tomorrow. I like the music of 20 years ago but like to be challenged by new music and new sounds.”
DJ Deep has remained at the forefront of both DJing and technological development in the dance world for a quarter of a century. Whatever comes next, expect him to be deep into it.
DJ Deep’s 2017 Deeply Rooted Showcases begin with Robert Hood at Rex Club on January 28
https://movs.world/culture/dj-deep-the-encyclopedist-of-electro/
DJ Deep, the encyclopedist of electro
November 13, 2021 by Susan Hally
Cyril Etienne des Rosaies, alias DJ Deep, in his studio, in Paris, October 1, 2021. LAURA STEVENS FOR “THE WORLD”
It might just be a stylish little volume. One of those books for the coffee table, to leaf through between two glasses. Corn Chaotic Harmony, A T-Shirt Non-Collection By DJ Deep, published by Headbangers Publishing (304 pages, 39 euros), the publishing branch of the Ed Banger record company (Justice, Cassius, Myd, Mr Oizo…), directed by the ex-manager of Daft Punk, Pedro Winter, is much more than a catalog for electro fashion victim. Because, under their street-wear wardrobe look, these photos of T-shirts bearing the names of house or techno labels or artists are an opportunity for their owner, Cyril Etienne des Rosaies – alias DJ Deep – to tell a story. That of a musical movement and a passion.
The air of nothing, according to anecdotes and playlists (selection of titles from the labels and musicians mentioned), this quinqua, as much respected by his peers as ignored by the general public, compiles in this book his vision of a culture underground that changed his life. “It goes beyond passion, underlines his colleague and friend, Laurent Garnier, the pioneer DJ of the French touch. Cyril is a fond, completely uncompromising, who defends this music body and soul and knows their history better than anyone. “
Get An Additional 88% Deposit Bonus By Trading With Us Share your Internet connection and Make Money online google Sign Up Now To Start Trading With Lirunex And Earn Profit “Thanks to him, I discovered dozens of artists, like Romanthony [devenu célèbre après avoir été invité à chanter sur One More Time (2000), le tube de Daft Punk], Moodymann, Kerri Chandler… », recalls Pedro Winter, recalling that before becoming a DJ himself under the name Busy P, he was recording DJ Deep’s shows on cassettes.
Read also Pedro Winter: “At Ed Banger, we are hedonists and Palm Springs sticks to our state of mind” From the time when he introduced listeners to FG and Radio Nova into the arcana of electro, from the early 1990s until the 2000s. “Cyril is one of the DJs who impresses me the most by the choice of his songs”, Garnier believes.
Shadow character
However, it is clear that, despite multiple sets on most continents, this man of the turntables, also producer and owner of an independent label, has remained a character in the shadows. As if his fascination with the undergrounds of electronic music had kept him away from the light. Modesty and discretion are often mentioned, as much as his refusal of any compromise, to explain that this talent is, according to Pedro Winter, “Totally under-estimé and under-mediated ”.
Dj Deep admits that most electro fans are more drawn to the quest for novelty than to memorial perspectives Far from the brittle Ayatollah sometimes described during his younger years, Cyril Etienne des Rosaies welcomes, like a gentle gentleman, into the lair of a recording studio at 8e arrondissement of Paris, each wall of which is saturated with shelves housing half of a collection of vinyl records, including T-shirts by Chaotic Harmony are just a small extension. “I have put everything house and techno here”, he indicates. The rest (funk, soul, rock, jazz…) of his 50,000 records is divided between his apartment, two streets away, and several cellars in the neighborhood. Selection criteria guiding this collection: “Keeping the best records, but also those which, without necessarily being excellent, represent a moment, an important anecdote in this adventure. “
https://ra.co/dj/djdeep/biography
BIOGRAPHY
DJ Deep is a French techno and house producer and DJ. He runs the Deeply Rooted label, formerly Deeply Rooted House.
“I see my job as being a big filter,” says DJ Deep, rather underplaying the key role the Frenchman has had in the development of house music over the last 20 years. “As a vinyl junkie, I am in the record stores chasing jams almost every day. Sharing what I think are the greatest records of the moment or the most timeless personal classics is something that has motivated me throughout the years.”
Those years have seen Cyril Etienne emerge from the Paris scene to make a real impact on the world stage. He started out playing for Laurent Garnier at parties such as Oz and Zoo at club Palace, then became a regular at the Rex Club and established his unique sense of taste with his ‘A Deep Groove’ shows on pirate station Radio FG then later Radio Nova. He quickly graduated to playing worldwide, always taking with him a sense of history informed by a love of Chicago, New York and Detroit. Blurring the lines between house and techno, DJ Deep also joins the dots between classic and contemporary cuts with his own sense of story telling not only as a DJ and producer, but also a label boss and party curator. By now, he has cultivated a deserving reputation as someone with immaculate taste in music, no matter whether he's making it, playing it, or showcasing it on the radio.
Since 2003, of course, he has headed up his own forward-looking Deeply Rooted label which is synonymous with classy, true-to-its roots house and techno from new and established greats like Kerri Chandler, Ben Klock, Francois X, Ben Sims and Roman Poncet. Most recently, the definitive label has given a platform to rising French star and Concrete Paris regular Marina Trench who has served up three slick house cuts, while Deep himself also returned to his label with the first instalments of his new Raw Cuts series, featuring four tracks that once again bridge the gap between the heartfelt emotions of house and direct impact of techno. Both artists will return with more EPs on the label in 2019.
Outside of his own label, the music obsessive has continually brought new depths and dynamism to house and techno over the years having released on Rekids, Kaoz Theory and Tresor. His punchy drums and effortlessly smooth and soulful chords always manage to make you feel something as well as want to dance. They are informed by the past but very much look to the future, and as a remixer, too, Deep has stylishly reworked the likes of Carl Craig, St Germain, DJ Honesty, Scan 7, Borderland (Juan Atkins) and Point G, whilst always bringing his uniquely warm atmospheres to whatever he turns out.
Continuing to explore house, techno and beyond, DJ Deep also makes music under various other aliases, such as Rébeval where he’s released more raw sounding material on L.I.E.S. He’s also one half of Sergie Rezza, a collaborative project (and label of the same name) alongside Roman Poncet. It is an alias that explores more experimental and ambient laced house and techno in both EP and LP format. The pair also work together on contemporary house music as Fang, and explore driving, classically-rooted techno as Adventice, with new music on the way following on from previous outings on Tresor and live shows at the likes of Berlin Atonal.
The more eclectic side of DJ Deep also comes out in his Open Library radio shows in Worldwide FM. The two hour windows into his virtual musical world have quickly become known as a place to hear a widescreen mix of jazz, soul, dub, funk and ambient that make for very special and immersive soundtracks. They expose another dimension to the Frenchman that is just as well informed and fascinating as his club focussed roots, and undeniably make him one of the most vital artists in the scene. Whatever he is playing or producing, it’s fair to say that DJ Deep always has something to say that is very much worth hearing. ̸ SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY --- DEEPLY ROOTED FR ---
MONDO « WORK ME BABY » 2011 https://www.discogs.com/Mondo-Work-Me-Baby/release/2980380 DJ DEEP « CUTS » 2014 https://www.discogs.com/DJ-Deep-Cuts/release/5412586 Fang « A House Fang » 2015 https://www.discogs.com/Fang-A-House-Fang-EP/master/982135 DJ DEEP « CUTS VOL.2 » 2016 https://www.discogs.com/DJ-Deep-Cuts-Vol-2-/release/8497928 DJ DEEP « CUTS VOL.3 » 2016 https://www.discogs.com/DJ-Deep-Cuts-Vol-3-New-Horizons/release/9093775 DJ DEEP & ROMAN PONCET PRESENT ADVENTICE « THE WEEDING EP » 2016 https://www.discogs.com/artist/4294279-Adventice
--- REKIDS UK ---
DJ DEEP, TRAUMER « LA VALLE LA B » 2016 https://www.discogs.com/DJ-Deep-Traumer-La-Valle-La-B/release/8681135
--- TRESOR BERLIN ---
DJ DEEP & ROMAN PONCET PRESENT ADVENTICE « HYDRAULIC PRESSURE » 2015 https://www.discogs.com/DJ-Deep-Roman-Poncet-Present-Adventice-Hydraulic-Pressure-/release/6799076 DJ DEEP & ROMAN PONCET PRESENT ADVENTICE « EXTRACTION » 2015 https://www.discogs.com/DJ-Deep-Roman-Poncet-Present-Adventice-Extraction-/release/6740041 DJ DEEP & ROMAN PONCET PRESENT ADVENTICE « EXSURGENCE » 2015 https://www.discogs.com/DJ-Deep-Roman-Poncet-Present-Adventice-Exsurgence/release/7652002
--- PARLOPHONE PARIS ---
ST GERMAIN « SITTIN’ HERE » DJ DEEP AND ROMAIN PONCET REMIX 2016 https://www.discogs.com/St-Germain-Sittin-Here/master/979675 ST GERMAIN « HOW DARE YOU » DJ DEEP AND ROMAIN PONCET REMIX 2016 https://www.discogs.com/St-Germain-How-Dare-You/release/9304821
--- DESIRE PARIS ---
SERGIE REZZA SERGIE REZZA lp (DJ DEEP&ROMAIN PONCET) 2015 https://www.discogs.com/Sergie-Rezza-Sergie-Rezza/master/927090 SERGIE REZZA « MIST » (DJ DEEP&ROMAIN PONCET) 2015 https://www.discogs.com/Sergie-Rezza-Mist/release/7148832
--- DERELICHT UK ---
KILLAWATT FAZED EP (SERGIE REZZA REMIXES BY DJ DEEP & ROMAN PONCET) https://www.discogs.com/Killawatt-Fazed-EP/release/9098858
--- MADHOUSE US ---
KERRI CHANDLER « TURN OFF THE LIGHTS » DJ DEEP & ROMAIN PONCET REMIX 2016 https://www.discogs.com/Kerri-Chandler-Turn-Off-The-Lights-Whos-Afraid-Of-The-Dark-Remixes/release/9114800
--- BBE RECORDS UK ---
SIJI "Sanctuary" DJ Deep & Franck Roger remix 2004 https://www.discogs.com/Siji-Sanctuary/release/299993
--- F COM ---
Deep Contest "The Ripost EP" with Ludovic Navarre 1993 https://www.discogs.com/artist/853-Deep-Contest
--- WHAT'SUP MIX IT VIRGIN FRANCE ---
DJ DEEP »Sweet Summer Vibe" 1995 https://www.discogs.com/Various-Whats-Up-Mix-It-Mo-DJs-Under-A-Groove/master/182285
--- GUIDANCE RECORDS ---
DJ DEEP »Signature" with Ludovic Navarre 1996 https://www.discogs.com/Various-Global-Guidance/master/83080
--- BASENOTIC RECORDS 1997-1999 ---
The Deep (3 x 12") with Julien Jabre: - "The Fire EP" (including "Dom Dom Jump") - "The Earth EP" (including "love your brother") - "The Colors EP" https://www.discogs.com/artist/1066-The-Deep "The Lane" EP with Dino and Terry 2000 https://www.discogs.com/Dino-Terry-DJ-Deep-The-Lane-EP/master/33986
--- STRAIGHT UP RECORDS ---
"Playin' For The City Meets The Deep" (including "Cassio's Theme") 2009 https://www.discogs.com/Playin-4-The-City-Meets-Deep-My-City-Life-Cassios-Theme/release/5006887 "Funk Force Project" with Olivier Portal 1999 https://www.discogs.com/Funk-Force-Project-Funk-Force-Project/release/38980 "In and out Project" with Frank Roger 2002 https://www.discogs.com/Franck-Roger-DJ-Deep-In-Out-EP/release/109087
--- NERVOUS RECORDS ---
A remix of Dawn Tallman "Feel it" with Julien Jabre and Olivier Portal Nervous Records US 1998 https://www.discogs.com/Tikko-Presents-Groove4-Featuring-Dawn-Tallman-Feel-It/release/307664
--- KING STREET ---
"Red Brick Red Sun" with Kerri Chandler Kingstreet US 2000 https://www.discogs.com/Kerri-Kaoz-623-Chandler-Trionisphere-3/release/4204
--- NEXT MOOV/ DISTANCE ---
"Back In The Dark" with Jovonn on Next Moov records U.S / Distance France https://www.discogs.com/Jovonn-DJ-Deep-Back-In-The-Dark/master/372834
--- SLIPN'SLIDE ---
THE DEEP NJ Breaks Slip’nd’slide records UK https://www.discogs.com/Various-French-Fried-Funk-Vol-II/master/122900
--- CHILLI FUNK ---
"Inner Peace" Chilli Funk 1998 https://www.discogs.com/DJ-Deep-Featuring-Oliver-Portel-Inner-Peace/master/778070
--- MIX CDs ---
Deep session with Dj Deep vol 1 on Distance 2002 https://www.discogs.com/DJ-Deep-Deep-Sessions-01/release/82758 Respect to DJ Deep virgin France 2001 https://www.discogs.com/DJ-Deep-Respect-Is-Burning-Presents-Respect-To-DJ-Deep/master/89208 DJ Deep DISTANCE TO HOUSE Distance RECORDS 1999 https://www.discogs.com/DJ-Deep-Distance-To-House-French-Sessions-Vol4/release/70900 DJ DEEP “city to city” a retrospective journey through Chicago Detroit and New York Underground House sounds BBE records 2005 https://www.discogs.com/DJ-Deep-City-To-City/master/83605 2006: “City to city” vol2 BBE records 2006 https://www.discogs.com/DJ-Deep-City-To-City-Part-02/master/83607 2010: “City to city” vol 3» BBE records https://www.discogs.com/DJ-Deep-City-To-City-3/master/261491 2012 KERN TRESOR RECORDS 2012 https://www.discogs.com/DJ-Deep-Kern-Vol-01/master/803721
https://www.bbemusic.com/artist/dj-deep/ DJ DEEP
Dj Deep Known as one of the most revered members of the French house scene has made it his duty to share “true to it’s Roots” House and Techno with a growing global audience! As a member of the Respect roster of artists, his Respect is Burning parties and CD series has kept listeners on the pulse of the hot French house scene! DJ Deep started djing about 20 years ago. At the time House music was definitely an underground movement and the French scene was just starting to develop. Laurent Garnier gave DJ Deep his “first chance” to DJ, first at club Boy in Paris for the Oz parties, then at club Le Palace for the Zoo parties. At the same time, DJ Deep started to host his radio show on radio FG 98.2, everyday from noon to 2 PM. A year after he invited his dj friends, DJ Gregory and DJ Alex from Tokyo to join him and the show was then named “A Deep Groove” where you could hear everything from Mos Def to Jeff Mills, with a true passion for real deep underground House music. As DJ Deep became a key figure of the Parisian scene he put together “What’s Up Mix It” with friends from the label What’s up, this compilation featured for the first time together artists such as Dimitri from Paris, DJ Cam, Saint Germain, Gilb’r, and a track of his own “Sweet Summer Vibe”. In 1995 the famous “Wake up” parties were launched by the French Legend Laurent Garnier at the Rex Club featuring prestigious guests such as Lil’ Louis, Derrick May, DJ Pierre, Ron Trent, Chez Damier, etc. DJ Deep was the resident “warm up” Dj. Soon after DJ Deep moved from radio FG to Radio Nova, for his Saturday night shows (this adventure on Nova lasted for about 5 years!) In 1997 “the fire” and “the earth” EP’s came out on French label Basenotic under the moniker The Deep, those 12? were produced by Julien Jabre and DJ Deep receiving great support from the likes of Louie Vega and Joe Claussell… 1997 saw the kick of the “Legends” parties at the Rex Club, promoted by DJ Deep with guests like Frankie Feliciano, Joe Claussell, Kerri Chandler, Tommy Musto, JoVonn, Michael Watford, Nick Jones. At the same time DJ Deep was busy travelling around the globe to keep spreading “deep and soulful House music true to the roots”!!! Distance music released his first mix cd in 1999 “French sessions”, featuring tracks by Kerri Chandler, Blaze, Ron Trent, Ten City, Joe Claussell, etc. Joining forces with the Respect is Burning team in 2001, the mix CD “Respect to Dj Deep” came out (featuring tracks by Masters at Work, Kerri Chandler, Dino and Terry, etc.), followed up by a worldwide tour… 2002 DJ Deep is back on Radio FG 98.2 every Thursday from 11 PM to 1 AM (www.radiofg.com), still busy touring around the world! 2003 saw the release of his third mix CD, again on Distance (featuring tracks by Kerri Chandler, Needs, Osunlade, Kenny Bobien…) as well as the launch of his own web page: www.djdeep.com 2004 Jerome Barbe and Dj Deep launches a serie of revolutionary new portable rotary dj mixers the DJR400 serie, please visit: www.electronique-spectacle.com 2005 Dj Deep launches his two labels : – Deeply Rooted House Records , a label that aims to release true to its roots Underground House sounds , featuring releases by Franck Roger , MAnoo , and the legendary Kerri Chandler , with it’s now classic underground House anthem “Back to the Raw”. – House Music Records : a label that focuses on re-issuing classic house jems or hard to find House records , featuring releases by LB BAD , Burrell , Charles Mac Dougald etc…
In March 2005 “city to city” a retrospective journey through Chicago Detroit and New York Underground House sounds will be a double cd joint release between House Music Records and famous British compilation label : BBE records.
Dj Deep is still releasing music on his labels and djing in clubs around the globe.
https://mixdownmag.com.au/reviews/review-es-djr-400-rotary-mixer/
Review: E&S DJR 400 Rotary Mixer
WORDS BY MIXDOWN STAFF Distributed by: E&S | Enquire for pricing
Key Features: There’s a tendency for many to associate the art of mixing with that of a console packed with sliders and faders. Perhaps it’s the satisfying action of rising a slider or zig-zagging a crossfader between channels that makes this the case, but as any seasoned disc jockey can attest to, they certainly come with their own quirks.
More often than not, they’re susceptible to damage from over-eager performers, and even the slightest amount of residue from the DJ booth – be it dust, grime or something else a little more illicit – will stop all your antics right in their tracks. The solution? Enter the rotary mixer.
As the name suggests, rotary mixers function using knobs to control each channel as opposed to a selection of faders, with most placing an emphasis on high-end components, an analogue signal path and absolutely no gimmicks whatsoever, with the biggest of the bunch being none other than the E&S (or Electronique Spectacle) DJR 400.
This particular mixer, handcrafted in France and favoured by some of the biggest gigging professionals on the DJ circuit today – think Daphni, Jamie xx, Dimitri From Paris – was first produced at the turn of the century for DJ Deep, and has subsequently become known as one of the most revered mixers in the world of DJing today.
Dubbed as a ‘travel mixer’ due to its diminutive dimensions, the DJR 400 boasts four channels for line and phono inputs, with each channel featuring a volume control and two-band EQ. The right side of the unit features volume controls for Master, Booth and Phones respectively, while the top offers a three-band master EQ to shape the sound of your overall signal.
What really makes the DJR 400 a hit, however, is the built-in isolator and effects loop on the master and booth output, which functions just as a conventional one in a guitar amplifier would do, letting you run a tape echo or a spring reverb into the unit for washy, dub-inspired mixing without compromising the integrity of your signal. Moreover, the point-to-point hardwired analogue signal path of the DJR 400 offers astounding audio quality when used with turntables and CDJs alike, making it a Holy Grail in the eyes of many who spin the wheels of steel professionally.
Mixdown Says: You literally cannot find a superior rotary mixer to the E&S DJR 400 out there. With its wooden trim and well-placed knobs, this thing carries such a cool aesthetic, and the knobs themselves allow for an incredibly intuitive mixing experience. Of course, it’ll take some getting used to if you’ve spent your entire time as a DJ using a conventional fader-equipped mixer, but once you get the hang of it, it makes mixing a total breeze.
Given that these mixers are basically only available on a bespoke basis, you’re probably unlikely to come across an E&S DJR 400 too often, but if you’re a staunch audiophile and have got the coin to spend, you just cannot beat this for quality.
Overall: Between its amazing sound quality, minimalist design, well-thought out routing options and compact size, there’s no reason why you’d never need to buy another mixer if you splash out on this bad boy.
https://www.redbull.com/au-en/artist/dj-deep
From house to techno and everything in between, DJ Deep is a leading figure of the Parisian scene. DJ Deep started out playing in the early 90s before establishing his ‘A Deep Groove’ radio show.
From house to techno and everything in between, DJ Deep is a leading figure of the Parisian scene. DJ Deep started out playing in the early 90s for Laurent Garnier before establishing a unique sense of taste via his ‘A Deep Groove’ radio show. DJ Deep quickly graduated to become a reference for many over the past 25 years, relentlessly playing worldwide and always taking with him a sense of history informed by a love of Chicago, New York and Detroit. Since founding his Deeply Rooted label in 2004, DJ Deep has gone on to curate many records considered now as classics of the genre. As a producer, he has released new definitive music on Kerri Chandler’s Kaoz Theory and L.I.E.S. as Rebéval. As a remixer, DJ Deep has stylishly reworked the likes of Carl Craig and Moritz von Oswald, always bringing his uniquely warm atmospheres to whatever he turns out. Blurring the lines between house, techno and beyond, DJ Deep joins the dots between classic and contemporary cuts with his own sense of story-telling.
http://truantsblog.com/2016/interview-dj-deep/
Interview: DJ Deep
MARCH 17, 2016 BY MATT GIBNEY
Recent years have seen a wealth of musical talent emerging from France. Producers like Voiski (who delivered our 82nd instalment of the Truancy Volume series back in 2013) and Antigone, as well as labels such as Construct Re-Form and Syncrophone have helped to re-establish France – and Paris in particular – as one of techno’s current focal points. Their contributions build on a long lineage of excellent electronic music emanating from the city. In a career now spanning two decades, one man who can claim to have been at the heart of much of this is Cyril Etienne des Rosaies, known to most as DJ Deep. From his early days as a resident DJ for Laurent Garnier’s legendary “Wake Up” parties at Rex Club, DJ Deep’s commitment to his craft has seen him build a reputation as a hugely skilled selector. As his latest effort for the L.I.E.S. podcast shows, it’s a reputation that is richly deserved. Outside of the booth his label Deeply Rooted is equally well regarded, while his latest studio collaborations with Roman Poncet on Tresor have been mainstays in the arsenal of many DJs across the continent and beyond. Ahead of his appearance at this year’s Gottwood Festival, we caught up with Cyril to discuss the origin and process of these collaborations, Paris’ current musical landscape, and his plans for the remainder of the year.
Hi Cyril, thanks for stopping by. How’s 2016 been for you so far? What have been the highlights? “Thanks for having me. 2016 has been really nice for me so far. I’ve been busy with lots of nice gigs. Playing recently in Porto (Club Gare) and Lisbon (Europa Sunrise) in Portugal were both really great experiences. I’ve also been hard at work in the studio. We just finished remixing Saint Germain “Real Blues” with Roman Poncet and I’m preparing to release “DJ Deep Cuts Vol. 2” on my label Deeply Rooted.”
Speaking of your gigs, Gottwood marks a rare UK festival appearance from yourself. “Yes! I hear the vibe at Gottwood is pretty unique so I would like to make sure I present an original and hopefully inspiring selection of sounds. I take each and every set as a new challenge and really try to feel the atmosphere of the place and transmit my passion for music through my selection.”
Parisian and French techno more generally seems to be in a really healthy place right now. What are your views on the scene at the moment? How does it compare to when you started out? “Yes, there are a lot of Parisian talents here at the moment, whether it is fantastic DJs, producers or label owners. It’s good to see Francois X get the success he deserves, and also to see our local prodigy Roman Poncet become successful with his various aliases. The scene seems to keep growing. There is now a wide variety of clubs and parties within the city which somehow develops a dynamic ‘competition’. I mean that in a positive way. I am hoping that passion for music is at the centre of this growth. I do not mean to be negative here at all – and I also think this is a global thing and not something which is isolated just to Paris – but when I see a young DJ, producer or label owner and this person tells me for instance that he is “so passionate about techno music” and that this music “is his life” and I later find out he is unable to name one Derrick May record then I question myself. You know, how can you be so passionate about one music style and know nothing about its history, yet still be a DJ, producer or label owner?”
Over the last year or so you’ve been working very closely with Roman Poncet under various guises. How did your relationship come about? “I met Roman when releasing his record “The Opening EP” on my label Deeply Rooted back in 2014. There was a nice vibe going on between us and we quickly found ourselves at Roman’s studio experimenting with sounds and music together. Soon after came the concept of Sergie Rezza, under which we put out an album on Desire last year. Then we conceived the idea of a more techno leaning project and released three records on Tresor as Adventice. We also have a more house-focused side project Fang and, all being well, we should have much more to come!”
Can you tell us what makes you and Roman a good fit with one another? How do ideas tend to come about in the studio? “It’s a very natural process. Roman is a heavy worker and he constantly brings new ideas which makes him very inspiring to work with. I also try to come up with ideas and concepts on how to approach certain projects. We basically try to keep vibing of each other in a natural and spontaneous way. For instance, I play a lot of records to Roman and he is very spontaneous in his way of expressing himself through productions. My input can help inspire him in the beginning of a track and then his groove may inspire me with a reference to another track that will lead to another, and so on. We are in the studio together almost everyday. Both of us have busy touring schedules, and that can take time and energy, but it also serves as a great inspiration to us as we are able to feel people’s reaction to music every week. It really helps to keep us connected to the people we are trying to ‘speak’ to.”
One of your aliases, Adventice, has also developed into a live show. Was this always planned? “It was not at all intended to be a live show at first. The idea of playing it on stage came along while preparing our Sergie Rezza live performance. We found some fun ways of mixing the analog and digital equipment we use on stage. Having spontaneously experimented with it we decided it could be a fun thing to do with Adventice. There are quite a few Adventice shows coming up. The next one is in Lyon for Reperkussound Festival at the end of the month.”
In the past I’ve seen you describe yourself as a “filter” when trying to select music for your sets or even for your label. Does the seemingly endless stream of music out there ever leave you feeling very weary with this whole process? “The fact there are so many releases every day is definitely challenging, but I think it’s fascinating too. I’m very fortunate in that I like a wide range of different styles of music. That means I can always keep myself refreshed by moving from one style to the other. It also ensures I’m always excited about discovering more great music and more sources of inspiration.”
What can we expect from the rest of the 2016? Are there any plans for any new solo material? “Yes, I’m hoping to release “DJ Deep Cuts Vol. 2” on Deeply Rooted around April or May time. That’s a straighter techno four-track EP. I also intend to release a more house-focused solo EP in the coming months, also on Deeply Rooted. There are plans to release some more collaborations with Roman Poncet on the label in the near future too, but we are still discussing under what alias.”
https://www.slimfiltermag.com/features/dj-deep DJ Deep: Guidance Jan 26 dj deep sf.png The house and techno aficionado is trying to ensure that the music stays at the centre of music. “I'm in the 8th arrondissement, close to Saint Lazare train station,” Cyril Etienne des Rosaies, aka DJ Deep, says to me over a Zoom call. I’m tucked away in the kitchen of my apartment in the 13th, close to Place d’Italie metro station. Cyril is around the corner, essentially. Six kilometres away. Give or take.
Another Zoom call. Another Zoom call where the purring of car engines and jarring police sirens soundtrack my conversation with a screen. Another Zoom call where a discussion with a pixelated version of a person is deemed a social interaction. Another Zoom call that will speak of burgeoning hope for 2021. Another Zoom call because of an indiscriminate virus. Another Zoom call enabled by the gormless guidance of politicians.
But in Cyril, Another Zoom call with splendid company. © Layla Gras © Layla Gras
As DJ Deep, Cyril is widely recognised as an essential figure in the Parisian underground scene and further afield. Whether it be his role as a selector, label head of Deeply Rooted, or producer of rolling techno and ebullient house, he has gifted the masses with an array of dulcet tones and grooves.
His perpetual name-dropping of venerable characters within the scene comes not by way of some egotistical practice. Conversely, Cyril humbly refuses to measure the significance of his storied life, seeing his tales as throwaway comments. About five minutes into the conversation I’m hearing about road trips to London with Laurent Garnier in a Nissan Micra, and, later on, how Kerri Chandler bought his son his first guitar. “I lived in an era where all the rules exploded.” Cyril sits in his studio in front of floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall shelving adorned with a library of records, as if to give me a peak into his world of sonic obsession. The casual nature of his grey Nike hoodie and five o’clock shadow is counteracted with the standard level of sophistication that square glasses naturally exude. This only adds to the ‘handsome European Louis Theroux’ description that I’ve formed in my head.
One preconceived idea of the man that I've gotten wrong is that he can be cold and disgruntled, based on answers I've read in other interviews. The reality is Cyril has the required dose of passion and honesty for a healthy conversation; something he thinks is lacking in this day and age. "People are too agreeable," he says of the current underground scene. © Layla Gras © Layla Gras
We tend to the typically perfunctory greeting process with vim and vigour. I ask how Cyril has been getting on the past while.
“Good, good! But, like everybody, I'm quite concerned about the future.” As our conversation unfolds, I learn that this anxiety is as much to do with Covid-related matters as it is to do with the state of modern day electronic music: as an artform, a business, and a culture.
“Where are you from?” Cyril asks, trying to get his bearings with who he’s actually talking to.
“Sorry! I’m from Dublin. Ireland,” I laconically respond.
“Ah, I like Dublin! I played in District 8 with Robert Hood before.”
“They got rid of the original District 8 since then actually. Gentrification and all that. So, yeah, Irish nightlife isn't really thriving at the moment.”
“Same in Paris,” Cyril laughs, though, for someone who has championed the Parisian club scene since the 1980s, it isn’t much of a laughing matter. © Layla Gras © Layla Gras
Raised by his conservative grandparents in the French capital, Cyril attended his first gig at the age of 16 and through habitual dancefloor revelling became friends with revered DJs such as Olivier Le Castor and Guillaume la Tortue. Another important friendship would also blossom from this period. “I would glue my face to the glass in front of the DJ booth and watch him DJ because I had no idea how you mixed records,” Cyril says, almost gluing his face to the camera to demonstrate. “I was trying to learn from listening and one day he grabbed me from the glass. 'What's your problem, man? You come here every Sunday and watch me for 6 hours? What's your problem?' And I'm like, 'I don't know. I want to learn.'“ The DJ was Garnier. And Cyril did indeed learn. “We’re a movement, we’re culture, we have a history, and we have a strong passion for music.” Ever since, he has been hooked to house and techno, constantly searching for his next score of Chicago and Detroit cuts. This terminology may annoy Cyril. He has been critical of the way in which drugs and electronic music have been conflated. Not so much by onlooking commentators, but by those actively partaking in this demimonde of nightlife culture.
“In French, we have this expression: the snake that eats its own tail (Un serpent qui se mord la queue),” he says, apologising for his English – something that will become a regular yet unnecessary occurrence, as I understand him perfectly fine. “On the one hand you have some people who choose to show images which are very offensive, of people super high on drugs and listening to the hardest, loudest boom boom boom boom, and they're like, 'OK, this is what they call music. This is what they call culture. Look at this, it's just about drugs.' On the other hand, what bothers me is when I’m in the record store and I hear these kids who are young DJs, and they're like, 'Oh, come on, man. Like we're going to go out and not do drugs, right?' So, basically, they use the language of the people criticising them.”
Cyril, who abstains from alcohol and drugs, composes himself. He is perhaps wary that he doesn’t want to come across as a weathered veteran scolding the youth. “Everybody is free. But we're a movement, we're culture, we have a history, and we have a strong passion for music,” he says fervently. “I'm not criticising people having fun or drugs. I'm just saying, I would hope after 30 years of this music existing that some people would raise a voice which is a little bit more spiritual and deeper than, 'Ugh, let's go and get high.'“ © Layla Gras © Layla Gras
Though Cyril surprises himself when he realises that he is turning 50 this year, his face lights up with ecstasy when eulogizing the French capital’s club scene in the 1990s during his own youth.
“How was Paris’ nightlife during this ti-” I’m unable to finish my question as the cogs in Cyril’s brain instantly flashback to this time of exuberant excursions in Rex Club and La Luna, alongside the likes of St. Germain and Detroit’s “Mad” Mike Banks.
“It was amazing, man. Amazing. I realise today it was fucking amazing,” Cyril testifies. “You know why? Because today I think we are unfortunately living in a form of dictatorship, y’know. We're in a scene where everyone claims for freedom but they're very conservative in their mind. They cannot seem to think outside the box. I lived in an era where all the rules exploded. It was Keith Haring and Picasso. It was gay and straight. In the clubs you had a lot of Black people, Asians – people from different social and cultural origins. Everyone was accepting each other.” © Layla Gras © Layla Gras
Cyril is partly critical of the younger generations and their approach to the music, but it comes from a paternal place of genuine concern, because he wants the best for the culture. “I swear I'm not a nostalgic person. I'm in love with new music and talented people,” he pleads. “(But) I can't help but notice this new techno trend of really fast BPM, and to me, if music doesn't have a little bit of soul, a little bit of swing, then I'm not there anymore.”
He repeatedly praises the likes of Call Super, Joy Orbison, Parris, and collaborator Roman Poncet for what they are doing for the contemporary scene, but fears that many have lost sight of what it is really all about: the music. “The culture of house and techno is sometimes really fading away, I feel,” Cyril laments, referring to young DJs he’s encountered who seem more concerned with their branding than the tracks that they are playing. “Because I witness music bring people together and connect people together in such a strong way, it is precious to me. As a music lover, I hope music is going to be at the centre of music again, and not just marketing and communication on Instagram.” “This person is making you change the way you see things and how you interact with things.” And with Cyril now a father to a little boy, his assistance to young people through their life and music endeavours has become a lot more personal. “As I'm sure you know now, I'm a very doubting person. I'm always pondering things and hesitating, so of course, to have a kid I feel very responsible for him. He's also a great source of inspiration,” he says candidly. “As a father, same thing as a DJ or a producer, I'm learning everyday. I think I know things, and then this person in front of you who happens to be the person you love the most on the planet – but you didn't know him before he was born – this person is making you change the way you see things and how you interact with things.”
Intrigued by how he will pass on his incomprehensible level of knowledge and experience onto his son, I ask if he’s going to have to have a word with him about not letting other distractions get in the way of pushing this community and culture forward. “I'm asking myself this question everyday. Of course, I want him to live his happy life and to discover music,” Cyril says. “I don't want to interfere too much, you know, he has his own taste and he does his thing. I would love this to stay like that.”
Cyril’s sense of critique has clearly rubbed off on his son, however, as he is often telling his Dad what he makes of the new records he has just bought: “It's nice but I'm not sure it's as good as a classic Carl Craig techno record,” Cyril once heard the 11-year-old mutter. © Layla Gras © Layla Gras
I’m keen to get a nugget of wisdom from the man for myself, so I look for his overarching mantra for any young person going forward in life.
“Build your own taste. That is something that is very important today. To have this sense of critic, and say, 'Ok, what do I really like? What does it take to get this sound? Let me be in my own little garden so when I have my own little garden I know what flowers I want to grow,'“ Cyril says, reminiscent of an absurdly genius Eric Cantona rant.
I try to clarify. “So, develop an identity?”
“Exactly.”
https://www.juno.co.uk/junodaily/2012/11/26/today-kids-want-to-be-more-like-kerri-chandler-than-kerri-chandler-an-interview-with-dj-deep/
“Today, kids want to be more like Kerri Chandler than Kerri Chandler”: An interview with DJ Deep
by Juno Daily on 26.11.2012 at 10:54am. Last edited: 26.11.2012 at 10:55am.
“Today, kids want to be more Kerri Chandler than Kerri Chandler,” says DJ Deep, his words accompanied by a gentle flutter as he leafs through his enormous record collection. A man whose two-decade career has seen him forge a close personal and professional relationship with New Jersey’s house pioneer, he’s in a good place to judge. “Just because something sounds like Kerri Chandler doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to put it out,” he continues, “because Kerri already did it 20 years ago.” His voice lilts gently down the line from his Parisian office. He doesn’t sound upset by the sudden re-emergence of the Chicago and NY house sound he’s been obsessed with since he was 16. Instead, he’s fascinated at its cycle. When it comes to music, Cyril Étienne des Rosaies is always fascinated.
The re-emergence of tropes from dance music’s 30-year history, and the difference between inspiration and mere pastiche, is a recurring theme in our conversation. Perhaps that’s not surprising for a man who’s been listening to, buying, studying and playing these records almost as long as this writer has been alive. He’s seen every trend emerge, disappear and get resurrected 10, 15, even 20 years down the line. “I like the retro Chicago feel, of course,” he counters when I ask if he’s bored of hearing the same sounds come back time and again. “That’s my church, as we say in France. But let’s not sleep there. It’s cool, we got the point. Now let’s more forward.”
Innovation, moving forward – these have always been the central tenets in the career of DJ Deep. Indeed, they were once the central tenets of electronic music. From the robotics of Kraftwerk’s man-machines through The Electrifying Mojo’s calls to the mothership, and culminating in those personality and tradition-free boxes of bleeps muscled into shape by the Belleville Three, electronic music is a culture that is historically forward-leaning. But as house and techno reach their third decade, this music that’s been young since it was born suddenly has a history, an archive, a weight of format and template and tradition that peers over the shoulder of producers young and old. Are we spending too much time now re-examining the past, gazing too eagerly over our shoulders at the expense of moving forward?
“Today, kids want to be more like Kerri Chandler than Kerri Chandler”
“Our music is based on everyone copying each other,” says Étienne. “Sampling is about copying the other, and adding your own talent and identity. It’s what Todd Terry and Kenny Dope have been doing all their careers.” But for Étienne, there’s a stark and important difference between the appropriation of a sample, twisted into new shapes, and the slavish recreation of an old sound. “There is a trend today to make exact copies of early Chicago tracks, using the same machines, mixing them the same way, so you can’t tell if it was produced today or 20 years ago. Which is cool, actually, and I kind of like it,” he says with a laugh, “but I think it would be nice if we did not sleep for too long on that.”
It might seem strange, then, considering his views on retroism, to find his latest compilation, Kern, peppered with records from dance’s formative years. From the opening synth-wiggle of “Music In My Head”, a cut from house pioneers Eddie ‘Flashin’ Fowlkes, Arthur Forest and Santonio’s collaborative A.E.S. project, to Visions, aka Juan ‘the Originator’ Atkins on a Jersey garage tip and even Xperiment’s “Karn Evil #10”, a slab of bouncing Detroit techno from 1987, the past is heavily represented. But this is no history fetish. As Atkins’ squelching subs fade into the low-end workout of “Harlequin”, an exquisite track released last year on Étienne’s own Deeply Rooted House by the faceless Rootstrax and recently edited by Kerri Chandler, we see the same ideas approached in different ways across two decades. It’s the crux of DJ Deep’s approach, drawing the lines and parsing dance music history. For every Armando and Atkins on the tracklist there’s a Skudge or Marcelus. Merely copying the old is boring, but we should be constantly inspired by it.
“I had this image of a DJ writing his diary,” Étienne explains when I ask about this marrying of old and new, “and I had this idea of some classics – when I say ‘classics’ I mean records from around ’89 – and that some of these records could be relevant today.” Of course, DJ Deep’s definition of a ‘classic’ is about as far from the immediately recognizable room-rouser as you can get (that the release is accompanied by a 12” Rarities EP is illuminating). He is the consummate crate-digger, a man who’ll “buy and collect everything you can think of, even represses of stuff I already have,” and while many of the names on Kern are familiar, the actual records are more obscure.
Étienne’s record obsession was born from his first exposure to dance music, a 16-year-old in the hip-hop clubs of Paris who should have been at home studying. Among the De la Soul and Tribe Called Quest records the DJs would mix in early house cuts from the likes of Marshall Jefferson, and in a city where electronic music was treated with, at best, suspicion it was a revelation. “The music was not well-received in France,” he recalls. “It was difficult to fight against the club policy, and it was really slow to get this music accepted.” Unlike Berlin or London, which enjoyed a proliferation of record stores and a closely-knit underground scene, even getting hold of this exciting new music in Paris was hard enough, letting alone finding somewhere to play it.
“The record store in Paris, called Bonus Beats, was a big experience,” he says. “They were the guys importing everything. They’d have all the British imports, the US imports, they’d have everything.” A young Laurent Garnier worked there for a few months, and it was through France’s brightest techno light that Étienne caught his first DJing breaks. “I was very close to Laurent at the time. I was following him everywhere and he was kind enough to let me warm up for him at different parties,” he explains. But while opening up for one of the world’s biggest techno jocks may seem like an enviable way to learn your trade, the effortlessly seamless mixing that was Garnier’s trademark made picking things up difficult.
“When you learn music from someone who’s really gifted, sometimes it’s harder than when your friend’s got turntables in his house, and you make mistakes together,” he explains. “I had something that was somehow unreachable. So I obsessed with the records, I would learn everything I could from what was written on the record – Kenny Dope would do the drums on this and Todd Terry would do that. And Laurent would make fun of me, he was always saying, ‘You’re like a fucking book, man. You remember all the records’.” He laughs, and is quick to assure that that’s not his approach these days. “I was like a fucking dictionary. I was trying to be Discogs before Discogs even existed.
“When you learn music from someone who’s really gifted, sometimes it’s harder than when your friend’s got turntables in his house, and you make mistakes together”
“But that was my way of trying to say, ‘OK, I love this music, there is a culture behind it, it’s not just me doing my own stupid thing.’ But by showing people things in the deepest possible way, hopefully it will touch them, you know? So that was my perspective,” Étienne says. “When Laurent was the super talented artist who was just expressing himself, I was trying to be more the guy who says, ‘Look, there’s a culture behind this.’ You know?”
It’s that encyclopedic understanding of dance culture that Étienne’s channeled ever since, as a DJ and label owner. He describes himself as “a filter’, sifting through a sea of raw music for those records that stand out, that do something different, or that simply make sense in the narrative he weaves. But as music’s become more accessible, and dance culture itself more mainstream, he’s seen a change in the way people respond.
“When people were going out when I was 20 years old, they were going out to hear this new sound. They wanted to know everything about it,” he says, when I ask how he’s seen thing change over the last 20 years. “Today people are maybe not 100 per cent dedicated to it, or some are but the rest are just there to have a good time. And that’s a little bit harder for a guy like me, a weirdo who’s obsessed with this. It’s a criticism of myself, that sometimes I need to be more basic.”
Does he feel he has to compromise more these days? “You just have to make sure people are entertained, and that you play them music you think is really nice,” he laughs. “That’s my challenge. I’ve never compromised, I’ve never played a record I think is bad. I’m always trying to do something I love, and I hope people have a good time with that. That’s the challenge.” It’s perhaps ironic that Étienne should mention the ubiquity of electronic music as a diluting force, considering the difficulty he found getting it heard in Paris in the first place. He was part of France’s early rave scene, forced into life by Garnier and others at the aptly named Wake Up parties, where they were arrested, had gear confiscated and even found themselves gazing down the barrel of a gendarme’s rifle.
“The years we started DJing were about resisting, fighting. It was always about fighting against something,” he recalls. “You loved Derrick May’s music? You’d have to fight for Derrick May’s music to be played, instead of music that you considered not as interesting.” He tells a story of driving with Laurent through the suburbs of Paris, and suddenly hearing the crazed 303 wine of Phuture’s “Acid Tracks” playing on a commercial station: “This guy played it on the radio for 20 seconds, and then broke it. Snap.” He pauses, to contemplate the crime of snapping an import that a young Étienne would have killed to get hold of. He still sounds angry. “We pulled over in the middle of the street and we were shouting, screaming. We were so pissed off.” But those moments just stoked the fires, reinforced his belief that this music needed to be played and people needed to here it. As a 20-year-old he spent three years hosting a house and techno show on Paris’ pirate station Radio FG where, alongside friends DJ Gregory and Alex from Tokyo, he brought a flavour of New York’s vibrant house scene to a Paris that was only slowly learning the names of Kerri Chandler and Romanthony.
“To run a label and be an artist are two different things. You need someone who at some point tells you, ‘Look, the track is great but there are already 250 tracks that are doing this exact same thing’”
Étienne’s career at times feels like a throwback to a different era, one where producers and DJs were separate entities and being good at choosing records was at least as important as making them. Bar a handful of early experiments with friends Étienne doesn’t release music, claiming that he doesn’t want to “pollute the world with my boring patterns”. His frustrations with production were the motivation behind the launch of Deeply Rooted House, originally a medium for putting out his friends’ music but which has evolved into one of the most well respected and vital imprints in modern house and techno. “To run a label and be an artist are two different things. You cannot be the church and the advocate,” he explains. “You need someone who at some point tells you, ‘Look, the track is great but there are already 250 tracks doing this exact same thing’.” He points to Jonas Kopps’ recent Reforce EP, released this year after 18 months of polishing it into something that made sense for Deeply Rooted House, and that was original enough to merit actually pressing to wax.
“I’m not sure I’m excited by a 20-year-old kid who’s doing the exact same music that was done 20 years ago by a 20-year-old kid,” he says. “There’s something that annoys me a little about that, you know?” And perhaps in that lies the crux of DJ Deep’s approach to music. So long as those Kerri Chandler records, those Steve Poindexter records, those Todd Terry records still exist, we don’t need to make them again. Yes, house is deeply rooted, but that doesn’t mean we’re stuck here.
Tom Banham
https://rexclub.com/team/dj-deep/
Partager avec le public ce que je pense être les plus grands disques du moment ou ce que je pense être des classiques personnels intemporels est quelque chose qui m’a motivé au fil des ans. Je vois mon travail comme un grand filtre: en tant que drogué du vinyle, je suis dans les disquaires à la recherche de jam presque tous les jours. Et je suis aussi des mouvements dans ce que j’entends, comme quand la techno était révolutionnaire ou quand le son de la deep house de New York s’est vraiment développé, c’est ce que je mettrais en valeur. Maintenant que beaucoup de racines techno et house sont relancées et également réinventées, je peux toujours profiter de beaucoup de nouveaux disques incroyables et de certains classiques.
Vingt ans plus tard, de la house à la techno et tout le reste, DJ Deep s’est immergé dans les flux et reflux de la musique, que ce soit à New York, à Chicago, à Detroit ou aux ondes palpitantes actuelles. Il capture la magie de chacun en tant que figure de proue de la scène parisienne et propriétaire du label, reliant les points à la fois en avant et en arrière avec sa propre personnalité et sa touche multidimensionnelle.
DJ Deep a fait sa pause quand il a été invité par Laurent Garnier à DJ dans des soirées comme Oz et Zoo au club Palace, ou Boy, dans sa ville natale de Paris. Suivi par des apparitions régulières à l’influent Rex Club, des émissions de radio « A Deep Groove » sur la station pirate Radio FG, et plus tard Radio Nova, ainsi qu’une série de CD mix sur Distance et Respect is Burning, DJ Deep a commencé à tourner dans le monde entier, diffusant son obsession house et techno pour le public en quête de ses profondes caisses de vérité musicale.
En 2003, DJ Deep a lancé ses labels Deeply Rooted (anciennement Deeply Rooted House) et House Music Records, mettant en lumière des disques house et techno fidèles à ses racines et plus difficile à trouver des joyaux comme Kerri Chandler, L.B. Bad, Terence Fixmer, Mike Dehnert et Roman Poncet.
Le catalogue de rêve a scellé sa curatelle musicale avec des disques intemporels tels que le désormais classique «Back to the Raw» de Kerri Chandler, le remix de Ben Klock de «Pong» de Kerri Chandler et le remix de «Code Red» de François X par Marcel Dettmann.
Un reformatage en 2015 et la dernière évolution d’expression de DJ Deep le voient s’associer à Roman Poncet dans le rôle de Sergie Rezza, une expérimentation ouverte d’esprit avec un album hors du commun sur Desire Records et des performances dont Berlin Atonal. Leur projet techno live, Adventice, a vu un trio de sorties sur le réputé Tresor avec des performances au Weather Festival (Paris), au Reperkusound Festival (Lyon) et bien d’autres à venir. Fang est l’alias house du duo, qui a marqué la 50e sortie mémorable de Deeply Rooted en 2015. Sans relâche, l’aventure solo de DJ Deep continue avec ses propres « coupes » profondes sur son label, ou sous son alias de maison brute Rébeval, sur le culte NYC LIES Records.
https://inverted-audio.com/feature/in-focus-dj-deep-on-deeply-rooted/
Since his beginnings on BNO as The Deep with Julien Jabre twenty years ago, DJ Deep has never quite settled down to a single sonic footprint. Spanning the gap between techno’s roaring implements, sample-heavy house and funk-infused delicacies, his music rapidly gained iconic importance in the French underground scene.
The start of his label, Deeply Rooted House – now simply reduced to Deeply Rooted for its non-exclusive, cross-pollinating approach to 4/4 music, also marked the outset of a decade of silence in the studio. In the meantime, Cyril instead focused his talent and energy to putting out the music of a stellar cast of friends, collating releases from Kerri Chandler, Ben Klock, Jovonn, Marcel Dettmann, Jonas Kopp, Mike Dehnert to name a few.
A couple of years ago, DJ Deep eventually reemerged to grace us with what are perhaps the most striking examples of his all-absorbing love for dance music, getting back to the studio with his friend Roman Poncet and contributing a twelve to L.I.E.S. as Rébeval. Ahead of his appearance at Oval Space this weekend alongside French techno guru Laurent Garnier, Cyril answered a few of our questions.
Interview by Baptiste Girou DJDeep-HD-3
"I wanted to release my friends music, music from people I could talk to in a very direct and simple way, where there would be no ego or challenge when discussing details about a release, allowing us to always keep music as the main focus." You’ve been scarce in the studio for a decade or so, finally making a return in 2014. Why did you stop releasing music during all this time?
I started my label Deeply Rooted House back in 2003. At that specific time I was struggling to find “my own sound” when trying to create music, so Deeply Rooted allowed me a creative outlet to release my friend’s and mentor’s music, which I found both exciting and challenging.
In 2014 I decided to release a simple 12inch with 3 tracks, 3 raw House/Techno cuts, and in 2015 after meeting with Roman Poncet (and releasing a record from him) we decided to join forces in the studio and experiment and bit with music, which has been a really inspiring and positive experience ever since.
What was the starting point for Deeply Rooted? How did you envisage the label back in its early days?
I wanted to release my friends music, music from people I could talk to in a very direct and simple way, where there would be no ego or challenge when discussing details about a release, allowing us to always keep music as the main focus.
I’ve been lucky to release music from the likes of Kerri Chandler, Jovonn, Manoo, Franck Roger, Ben Klock, Marcel Dettmann, Roman Poncet, Francois X, Jonas Kopp, Zadig, Mike Dehnert, Bleak, Dax J, Marcelus and many more.
Initially focused on US house music (Kerri Chandler, Jovonn, Mr K-Alexi…) DR has since evolved into a much more techno-oriented label with releases from Ben Klock, Mike Dehnert, François X, Zadig… it’s a pretty radical shift! How did this change occur?
Kerri Chandler and Jovonn are from NY and they are two of NYC House legends, yes! Mr K-Alexi is from Chicago and also a true Legend. I also recently released Fang ‘A House Fang‘ another alias for Roman Poncet and myself, and that is definitely a House release.
I feel very close to the message of one of Lil Louis’ latest songs: “House is Techno and Techno is House”. Those two genres are so close it’s fascinating. I like oscillating from one style to the other, House and Techno are so rich of many roots and influences and it’s an absolute pleasure to navigate through the different vibes and sounds they offer.
It was initially named Deeply Rooted [House] and you decided to shorten it to Deeply Rooted, full stop. Was this move only related to the nature of the output itself?
I wanted to make sure the label wouldn’t be classified as “one style only” (House for that mater).
DJDeep-HD-2
"I precisely found in Techno what I find in House." What did you find in techno that you don’t find in house music?
Well I precisely found in Techno what I find in House – various roots and influences that slightly differ from one style to the other and allows one to feed off of the other.
Has your experience as a label owner changed your perspective on music production?
A little bit yes, it’s always interesting to know and learn the many aspects of the business you are involved in.
Your latest EP ‘Cuts Vol.3‘ seems to encompass both the softness of your deep house tunes and driving pulse of your more muscular techno records. Would you say it’s a faithful reflection of your eclecticism?
I would love to think so yes, I hope it does!
Over twenty years in the electronic music game, I guess you have your weapons of choice in studio and for live use… Can you tell us more about your go-to machines?
It goes through cycles. Sometimes I am fascinated (again!) by vintage drum machines and samplers, sometimes I love the “computer only” approach and how convenient it is to have all “in one box”; sometimes I try and mix both worlds, I just try and follow the inspiration and keep being curious about new/old tools that I get to discover.
DJ-Deep---New-Horizons
DJ Deep – Cuts Vol 3 New Horizons What’s the last record store you visited and what did you bag there?
I actually go to record stores on a daily basis and at the moment I’m really liking Mark Henning’s latest release on Soma, as well as Radio Slave ‘Another Club‘, which is Rekids’ 100th release!
I like shopping at Syncrophone in Paris, Didier Alyne works there with Blaise and John Sill (look out for this guy, I’ve heard some amazing demos from him). They get a nice selection of House and Techno, but also represses of Classics, Jazz, Funk, as well as more alternative labels that I follow such as Music From Memory… etc.
I also like going to Techno Import. Mazen and Arnaud get all the latest Techno and House bombs, it’s crazy. I go there everyday and they get new records in on daily basis, sometimes it feels like it’s a second office as I get to go there all the time.
My friend Betino has been running his store Betino’s for the longest time and he gets awesome second-hand Jazz, Funk, Soul, Hip Hop… etc. as well as new records every week. Another of my friends Melik has a dope second-hand store called Heartbeat. I would love to see Melik more often but everytime I step in his store I go out broke!
I recently discovered Yoyaku thanks to Romain Poncet who has his Gettraum label distributed there. It’s an awesome store with a wide selection of House, Techno… electronic Music in general and many are of their own exclusive pressings, very inspiring! I would love to visit Smallville more often also, and I hear there are quite a few other record stores opening again!
You’re playing Oval Space, London on the 11th, how do you prepare for it?
I’m so humbled and proud that I get to share the bill with Laurent Garnier! I’m super happy of course, I love this club I think it’s the 4th time I play for them, promoters are great, the crowd is amazing!
And to top it all I get to play with my brother/mentor Laurent Garnier! So I’m very excited about this, but also quite nervous, I would love to do a nice set and not disappoint my many friends there, so I’m working hard on preparing all music this week!
Discover more about DJ Deep on Inverted Audio.
https://ra.co/podcast/275
A transatlantic trip through house and techno. Share
6
Cyril Etienne des Rosaies has been a part of the Parisian house and techno scene for almost two decades. He got his initial break in the first half of the '90s playing for Laurent Garnier at his Oz, Zoo and Wake Up parties, while schooling himself in the art of Detroit techno and NYC and Chicago house in local record stores. His first efforts in music production hit shelves in 1997 (as The Deep alongside Julien Jabre), and although the name DJ Deep has since been more readily associated with the excellent City to City mix CDs, Etienne des Rosaies has proffered a stream of music through labels like BBE, Distance and his own Deeply Rooted House. With regards to the latter, DRH was set up in 2004 alongside the now defunct House Music Records reissue label. Artists like Kerri Chandler, Franck Roger and Manoo formed the backbone of those early days; more recently it's been techno talent like Ben Klock, Mike Dehnert and Marcelus drawing a crowd.
Old meets new, house meets techno and Deep gets, well, deep on RA.275.
What have you been up to recently?
Taking care of the label, DJing, listening and classifying about ten years of European techno records that I never had time to really organize in my collection, so that's been very inspiring.
How and where was the mix recorded?
The mix was recorded at my dear friend Emmanuel's studio. He used to run a 12-inch record shop in Paris, and he has a nice little studio where it's cool to record. I used a DJR400, two Technics SL1200 and two CDJs.
Can you tell us about the idea behind the mix.
Well, as always when I try and record a mix, I spend a lot of time and attention in trying to present the best mix possible for music lovers. I put together a lot of records I wanted to include in the mix without thinking of how they will fit and if they will fit etc.; just stuff where I thought "oh this has to be in the mix." It could be a nice classic that sounds very relevant today or a brand new track that I love. After that I have to find a path, where I can tell a "little story" and try and bring people into my own world if I can.
Can you tell us about the initial inspiration behind setting up E&S?
The initial inspiration was meeting Jérome Barbé in his studio around 2003! He was very encouraging about trying to produce a nice unique product.The first step was to produce a great sounding rotary mixer (DJR100) as it was also harder and harder to get the vintage US ones, then came the idea of doing a portable version (DJR400).Sometimes it's not easy to convince people of how good something sounds, but if you manage to put it in a small box that you can travel with and plug it into a system it makes things much easier!
What are you up to next?
I'm really looking forward to going back to Japan in September, playing in Paris in October at Batofar with Marcel Fengler, and looking forward to playing a small party in Amsterdam during ADE. I've just started working with Uzuri Artist Bookings & Management so looking forward to that working relationship. Clone will be reissuing Back in the DarkEP in September, a collaborative EP between myself and Jovonn. The EP was first released back in 2000. I'm also looking forward to more releases on Deeply Rooted House. There will be a Francois X EP which includes a remix by Marcel Dettmann, out on September 12th. There will also be new EPs by Marcelus as well as Rootstrax plus more.
https://www.phonographecorp.com/chroniques/interviews/itw-dj-deep-lavenir-est-il-un-long-passe/ Parmi les piliers de la musique électronique française, peu peuvent se targuer de n’avoir jamais galvaudé leurs messages et leurs démarches, Dj Deep est de ceux-là.
L’artiste Parisien a été l’auteur de « Kern Vol.1 », l’une des meilleurs compilations mixées parues en 2012, à côté de ça, il n’a pas arrêté de tourner. Les sorties dans son mythique label Deeply Rooted House ne se bousculent pas mais sont toutes très soignées ce qui fait que vous trouverez peu de disques estampillés DRH chez votre disquaire vu qu’ils ont tendance à partir vite. Il est assez intéressant de voir que sa renommée n’a pas toujours été telle et il y a deux ans, sa vision de la musique ne connaissait pas forcément le même engouement. Si aujourd’hui le « grand public » reconnait de nouveau l’ampleur de son travail et l’intégrité de sa démarche, sachez qu’il n’a rien changé. Il fait partie des rares dj à être booké sur son autorité de dj et non de producteur et c’est également l’un des rares à mixer autant techno que house.
Si l’on fait une brève rétrospective sur la carrière de Dj Deep, on constate qu’il n’y a eu aucune fausse note et qu’elle se traduit par une ligne directrice nette et précise. En quelques mots, il commence sa carrière grâce à Laurent Garnier aux soirées « Wake Up » et sort son premier Ep avec Ludovic Navarre Alias Saint Germain. En 1997 il lance les soirées « Legends » au Rex, un peu plus tard il se lance dans une collaboration avec Julien Jabre sous le nom The Deep avec qui il produira de belles pages de la House made in France. Après quelques collaborations avec entre autres Jovonn, Frank Roger, il arrête en 2002 la production et se consacre à un rôle dans lequel il excelle : directeur artistique de son label Deeply Rooted House pour un travail dans la durée qui a porté ses fruits. Au cours de cette interview nous lui avons posé quelques questions sur sa carrière et sur sa vision des musiques électroniques aujourd’hui. Bonne lecture!
– Bonjour Cyril, tu es DJ depuis plus de 20 ans maintenant, comment as-tu vu évoluer le rôle de DJ dans la musique électronique depuis que tu as commencé?
Bonjour, je vais commencer par prendre un exemple concret : lorsque j’avais la chance d’être résident des soirées Wake Up de Laurent Garnier au Rex, il m’a semblé que la motivation de booker un DJ était assez évidente. Je prends ici le cas de Lil Louis, un DJ légendaire de Chicago qui s’est avéré être un producteur tout aussi légendaire. À l’époque, les DJ’s Américains étaient un peu mes modèles et je découvrais que, non seulement ils avaient une technique de mix particulière, une véritable science de la programmation (la manière de séquencer la musique au cours d’une nuit), mais également qu’ils faisaient leurs propres edits de classiques et parfois étaient des producteurs révolutionnaires.
Puis, en écoutant d’autres DJ’s, je me suis rendu compte que la composition et le DJing étaient deux arts différents, que tous n’avaient pas la même aptitude dans les deux domaines.
Aujourd’hui, un jeune artiste talentueux qui vient de composer un track sur Ableton Live n’est pas nécessairement un grand DJ mais il peut être beaucoup plus demandé qu’un DJ talentueux qui lui n’est pas producteur.
– Quand tu as commencé, les gens transitaient des raves vers les clubs. Aujourd’hui c’est le phénomène inverse qui se produit. Penses-tu qu’il y ait une histoire de cycle dans les tendances ?
Les raves faisaient partie de la naissance d’un mouvement musical avec son vent de nouveauté et d’envie de liberté. Que les gens aient cycliquement envie de passer d’un univers à l’autre me paraît normal et sain pour l’équilibre de la scène. La fraîcheur et le dynamisme des raves boostent les clubs qui peuvent parfois tomber un peu dans la routine, et, inversement, le professionnalisme de la structure d’un club ne peut qu’inspirer les organisateurs de raves ou d’événements hors club pour accueillir les artistes et le public dans les meilleures conditions. J’imagine que l’on peut parler de concurrence positive.
François X – BANE
– Tu penses quoi de cette tendance à la hausse concernant le marché du vinyle ?
C’est très sympathique, mais, à mon sens, différents phénomènes en sont la cause : tout d’abord, il est maintenant abordable financièrement, non seulement de composer la musique, mais aussi de produire des disques vinyles, donc, naturellement, un certain amateurisme sympathique et enthousiaste envahit le marché.
Mais cela n’est sympathique qu’un temps, dans le sens où la direction artistique est parfois absente de ces productions, ce qui veut dire que personne n’est là pour guider un jeune artiste, par exemple en lui proposant d’attendre un peu avant de sortir son disque, de mûrir. Il ne se rend peut-être pas compte que ce qu’il vient de produire ressemble énormément à beaucoup de disques déjà sortis… En même temps, cet enthousiasme, même dans sa redite de classiques – je fais allusion à la mode qui consiste à faire une copie carbone de productions de Chicago de la fin des années 80 – est une sorte de victoire dans le sens où, à mes débuts, je désespérais que seule la techno commerciale ait du succès quand des Armando ou Derrick May restaient connus par les seuls “happy few”. Aujourd’hui, tous les jeunes à qui je parle et qui me suivent un peu connaissent par cœur la discographie d’Armando ou de Derrick May, grâce aux rééditions et à internet évidemment.
– Le même reproche que beaucoup de gens font à Beatport et son répertoire est donc transposable en un sens au marché du vinyle.
Je pense que dans le vinyle il y a aussi un phénomène de mode. Les gens veulent avoir leur nom sur un vinyle pour pouvoir tourner. Par la force du système, tu bookes certains DJs parce qu’ils ont fait tel vinyle que jouent tel DJ connu…
– D’ailleurs, arrives-tu à vivre de Deeply Rooted House ?
Non. Mais le label est autosuffisant et on a des chiffres de vente satisfaisants. On vend toujours 500 copies et quand le disque marche bien, on en fait 1500 ou 2000. Toutes proportions gardées, pour moi, ce sont de bons chiffres. Quand je vois mes potes qui sortent des copies à 300 exemplaires, je me dis que j’ai quand même beaucoup de chance.
Deeply Rooted House
– Tu penses que c’est dû à un travail sur la durée ?
Je l’espère. Et j’espère également que le label soit identifiable sans pour autant être enfermé sur lui-même. Je peux sortir un Rootstrax qui est bien deephouse ou après un Ep de Marcellus qui sonne techno et pourquoi pas, juste après, un Kerri Chandler. Je tiens vraiment à cette liberté.
– Penses-tu qu’il soit possible d’être innovant en musique aujourd’hui ?
Je ne sais pas, je n’écoute pas de disques où je me dis : « je n’ai jamais entendu ça de ma vie. » Au contraire, je redécouvre plein de vieux disques de ma collection et je réalise que ce que je j’aime dans les nouveautés aujourd’hui en est souvent très proche.
Ce n’est pas dans une optique réactionnaire du genre « c’était mieux avant ». Comme je le disais précédemment, je pense que le travail de jeunes producteurs consistant à redécouvrir les classiques est bénéfique dans le sens où ces derniers étaient parfois méconnus des générations précédentes. J’attends juste comme tout fan de house et de techno un vent nouveau!
– Tu ne penses pas que les gens ont besoin d’être rattachés à quelque chose dans le temps et dans l’espace ?
Oui, mais c’est important également de s’accorder sa qualité d’artiste, de mettre sa patte. De rendre hommage à un style de musique c’est super, mais de le copier de manière fétichiste en sachant que c’est exactement les mêmes machines ou enregistrer de la même manière à un tel point que si on ne te le disait pas, tu pourrais penser que tu écoutes un disque d’Armando, c’est cool… sauf qu’à raison de 25 vinyles par semaine, l’intérêt du concept s’essouffle.
Pour revenir à l’innovation, je pense qu’on manque de leader. « Où sont les Derrick May d’aujourd’hui ? » Quand j’avais 20 ans, écouter un disque de Derrick May ça te mettait une énorme trempe dans la gueule. Tu n’avais jamais entendu ça, jamais vu des visuels comme les siens, c’était unique. Ce n’était pas de l’innovation, c’était une révolution.
En tant que fan de musique, j’aimerais bien avoir des leaders, un Jeff Mills qui inspirerait une horde d’artistes derrière lui. Aujourd’hui, je pense que ça se fait rare, non ? Par contre j’entends beaucoup de disques en ce moment qui ressemblent un peu à d’anciens tracks de Jeff Mills…
Kerri Chandler – Pong (Ben Klock’s Bones and Strings rework)
– Mais le fait qu’il n’y ait plus autant de leaders, ne penses-tu pas que ça pousse les gens à chercher un peu plus loin ?
Oui, exactement, on est dans une période de recherche et il faut l’accepter. On est dans un cycle de 20 ans de techno. Au bout de 20 ans, presque tout a été fait. Je pense qu’il est difficile aujourd’hui de faire écouter un disque à quelqu’un qui écoute cette musique depuis ses débuts et de lui faire avaler qu’il n’a jamais entendu tel ou tel son. Cette période, mine de rien, est assez créative et je n’ai jamais autant acheté de disques qu’en ce moment, c.-à-d. ces dix dernières années. Après, est-ce que ce sont des nouveautés révolutionnaires ? Non, je ne pense pas. J’espère juste que cette période de recherche va aboutir à quelque chose de surprenant.
– Que penses-tu du fait que la musique électronique underground n’a jamais été aussi présente dans le quotidien des gens ?
Je ne pense pas que ce soit une bonne chose ça et je suis pas super fan de cette situation. Écouter de la techno dans un bar le matin, quand tu prends un café, ça m’enchante moyen. J’écoute plein de styles de musique et parfois je pense que l’overdose de musique électronique rend le genre un peu ennuyeux ou en tout cas fait qu’il se mord la queue.
Lorsque la musique électronique va puiser des influences dans des trucs plus anciens ou plus obscurs, ça l’enrichit. Le métissage, en général, est bénéfique pour la musique.
– Penses-tu que ce qui a fait la grande innovation avec la techno, c’est également le côté universel ?
C’est mignon comme idée, je pensais à ça quand j’avais 18 ans. Je ne suis pas sur que l’universalité soit l’une des caractéristiques de ce genre de musique. Les gens qui prônent l’universalité au travers de l’histoire on souvent été inquiétants. Ce n’est vraiment pas ma préoccupation et, de manière plus simple, la musique que je joue est particulière et elle n’est pas faite pour satisfaire aux critères de l’universalité. Si tout d’un coup plein de gens l’aiment, j’en suis ravi… mais la force des choses et le monde dans lequel on évolue prouvent que ce n’est pas ce qui est mis en avant.
Rootstrax – Harlequin
– Penses-tu que la notion d’underground ait encore un sens ?
Pour moi, oui. Le mot underground signifie être authentique et intègre dans la manière de partager sa musique avec les gens. Je me prends la tête des nuits blanches entières à préparer mes disques lorsque je vais jouer au Berghain ou à Concrete, ça me rend malade. C’est à la fois un plaisir et une souffrance, car j’ai un grand respect pour le public et que j’aime jouer là bas car j’ai le temps et la possibilité de m’exprimer. J’ai du respect pour le public et dans ce cas-là je veux faire de mon mieux pour leur donner ce que j’ai de meilleur, même si je n’ai pas fait l’unanimité. Mon métier c’est d’être chez le disquaire tous les jours, de sélectionner mes disques et donner ma musique avec beaucoup d’amour, même si derrière les platines j’ai l’air un peu coincé et pas rigolo. Ce que je fais, c’est pour les gens, pas pour moi. Sinon je resterais dans ma chambre…
– Dans ce cas-là, selon ta définition, Prince aussi est underground.
Bien sûr ! Être Underground ça ne se mesure pas au nombre de disque que tu vends. Prince, en l’occurrence, c’est l’un des meilleurs exemples même si c’est une énorme pop star. J’aime autant Prince que Derrick May, je ne fais pas de différence. Je pense que si Derrick May avait la possibilité de vendre autant de disques, il le ferait. Prince aurait pu être Derrick May et vice et versa, dans la limite du raisonnable. Il y a toujours une part de talent, mais aussi des cycles et l’air du temps, la chance qui fait que ça colle ou que ça ne colle pas. Un mec qui aurait pu être très bon, mais pas être là au bon moment, aurait pu crever inconnu de son public. Ce que je veux dire, c’est que je pense avoir une démarche authentique et ce n’est que cet aspect qui selon moi est intéressant dans la notion d’underground.
Manoo – Abyss
– Il y a un gros problème par rapport au succès dans les musiques électroniques tu ne penses pas ? Dès que quelqu’un commence à vendre des disques ou prendre de l’envergure, il n’est plus underground.
Il y a certains DJ’s/producteurs talentueux qui jouent beaucoup de leur personne et pourtant, en même temps, si tu regardes ça honnêtement, ils font de bons morceaux et mixent de bons sets. À partir de là, ils méritent d’avoir du succès. À côté de ça, si tu joues devant 10 000 personnes, dans les plus gros festivals, il faut être efficace et c’est peut-être ce qui fait que certains DJ’s changent leur manière de jouer lorsqu’ils prennent de l’envergure, car, face à une audience plus grande, il s’agit également d’être efficace.
Après, il n’y a pas de loi générale. L’authenticité devrait pouvoir être jugée quelque soit le degré de célébrité de la personne, par rapport a son goût et à son prisme d’analyse. La réaction de beaucoup qui consiste à dire « maintenant c’est nul, il gagne de l’argent », est à côté de la plaque.
– La figure du DJ n’a jamais été aussi mise en avant, ainsi peut-être est-ce normal que certains artistes usent de leurs charmes, non ?
Où ? Là tu me parles de David Guetta, ce n’est pas l’underground. Oui et non, c’est exactement comme lorsqu’on dit « tel artiste commercial français est devenu une star mondiale, ça fait du bien à la house française ». C’est faux, ça fait du bien à sa scène commerciale et ça ne me concerne aucunement.
Kerri Chandler – The Invaders
– Non, dans le milieu underground, on remplit des hangars ou des stades juste sur la figure de quelques DJ’s.
Penses-tu qu’on remplisse une soirée sur la figure du DJ ou sur la qualité de la soirée, ou les deux ? Je pense vraiment que les deux rentrent en compte.
J’ai essayé d’organiser des soirées qui s’appelaient Legends au Rex et je n’étais pas bon pour réunir les gens autour de moi. Pour une bonne soirée, il faut des freaks, des fans de musique, des jolies filles, des jolis mecs, des homos, des hétéros, des banlieusards, des Parisiens, des étrangers. Si c’est que des nerds à lunettes qui savent que le DJ est en train de jouer le dernier testpress de tel label … ça ne fait pas une bonne soirée !
Concrete c’est d’ailleurs ce qui fait son succès : il y a une politique musicale à long terme qui fonctionne et un mix qui marche et l’enjeu d’une soirée, c’est ça. Aujourd’hui, tout le monde ne peut pas faire des plateaux obscurs et ramener beaucoup de monde, c’est donc aussi l’image de qualité de la soirée qui fait son succès. Je pense que l’intérêt c’est d’être subtil et d’agencer les gros noms et les artistes plus pointus de manière harmonieuse.
– Mais dans ce cas là, penses-tu être souvent booké pour les bonnes raisons ?
Je n’en sais rien, c’est difficile de toujours savoir. Cependant, je pense qu’il y a quelque chose d’assez évident dans ma démarche. Si on me book pour jouer le top 10 de Beatport, c’est que le promoteur s’est planté.
Il m’arrive en effet parfois de me retrouver dans des endroits où je me demande ce que je fais là. Mais, c’est aussi intéressant de pouvoir faire danser les gens même si tu n’as pas les outils calibrés pour le genre de situation. Parfois, je me retrouve dans des endroits où il ne me semble pas gagné du tout de faire danser le public et le courant passe quand même
Zadig – TTRXL
– Qu’est-ce qui t’a séduit quand tu as découvert la house ?
À ce niveau-là, c’est même plus de la séduction, j’ai eu la chance de vivre un mouvement. J’ai été acteur, à mon modeste niveau, d’un mouvement. Un jour, tu vas au magasin de disque et c’est “Phuture – Acid Tracks” qui sort. La semaine d’après, c’est “Beyond The Dance” de Derrick May et, après, c’est Marshall Jefferson. C’est une chance de fou par rapport aux gens qui commencent maintenant, en pleine période de recherche où l’on tourne un peu en rond.
C’était ni mieux ni moins bien, mais j’ai eu la chance de vivre quelque chose d’unique. C’est également pour ça que j’aime bien discuter avec des gens plus jeunes que moi, car c’est important de comprendre comment vous percevez les choses, pour jouer ma musique. La dernière fois que j’ai joué à la Concrete, j’ai vraiment compris quelque chose. Je croyais vraiment être en prise avec les jeunes et souvent certains viennent me voir après mon set pour me dire « c’est mortel ! T’as joué ce vieux disque puis cette nouveauté et puis ce classique obscur ! » Le fait que les gens puissent reconnaître tout ça, cela me fait plus que plaisir.
Ce qui m’excite aujourd’hui, c’est de faire jubiler un danseur de 25 ans, sans qu’il s’aperçoive qu’il se déhanche sur un son de 1985 qui peut également être pertinent en 2013, et inversement qu’il croie découvrir un classique qui s’avère être une nouveauté ! Bref, plein de combinaisons sont possibles ! J’ai toujours eu peur que la culture que j’aime disparaisse. Il y a tellement de nouveautés qui sont juste passables et qui peuvent aveugler les gens par rapport à ce qui a été fait à certains moments de magie créatrice. Ce qui m’intéresse c’est que des gens de 20 ans entendent des trucs et qu’ils se disent « c’est de la folie ce truc… ça signifie que l’on peut faire une track de cette manière » … et qu’ensuite la puissance et la créativité de ces vieux morceaux poussent les jeunes à être au moins aussi créatif.
J’ai quelquefois le sentiment qu’il y a quand même quelque chose de conventionnel, des formules qui fonctionnent bien, car on aime bien être dans son confort. Les productions sonnent très bien et c’est de plus en plus facile de les faire sonner pour pas très cher. Ça reste un travail bien sûr, je ne le minimise pas du tout. Quand on a du talent et des idées tant mieux s’il est accessible de produire de la musique !
– Si on regarde à la carrière de bon nombre de DJ’s français, on remarque que tu es le seul de ta génération et de ton entourage à ne pas avoir bifurqué, comment expliques-tu cela ?
Je sais pourquoi je fais ça. Ça fait plus de 20 ans que je fais plein de sacrifice et que je bosse pour la musique et je pense que les gens qui accordent du crédit à ce que je fais le sentent aussi. Je ne suis pas là pour autre chose et c’est stimulant pour moi. Ça me permet d’essayer de faire passer des messages qui ne sont pas faciles à faire passer.
À un moment où je trouvais que la techno de Détroit tournait un peu en rond et que la house de NYC était beaucoup plus dynamique, j’ai exploré plus en profondeur cette scène. Lorsque j’ai découvert la musique et le talent de DJ comme Marcel Dettmann et Ben Klock et que la techno reprenait un souffle qui me correspondait, j’ai pu y revenir, car je n’avais pas cessé d’en acheter depuis tout ce temps. Je pense que les gens comprennent mieux ces changements d’orientation, car ils sont dictés par l’amour de la musique et non par la mode. Je suis un entonnoir : si tu me mets dans un magasin de disque toute la journée, je vais sélectionner tout ce qui me semble intéressant, si c’est de la house, ça sera de la house et si ça doit être de la techno… ça sera de la techno ! J’essaye de rester dans l’air du temps tout en gardant ma vision et les gens sentent quand tu es sincère.
Marcelus – Shape
– D’ailleurs, tu es le premier à avoir ramené Ben Klock et Marcel Dettmann à Paris.
Quand j’en ai eu la possibilité (principalement au Rex pour mes soirées Legends mais aussi plus récemment), j ai toujours essayé d’inviter à Paris des artistes qui me paraissaient essentiels à découvrir, que ce soit Kerri Chandler, Joe Claussell, Ben Klock ou Marcel Dettmann.
Kerri Chandler– Hexadecimal (chord version)
– Quels sont tes prochains axes d’investigations maintenant ?
Il y en a beaucoup que j’apprécie. J’aime la façon dont Token a géré son label, je fais attention également à Rhodad et Recondite qui émergent. Il y a également François X qui est un super DJ. Je suis très fan de ce que font Zadig et Antigone en ce moment. Je suis vraiment content, car, en France, on a plein de super artistes aujourd’hui. J’écoutais même récemment Jay Kay sur Phonogramme qui est vraiment intéressant. Je continue à suivre Bleak et Jonas Kopp. Tout ce petit monde…
– Tu as participé à la Boiler Room qui s’est tenue à Paris il y a quelques mois, ne trouves-tu pas ça étrange que les gens n’aient retenu que cette image de la France ?
Je pense qu’il ne faut pas généraliser. Leur line-up n’était pas fait de la manière la plus homogène.
Jonas Kopp – Reforce
– Quels sont tes prochains projets à venir ?
J’ai un nombre de dates effrayant qui commence à s’empiler donc je ne vais pas me plaindre pour l’instant. Sur le label, je travaille avec Francois X, Jonas Kopp, avec Zadig, mais je n’ai pas de disque prêt à sortir à l’instant. J’aime bien aussi cet aspect-là : je préfère laisser murir que de mettre la pression à un artiste. Je cherche également des moyens de présenter tout ce que j’aime dans mes sets et, ces derniers temps, ce n’est pas si facile, car il y a énormément de choses !
– À la dernière Concrete, tu avais joué 4h, dans ce cas là, ne penses-tu pas que les sets de longues durées sont plus pratiques ?
Quand je mixe, j’ai besoin d’avoir un retour du public et quand c’est magique, il n’y a aucun problème, ça va tout seul et ça peut durer très longtemps. Le problème fréquent, ces derniers temps, c’est qu’on te demande d’entrée de jeu de jouer 3h30 ou 4h mais parfois il vaut mieux prendre deux ou trois heures dingues que quatre heures “mi-figue mi-raisin”. C’est plus intelligent de prendre le meilleur d’un artiste que d’entrer dans ce genre de compétition. Je peux jouer douze heures dans ce cas…
Ce qui est important, c’est ce que tu donnes aux gens. Il y a des moments dans des soirées où ça opère parfaitement… D’autres où la magie peine à se faire et quelquefois ça n’arrive pas, c’est imprévisible ! Mon problème c’est le systématisme et parfois, lorsque les contraintes logistiques le permettent, c’est bien d’être flexible : une soirée, c’est comme un être humain. Ce n’est pas forcément bon de se mettre des balises et dans ce cas le DJ jouera peut-être trois heures, mais ça sera cinq fois meilleur que s’il en faisait quatre. A contrario, ça peut se traduire par laisser jouer un DJ une heure de plus, car la magie opère. Toutefois, je suis conscient des contraintes de logistique et tout cela n’est pas toujours possible…
https://www.factmag.com/2015/04/29/dj-deep-re-formats-his-deeply-rooted-label/ DJ Deep re-formats his Deeply Rooted label The new format aims to “keep each release very unique to the label.”
DJ Deep has announced his plans to re-format his Paris-based Deeply Rooted imprint. Each new record will be released under an alias that is exclusive to to the label. The new 12-inches will also will be coupled with artwork by French sculptor Daniel Poirout.
Deeply Rooted (known as Deeply Rooted House before a name change in 2013 to reflect its expanding output) has already started the new campaign with its first record of the year. Croatian producer Miss Sunshine delivered the Mood Module EP in April under the exclusive alias of Insolate.
The next record to arrive on the label will come from Deep’s compatriot Roman Poncet, under the guise of Redspecs. Following that, Poncet will team with DJ Deep as Fang for the label’s 50th overall release. The pair have collaborated frequently in the past, releasing two records on Tresor under the moniker of Adventice with another on the way for Desire Records (under the alias of Sergie Rezza).
Deeply Rooted promise more records under the new format, with the eventual aim of tying them all together in a compilation. Deeply rooted will release Redspecs’ Absent EP on June 15. Fang’s A House “Fang” will arrive on July 13. [via RA]
https://www.traxmag.com/paris-les-legendes-de-la-house-vont-cloturer-lete-en-beaute-au-rex-club/
Le 22 août signera la fin des vacances d’été pour Rex Club, et pour une fois, la date de la rentrée à quelque chose de réjouissant. Avec un line-up de légende, cette semaine de ré-ouverture sera l’occasion de faire trembler le club préféré des parisiens durant 3 soirées qui s’annoncent d’ores et déjà mythiques.
Pour mettre un terme à la trève estivale, le Rex Club rouvrira ses portes le 22 août prochain et annonce non seulement une programmation pointue, mais aussi une première semaine d’exception.
Pour ouvrir le bal le jeudi 22 août, une rencontre à l’allure de choc des titans. Le boss de la house new-yorkaise Kerri Chandler et le patron de la deep house française DJ Deep seront tous deux présents. Actifs depuis les années 80, le mix est devenu un état naturel pour ces deux artistes de légende . Et pour rendre hommage à leurs longues carrières, ils auront le champ libre tout la nuit.
Le lendemain, une autre légende, DJ Bone, proposera sa techno venue des bas-fonds de la Motor City. À ses côtés, il faudra compter sur Afrodeutsche ainsi que le duo parisien Kas:st, qui immergera le public dans un bain de nappes mélancoliques et de kicks techno syncopés. Un mélange de styles qui ravira les plus fins connaisseurs.
Le samedi, la house la plus soulful sera à l’honneur, avec une soirée organisée par le label Toy Tonics, sur lequel sont signés Demuja, Felipe Gordon ou encore Rhode & Brown. Il invite pour l’occasion Danny Krivit, DJ légendaire né à Greenwich Village et ayant côtoyé Larry Levan, Joe Claussell, Francois K et la plupart des précurseurs de la scène new-yorkaise. En activité depuis 1971, il est depuis devenu l’ambassadeur d’une house teintée de disco, de funk et de soul. Dans ce voyage sensuel seront également présents la nouvelle sensation de la house berlinoise Cinthie, ainsi que son pair toulousain Mangabey. Le dernier invité de la soirée sera Kapote, dont la house emprunte allègrement à la funk des années 70.
Enfin, cette semaine de festivités s’achèvera le dimanche soir sur un événement aux accents bass et dubstep, invitant la superstar américaine Jauz, ainsi que Notion, l’un des nouveaux talents de la scène UK bass, et le Français KOOS.
Toutes les informations concernants ces événements sont à retrouver sur la page Facebook du Rex Club.
https://www.traxmag.com/a-deep-groove-on-voit-les-disques-dune-autre-facon-on-a-vecu-leur-sortie-on-connait-leur-histoire/
A Deep Groove : “On voit les disques d’une autre façon : on a vécu leur sortie, on connait leur histoire”
Écrit par Maïté Pesche Le 25.05.2018, à 16h40 08 MIN LI- RE ©DR ACCUEIL TOUS NOS ARTICLES A DEEP GROOVE : “ON VOIT LES DISQUES D’UNE AUTRE FAÇON : ON A VÉCU LEUR SORTIE, ON CONNAIT LEUR HISTOIRE” A Deep Groove, c’était le fameux trio formé en 1993 par trois potes, amoureux de la musique, qui animaient ensemble le lunch time religieusement attendu par les auditeurs de Radio FG, une des premières radios de France à diffuser sur ses ondes de la house et de la techno. Vingt-cinq ans plus tard, Cyril aka DJ Deep, Greg aka DJ Gregory et Alex aka Alex from Tokyo se retrouvent pour une date inédite au Macki Music Festival. Une chose apparaît d’emblée lorsque Trax rencontre les trois DJ’s : leur complicité n’a jamais disparu.
Un studio, des micros, beaucoup de vinyles et une pause déjeuner en musique : A Deep Groove, c’était 1994. Du lundi au samedi de 12h à 14h, DJ Gregory, DJ Deep et Alex from Tokyo nous ont offert pendant un peu plus d’un an leurs sélections house et techno, toujours orchestrées par un seul mot d’ordre : le groove. Trois collègues, mais surtout trois amis qui, malgré leur courte expérience à la radio, resteront soudés et en contact pendant plusieurs décennies. Aujourd’hui, à l’occasion d’une date exceptionnelle au Macki Music Festival le 29 juin, les trois compères se retrouvent sur scène pour montrer aux “jeunes” le flot d’antan, sans oublier l’excellente musique produite ces dernières années.
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Paris : le trio historique de la house française A Deep Groove réuni au Macki Festival 2018
Cette reformation du trio A Deep Groove vous trottait dans la tête depuis un moment ?
Alex from Tokyo : J’avais joué pour la première fois avec l’équipe de La Mamie’s à la Ferme du Bonheur, en septembre dernier. Ça s’était très bien passé et à la fin de la soirée j’ai discuté avec Victor de La Mamie’s. On a discuté de nos passés, de nos carrières et de nous trois, A Deep Groove. Les membres de La Mamie’s étaient très intéressés par un plateau spécial avec nous et de fil en aiguille… C’est comme ça que ça s’est fait.
DJ Gregory : A Deep Groove, c’était une sélection de nouveautés house music et techno venues des États-Unis, mais pas seulement. Ces dernières années, il y a une sorte de « revival » de cette décennie, avec cette culture d’aller digger des vieux disques pour ensuite les partager et avoir cette sensation, peut-être, de ce que pouvaient être les 90’s. La différence avec A Deep Groove, c’est que c’est un « collectif » au sein duquel on a suivi en direct l’arrivée et l’évolution de cette musique, c’est une période qu’on a eu la chance de vivre. On a une autre façon de voir tous ces disques, on a vécu leur sortie, on connait leur histoire, ce ne sont pas des disques que l’on rencontre sur Discogs en diggant à droite à gauche. Même si c’est génial aussi comme nouvelle culture ! Je suis par exemple amusé, quand je vois des jeunes jouer des face B, de les entendre me dire ensuite que c’est ce qu’ils imaginent avoir été l’esprit des nuits à NY/Chicago de l’époque. Alors qu’en 1994, c’était la face A qui était surtout jouée ! Aujourd’hui, ce qui est très sympa avec le Macki Music Festival, c’est qu’on va être dans le reflet d’une époque, combiné avec ce que l’on trouve d’intéressant en 2018 pour en faire un joyeux mélange !
DJ Deep : C’est vrai que j’ai l’impression qu’on a vécu une époque très enthousiaste avec un vrai mélange musical, il y avait plein d’influences qui n’étaient pas antinomiques, au contraire. On a, je pense, cette sensibilité et cette curiosité-là qui pourra être retranscrite dans notre musique. Même si, à l’époque, la couleur de notre quotidienne sur Radio FG ressortait dans l’ensemble surtout house et garage ; on allait de grands classiques à de la techno, et c’est ce qui nous plaisait dans la musique.
A Deep Groove ça a duré 1 an et demi, puis vous vous êtes séparés. De quelle façon avez-vous gardé contact ? Pourquoi ne pas avoir réalisé des projets en commun plus tôt ?
Alex from Tokyo : Déjà parce qu’on est amis avant tout ! On est toujours resté en contact même si on habitait dans trois villes différentes, on a construit un lien fort.
DJ Deep : Oui, on se connait depuis tellement d’années, on a vécu une époque ensemble, on est des amoureux de la musique et on n’arrête pas de s’appeler pour se faire écouter des mix, on partage nos avis.
DJ Gregory : On se nourrit artistiquement les uns des autres, en bons potes passionnés qui se sont rencontrés chez le disquaire. On s’était déjà dit « on pourrait faire ci, faire ça… ». Mais on n’a pas trouvé le ton juste, on n’a pas forcément eu envie d’être dans cette déferlante, on veut que ça soit naturel. Aujourd’hui on est heureux de combiner de nouveau nos trois univers.
DJ Deep : Maintenant que la house s’est bien établie, aucun d’entre nous n’avait l’obsession de jouer. Je trouve que ce qui est génial, c’est cette émulation artistique qu’on a entre nous, avant tout.
Alex from Tokyo : Finalement c’est très organique, on s’est retrouvés un peu plus ces dernières années. Ce désir de se retrouver revient encore après que chacun ait exploré ses projets personnels.
Comment avez-vous vécu le “creux” qu’a connu la house vers la fin des années 2000 ?
Alex from Tokyo : À cette époque, j’étais à New-York. Effectivement, après le 11 septembre, la fête avait pris un grand coup, il y avait quand même plein de bonnes choses mais tout avait quelque peu rétréci. On ressentait un « ralentissement ».
DJ Gregory : Est-ce un creux ou une simple étape dans l’évolution du mouvement ? Un mouvement musical, c’est 2 ou 3 ans, puis il y a en général un sursaut, comme le rock par exemple. Les fans de rock te diront que le sursaut c’était 1956-59 et qu’après autre chose est arrivé. L’émergence de la techno, c’est une urgence musicale, un regard de la société qui évolue et c’est au sein de cette évolution qu’il va y avoir des innovations. En effet, comme toutes les musiques qui se démocratisent, le mouvement peut sembler un moment s’aseptiser ou les nouvelles générations s’en lassent peu à peu. Après tout, on n’aime pas écouter la musique de son père. On arrive donc au milieu-fin des années 2000, la minimal cartonne en Europe, et la house semble plus ennuyeuse et va donc perdre son sens premier. C’est toujours un ping-pong entre l’Europe et les États-Unis. En effet il y a eu un « down » : aujourd’hui, la musique américaine est peut-être un peu moins intéressante même si on y trouve encore de très bons disques.
DJ Deep : Entre 1986-1990 en gros, il y a eu tellement de choses, beaucoup de créativité avec Derrick May par exemple, beaucoup de choses avaient été dites. Après c’est allé par vagues. Personnellement, la techno m’inspirait moins, elle devenait trop violente, j’en avais marre quand on animait A Deep Groove. Mais si la fin des années 2000 a été plus calme pour la house, c’est également l’arrivée du disque de Ben Klock avec une nouvelle techno assez funky. Je pense que c’est difficile d’établir un creux en tant que tel.
Ce fameux ping-pong entre le vieux continent et les US, Alex, ça t’inspire quoi ?
Alex from Tokyo : Le Japon et Tokyo ont toujours été ma maison, il y a toujours eu une scène très forte et très connectée. Beaucoup plus tôt qu’à Paris, d’ailleurs. On avait le club Space Lab Yellow à Tokyo qui fut marquant à l’échelle du pays entier ! C’est intéressant de voir que selon les pays, les courants et les vagues sont différents et finalement, on navigue à travers tout ça.
Aujourd’hui, on assiste à l’émergence des webradios, c’est quelque chose que vous suivez ?
Alex from Tokyo : Bien sûr, j’en écoute plusieurs !
DJ Deep : Je n’écoute plus trop la radio, plutôt des mix. C’est vrai que j’ai plus le même plaisir à écouter Nova ou Radio FG.
DJ Gregory : Pareil que Cyril, la radio aujourd’hui a moins ce côté « rendez-vous ». Avant pour une émission de radio, tu amenais ta cassette à telle heure pour enregistrer dans le studio. C’est ce qui a donné toute l’envergure d’A Deep Groove, c’était le charme du lunch time mix ! Aujourd’hui, il y a moins cette dimension-là, mais ça va avec l’évolution des technologies.
Pour vous, ce fameux groove, ce truc qui nous pousse tous à danser, c’est quoi ?
Alex from Tokyo : Pour moi c’est le côté live, c’est l’âme du truc !
DJ Deep : Oui, c’est vrai, je pense que c’est l’émotion que tu mets dans ton set, faut pas être trop mécanique. J’ai vu il n’y a pas si longtemps une vidéo masterclass en production réalisée par Boiler Room. Kenny Dope, la moitié de Masters at Work, explique comment il fait ses drums. Sûrement le truc que j’ai toujours voulu savoir parce que ce mec est un tueur, il en est le champion ! Moi je torture Alex et Greg avec mes loops sans intérêt depuis 25 ans et quand j’écoute les mix des autres je me dis : « Oh la vache, ça bouge ! » J’ai donc voulu connaitre son secret. Dans cette vidéo, il prend un vieux disque hollandais datant du milieu 90’s, The Good Men, qui a marqué une génération même s’il n’est pas forcément du meilleur goût, et il avait envie de le « re-jamer ». Il a coupé le morceau en 4 parties, et il a trouvé 14 accords de percussions différents de manière très spontanée, et pour moi, le groove c’est ça. C’est se laisser aller là où on veut aller, c’est ces petites variations qui vont faire groover un public. Tu vas voir, Greg, il avait la nouvelle MPC. Tu vas voir la vidéo, tu vas vouloir l’acheter. Moi je pense qu’à ça depuis ! (Rires)
DJ Gregory : Je regarde ça tout de suite.
Qu’est-ce que vous comptez nous proposer lors de votre set ?
DJ Gregory : Ce qu’on va proposer, c’est la musique que l’on a connue et vue évoluer. Aujourd’hui il y a un vrai accès à toute cette musique, mais ça peut être accablant, c’est plus difficile de se constituer une sensibilité propre. Et c’est ça qu’on aimerait transmettre, cette curiosité construite autrement. Bien sûr, on n’a pas envie de faire du revival ! C’est ringard de vouloir être dans une vie totalement 90’s vingt ans plus tard. Ce qui était dans les 90’s y reste, c’était un reflet d’une société à un moment donné.
DJ Deep : Je rejoins Greg, je crois que le but n’est pas de voir trois vieux combattants qui imposent leur regard, aucun de nous n’est dans cette optique. Personnellement, je n’ai jamais acheté autant de disques de ma vie qu’aujourd’hui, on aime beaucoup ce qui se fait de nouveau. Mais malgré tout, il y a une culture acquise différemment dans ce qu’on fait, et on essaye de transmettre ça à notre modeste échelle. C’est comme une empreinte qui filtre la manière dont on voit les choses.
DJ Gregory : J’aimais bien le fait que les disques à l’époque avaient une vraie longévité. Chaque disque avait une naissance, une maturation et un sens associé : la sortie, la promo, le remix qui vient plus tard… On vibrait sur le disque parfois six mois d’affilés dans les clubs, et on en mangeait jusqu’au prochain disque ! Aujourd’hui tu peux télécharger 500Go de musique en une journée et de ce fait, c’est beaucoup plus difficile d’établir un classique qui aurait marqué toute une génération.
DJ Deep : Les tubes d’une scène musicale ne vont pas être ceux d’une autre scène aujourd’hui, c’est aussi plus cloisonné, segmenté.
Alex from Tokyo : En fait, notre point commun entre DJ’s de notre génération, c’est que l’on partage une bonne quantité de disques dans nos collections.
Le Macki, c’est un beau cadre… C’est quoi vos endroits favoris ?
DJ Deep : Le Rex, bien évidemment, qui n’a pas jamais perdu de sa grandeur !
Alex from Tokyo : Le Yellow à Tokyo ! Bien qu’il ait fermé il y a une dizaine d’années, il reste tout de même le club au Japon qui a eu un tel impact que tout le pays s’en souviendra encore longtemps, et moi également.
DJ Gregory : Il y avait le Boy aussi !
DJ Deep : Ah oui, où tu nous faisais ta fameuse danse du pirate !
Ils rient.
DJ Gregory : Je ne vois pas du tout de quoi tu parles, tout le monde dansait comme ça à l’époque ! Un truc un peu… 88, quoi ! Les gens n’étaient pas tournés vers le DJ, le DJ était important, bien sûr, mais on l’apercevait, les gens dansaient surtout entre eux. DJ, c’est aussi un métier qui a changé, on ne peut pas le nier.
Alex from Tokyo: On va leur redonner le goût de la danse et du groove à tous ces jeunes !
https://www.exposedmagazine.co.uk/nightlife/interview-dj-deep/ Interview: DJ Deep LEO BURRELL on 6th June 2017 at 1:32 pm “I would love for the knowledgeable people to speak out loudly more often about the culture of our music…” Paris-born house and techno stalwart DJ Deep tells Nightlife Editor Leo Burrell what he has in store for The Night Kitchen’s final party, upcoming releases and his views on the recent Armin Van Buuren vs Underground Resistance controversy.
Hey DJ Deep, we’re stoked to have you back in Sheffield this month. Thanks so much for having me! I’m very happy for the invitation to play here again.
This time you’ll be playing at a very special event, the Night Kitchen’s closing party, a venue very close to our hearts in Sheffield. Will you be approaching your selections any differently considering it’s the final night? Well, to be honest, I come across so much music these days that I spend a lot of time classifying and organising it. I digitalise all the vinyl that I buy, whilst I also buy a lot of digital files and get sent a lot of promos daily too. So what I always try to do is go to a gig with an open mind, feel what the vibe is, and then try to create a soundtrack that fits the mood using the music that I want to share with the audience in that specific moment.
You’ll be playing with DJ Overdose, Tom Demac (Live), Medlar, Andy Blake and many more. There’s also a secret b2b planned. Are you a fan of any of those artists? Yeah, I’m a big fan of Overdose’s releases! I know a few other names here, and I’m eager to discover the other talents on the bill – it’s a great line up!
How are things going with your Deeply Rooted label? I see you had your 50th release back in 2015. You’ve had such an amazing roster of releases – Ben Klock, Marcel Dettmann, Kerri Chandler – and it doesn’t get much bigger than that! The label is doing great, thanks! We’re just about to release Volume 1 of the remixes from my ‘Cuts’ series, featuring remixes by Mr G, Ben Sims, Steve Rachmad and Roman Poncet. Then in early September we will be releasing a Ben Sims EP, which I’m super excited about!
I’m still loving your Cuts Volume 3 from September last year. Is there going to be a Volume 4 soon? Volume 2 is currently going for crazy money on Discogs. Is making rare, desirable records something you set out to do? I feel that the ‘economy’ of vinyl is getting a bit out of hand these days. Some things can go for crazy money whilst I recently noticed that “Whew/Tribal Ryddims” by Kenny Dope’s Bucketheads, which is one of my favourite NY House records ever and not always easy to find, goes for $1 on Discogs. Get that if you don’t have it yet – trust me, it’s a good tip! But I try to keep on doing what I’m doing, and we are now repressing my “Cuts Vol.2″ EP which currently goes for the silly amounts [listed at up to €120] on Discogs as I want people to get our releases for a fair price.
“what do I care about what Armin Van Buuren is doing or thinking? It has nothing to do with true ‘music lovers’ music” You’ve just made all 37 of your Deep Library mixes – which date back from 2007 – available for download, and that’s an amazing archive of music. What did you set out to do with that series and has that changed at all? The idea behind this series was to try to find a ‘feel’ and a ‘flow’ through a selection of music, no matter what tempo or style, and to create both deep and smooth transitions, but also to sometimes shock the listener with brutal transitions etc. I’m glad some people like it so much, like my good friend Keffer who is the graphic designer for Deeply Rooted. I came across a mix from the series and I couldn’t remember if I’d ever put it online so I called him as I knew he was collecting them. I soon realised he knew them all almost off by heart! He gave me the idea to re-upload them in one accessible place, and as I’m a disaster with both computers and the internet, he helped me set it up nicely on SoundCloud.
I see you’ve just played in Detroit at Movement Festival with Carl Craig. How was that?
It was great! I’m very thankful to Carl and Hagi for inviting me. They’re really great friends and I love their Detroit Love parties, so being involved in some of their events is always such a huge honour and a privilege.
You’ve spoken on social media about the recent controversy surrounding the “UR” Ibiza residency, which Underground Resistance have accused Armin Van Buuren of plagiarising. Armin has spoken out and said he wasn’t aware of any similarities between the logos. Do you think that’s true? In terms of the issue of not knowing, I couldn’t care less to tell you the truth. My thoughts behind the post was actually more along the line of: “What do I care about what Armin Van Buuren is doing or thinking as it has nothing to do with true ‘music lovers’ music?” – if you know what I mean? I’m not hating on the names from that scene, and it has nothing to do with what I am or what we are as an ‘underground movement’. Just because some artists use a mixer and CDJs, it doesn’t therefore make them house or techno DJs, right? Well, that’s it. I would love for the knowledgeable people to speak out loudly more often about the culture of our music, you know? What super cheesy EDM producers/DJs do is the last of my concern, but what memories individuals have from their time at places such as the Paradise Garage, for example, I do care about. The memories that Ron Trent or Joe Claussell may have are what interest me more.
Of course, we’ve recently all been shocked and saddened by the terrorist incident in Manchester. Without wanting to touch any nerves, I understand you are from Paris yourself. Can you tell us a bit about what helped the music scene in Paris to move past such divisive times after the horror of November last year? It’s an extremely difficult subject. I feel we as humans are urged to come closer in a more understanding and caring way, but half of the world is at war. I admit to not understanding most of the reasons and complex implications of those wars, but simply hope we can somehow help building a more responsible world for our children; first by not letting hate or violence be an answer to violence, and secondly by asking the hard questions on how to possibly envision a more balanced and fair world where humans come first, not always economy and profit.
Finally, what have you got planned for the rest of 2017? I’m really happy that the vinyl release of DJ Honesty’s new EP is now out on Sebo K’s Scenario. It features my remix of ‘Loitering’, a track which has been getting some nice responses here in Paris. I also have a release that’s soon to be released on Rekids as part of their ‘Special Projects’ series entitled ‘Parisian Kid EP’, and I hope that will get some nice feedback too! Finally, I have completed a remix for Spencer Parker’s Work Them Records, which I think will be out in September. It’s a great label and I can’t wait for this one to come out!
https://www.telerama.fr/musique/dj-deep-s-ameliorer-aux-cotes-de-laurent-garnier-c-est-comme-apprendre-le-velo-avec-le-maillot-jaune-du-tour-de-france-7007914.php
DJ Deep : “S’améliorer aux côtés de Laurent Garnier, c’est comme apprendre le vélo avec le Maillot jaune”
8 minutes à lire
Odile de Plas Publié le 23/12/21 mis à jour le 30/03/22 Partager
DJ Deep.
DJ Deep.
Photo Layla Gras
Dans un livre-encyclopédie classe et drôle, ce pionnier de la house music en France revient sur trente ans de musiques électroniques à partir des T-shirts des labels qui en ont écrit l’histoire. Il raconte comment leurs disques ont changé sa vie.
Dans la famille des pionniers de la house music en France, DJ Deep figure en bonne place, aux côtés des premiers vendeurs de disques, des premiers danseurs qui firent vivre cette musique venue de New York et de Chicago dans les petits clubs parisiens qui l’accueillaient alors. Nous étions à la fin des années 80 et Cyril Étienne des Rosaies, avec son allure de jeune homme de bonne famille et sa timidité en bandoulière, n’avait a priori rien pour devenir un acteur-clé du mouvement. Sa rencontre avec Laurent Garnier, alors DJ à La Luna, un petit club underground, changera le cours de choses. Depuis, DJ Deep n’a jamais quitté les platines, avec la discrétion et la timidité qui le caractérisent encore aujourd’hui, mais surtout, le savoir encyclopédique qui font de ses sets, à écouter en club ou dans son émission Open library, sur Worldwide FM, un perpétuel moment de découverte.
Pour transmettre cet amour immodéré des musiques électroniques qui l’anime depuis trente ans, DJ Deep a publié Chaotic Harmony, un beau et drôle de livre. Il ne met pas en avant les disques, mais les T-shirts des labels et des artistes qui ont marqué sa vie de DJ, de la techno abrasive d’Axis Records et Jeff Mills, à la house boisée de Yoruba et Onsulade. Une « non-collection », précise la couverture, parce que « s’il me fallait absolument tous les disques, les T-shirts étaient évidemment accessoires. Mais je les ai gardés car je garde toujours tout », explique cet obsessionnel revendiqué. Publié chez Headbanger, maison d’édition-sœur d’Ed Banger Records, le label de Pedro Winter, et coréalisé avec la photographe Emma Le Doyen, Chaotic Harmony retrace cette révolution musicale à travers les « emblèmes » qui permettent aux fans de se reconnaître, de devenir amis parfois comme Cyril le devint avec le DJ Alex from Tokyo, accosté dans un club grâce à un blouson siglé Nu Groove « un label qui me faisait rêver à l’époque ». Retour sur une vie en musique, et parfois en T-shirt, avec son auteur.
Le premier disque acheté ?
Certainement le même jour, un disque de Michael Jackson et un autre d’Imagination, car je me souviens que j’adorais leurs costumes. Je ne suis pas certain du magasin, un Prisunic, ou peut-être Champs Disques, que j’ai fréquenté assez tôt car j’ai été élevé par mes grands-parents, et j’allais à l’école rue de Berri dans le 8e arrondissement.
Le DJ qui vous a donné envie de le devenir ? Au départ, je ne voulais pas être DJ. Je me contentais de collectionner les disques, en amoureux de house et de techno. Certains de mes amis l’étaient, comme Olivier le Castor, Romain BNO ou Guillaume la Tortue, les trois vendeurs et amis du magasin Bonus Beats, que je fréquentait à l’époque. Et puis j’ai découvert Laurent Garnier, et avec lui j’ai compris ce qu’était ce métier. Il faut m’imaginer à l’époque : j’étais élevé par mes grands-parents dans le 8e arrondissement, avec ma petite chemise et mes petits mocassins, et j’allais écouter Laurent mixer aux Gay Tea Dance du Palace le dimanche après-midi entouré de mecs torse nu. Je me plantais devant sa cabine et j’essayais de comprendre comment il faisait. Il m’a dit « viens, parce que je te trouve bizarre collé à la vitre en train de me regarder. » Laurent Garnier : “J'écoute au minimum cent nouveaux titres par jour” On est devenus copains et il m’a expliqué deux trois trucs. Jusqu’à me proposer un jour de le remplacer à La Luna, un petit club rue Keller, à Paris, car il commençait à avoir beaucoup de succès en Angleterre. Je faisais plein de conneries au début et j’ai fini par comprendre que la sélection ne faisait pas tout, que la technique était aussi essentielle car elle permettait d’emmener les gens d’un style à l’autre sans qu’ils s’en aperçoivent. Mais s’améliorer aux côtés de Laurent, c’est comme apprendre le vélo avec le Maillot jaune du Tour de France. Il m’a fallu des heures d’entraînement avant d’y arriver.
Le morceau qui vous a fait aimer la house ? Sûrement Marshall Jefferson, Move Your Body. Ou Jungle Brothers, I’ll House You, ou encore Todd Terry, Can You Party. D’ailleurs ce sont un peu les même morceaux, car ils utilisent des samples de Move Your Body. Je dirais donc Marshall Jefferson car c’est le titre fondateur. J’avais 15 ans et demi quand j’ai découvert cette musique. Je préparais mon bac avec un mec qui avait 19 ans, un surfeur hyper extraverti, tout l’inverse de moi. Il m’a entraîné un dimanche après-midi aux Étoiles, un petit club rue du Château-d’Eau. Je me rappelle l’endroit, les stroboscopes. Les deux DJ étaient Cyrille Gordigiani, qui jouait de la house, et David Guetta, qui passait du hip-hop. J’étais scotché, tout simplement. On a passé des nuits ensuite à écouter ces disques avec Olivier le Castor. On ne se parlait même pas, il y avait quelque chose de très fort. Quand la techno est arrivée, elle a relégué l’image au second plan. Dans les soirées, on ne voyait pas le DJ alors qu’aujourd’hui on braque les projecteurs sur eux. Je suis toujours aussi mal à l’aise avec ça des années après. J’avais trouvé un job peinard, planqué derrière les fumigènes, et voilà qu’ils nous foutent sur des estrades avec du vent. Pour moi, ça va à l’encontre de cette musique...
Votre meilleur concert ? J’ai eu la chance de rencontrer Roy Ayers à Paris parce que mon ami Pete de BBE ressortait ses albums avec des inédits. J’ai donc passé deux jours avec lui, juste avant qu’un petit problème de santé ne l’affaiblisse, il y a quelques années. Le concert se déroulait au New Morning et il était vraiment magique. Je ne sais pas si c’est le meilleur concert que j’aie vu, car je n’y vais pas très souvent, mais c’est celui auquel je pense immédiatement.
La plus belle pochette de disque ? Toutes celles réalisées par Boris Tellegen, alias Delta. Il a commencé comme graffeur, à l’époque de Futura, au milieu des années 80. J’adore son côté très géométrique, ses jeux avec la matière. Il a fait des pochettes pour mon label, Deeply Rooted. Une série presque identique, mais où le motif évoluait, d’abord il était en relief, puis découpé… Pour le représenter, je mettrai un maxi de la série de réédition Back to the Future, le morceau Madness, de Terry Hunter, dans la version Armandos house mix.
Un morceau qui vous rappelle vos débuts à La Luna ? Sans hésiter, Rhythm is Rhythm, The Dance, sur Transmat, le label de Derrick May. La Luna était un club gay, vraiment hardcore, intense. Laurent y jouait en amenant avec lui sa petite troupe d’amis anglais, une dizaine de filles et garçons, fans de musique. Le public gay à l’époque soutenait tellement la musique électronique, était si réceptif que c’était vraiment électrique. Et très cool aussi car cette communauté était assez ouverte pour accepter qu’on s’y mêle. Le public et le patron du club étaient super contents de voir des Londoniens, des Mancuniens faire le déplacement, ça rendait le lieu hyper branché. Je parle d’une époque avant Internet, avant les téléphones portables, où l’on fantasmait sur tout ce qui venait d’Angleterre, car ils étaient précurseurs en musiques électroniques.
Le maxi qui symbolise le Rex Club ? Il y a plusieurs époques. Pour mes soirées Legends au Rex vers 1995, où je cherchais à faire jouer les DJ new-yorkais ou américains qui n’étaient pas tellement invités en France, je citerais un titre produit par Kerri Chandler et Jerome Sydenham spécialement pour ces soirées, Powder « Deep at Legends ». Il était mythique là-bas.
La glorieuse épopée musicale du Rex Club Un T-shirt qui vous manquerait le plus ? J’ai un T-shirt de la compilation techno qui a donné son nom à ce style, sortie sur le label Network. Derrick May le portait lorsqu’il était venu jouer pour la première fois à Paris et après son set, il l’a enlevé et me l’a lancé en partant. Il y a donc toute cette histoire derrière et puis il faut imaginer qu’on peut en mettre deux comme moi dedans. Je pense aussi à un autre T-shirt du label Transmat. Derrick May voulait tester le tie & dye, cette technique de teinture avec des nœuds, mais ne les a jamais commercialisés. Ce sont un peu des pièces de collection. J’ai conscience que parler de Derrick May n’est pas évident, car s’il est coupable de ce dont plusieurs femmes l’accusent, c’est absolument atroce. Mais c’est un personnage important de cette musique, qui a beaucoup compté pour moi et je ne peux pas le nier. Photos extraites du livre « Chaotic Harmony », de DJ Deep. Photos extraites du livre « Chaotic Harmony », de DJ Deep. Photo Emma Le doyen/Éd. Headbangers La prochaine bombe de votre set ? J’adore ce titre de Kelly G, Be Still. Il est très inspiré du gospel, mais avec une manière géniale de le tourner car vraiment house, à la différence des Basement Boys qui restent plus classiques dans leur relecture. Ça fait trois ans que je connais ses disques, mais c’est un vieux de la vieille : il a participé à pas mal de morceaux que j’apprécie depuis longtemps, sauf qu’il n’avait jamais été mis en avant, ou n’avait pas encore eu de tube.
Un morceau qui vous donne toujours envie de danser ? Masters at Work, The Bounce, un morceau dingue. Je le trouve électrique, hypnotique, il rend fou et marche toujours. C’est une sorte d’indémodable que je garde dans mon bac, avec quelques autres. Ça ne veut pas dire que je les joue forcément, mais comme beaucoup de DJ, je reviens souvent à quelques disques qui sont non pas des chefs-d’œuvre, le mot est un peu ridicule, mais possèdent un trait de génie.
Un morceau pour faire découvrir la house music à quelqu’un ? Il y en a dix mille, mais comme j’adore Kerri Chandler, je dirais Got me Running Around, on ne peut pas faire plus house que ça. Tout dépend de la personne à convaincre. Si c’est quelqu’un qui a une sensibilité très jazz, ou soul, je lui ferais écouter un morceau de St Germain où il y a plus de jazz, plus riche musicalement. Si c’est quelqu’un qui aime davantage la musique électronique ou les choses un peu minimales, je lui ferais écouter The Bounce, des Masters at Work dont on parlait juste avant. Une drum, et un son qui va et vient. L’essentiel.
https://www.domusweb.it/en/news/2021/11/20/a-parisian-nightlife-autobiography-told-in-300-t-shirts.html A Parisian nightlife autobiography told in 300 t-shirts
French DJ and producer Cyril Etienne des Rosaies (aka DJ Deep) chose to link anecdotes, meetings and tales of nightlife to his huge T-shirt collection.
AUTHOR
Enrico Ratto
PUBLISHED
29 November 2021
Each T-shirt is a tale, and their sequence can tell a life story. This is how the autobiographical book Chaotic Harmony unfolds. A Tshirt Non-Collection (Headbangers Publishing) by French DJ and producer Cyril Etienne des Rosaies, aka DJ Deep.
Son of Danielle Luquet de Saint Germain, Yves Saint Laurent’s model and muse, and grew up among incredible haute couture collections and the Parisian DJ sets of the late 1980s, DJ Deep is one of the protagonists of the spread of house culture in Paris.
It took a book – and more than three hundred T-shirts – to put the episodes of Cyril Etienne des Rosaies’ life in order. The story of a character often hidden in the shadows, a fair lifestyle away from the media, very few interviews, described as a “radical in his choices and in his refusal to compromise when his profession is involved”.
In fact, the life of a DJ and producer who moves through the most central clubs and recording studios (8th, 9th, 10th arrondissements) of the French capital cannot be imagined differently: environments – and attitudes – quite different from those of his New York colleagues.
It is the life of a collector – the T-shirts, but also his fifty thousand vinyls, are stored in several garages around the city – who lives of contamination, of travels between Europe and the United States, and the still-life photos of these T-shirts are the synthesis of a story that goes far beyond the pages of the book.
https://www.skiddle.com/news/all/DJ-Deep-interview-Deeply-Devoted/30449/ DJ Deep interview: Deeply Devoted Marko Kutlesa spoke to the DJ in his Paris studio ahead of a Nightvision show at Liquid Rooms on Saturday 10th December. facebook-white sharing button Share twitter-white sharing button Tweet whatsapp-white sharing button Share messenger-white sharing button Share linkedin-white sharing button sharethis-white sharing button Henry Lewis Last updated: 8th Dec 2016
DJ Deep, born Cyril Etienne des Rosaies, has been a mainstay in the club scene of his home city, Paris, for over 20 years. He got his break through friend and mentor Laurent Garnier, who invited him to play at several clubs in the city and he established himself via a longstanding relationship with Rex Club and his radio show ‘A Deep Groove’ on then pirate station Radio FG, and later Radio Nova.
Initially he became known as a champion of a US house sound, in particular the music of New York, a sound reflected in his Respect Is Burning parties, his much loved compilation albums Respect Is Burning and the City To City series on BBE. It was also echoed in his collaborative, early 2000s studio efforts on Chillifunk and Distance, undertaken alongside friends like Jovonn and Franck Roger.
But at gigs, where he was able to play longer, he soon earned a reputation for being able to move seamlessly between house music and the harder, more energetic sounds of techno.
Find DJ Deep tickets.
Taking time off from studio work, in 2004 he set up the classic reissue label House Music Records and a label concentrating more on new productions called Deeply Rooted House. Both were very well respected, the former short-lived, but the latter remains an ongoing concern and released some of the earliest efforts by the likes of Franck Roger and Manoo as well as multiple releases by Kerri Chandler.
In recent years Deeply Rooted House has received particular attention for releases more in the techno vein from the likes of Francois X, Ben Klock and Marcel Dettmann. DJ Deep had also moved into a more techno direction with his studio work when he re-emerged as a producer in 2014 alongside studio partner Roman Poncet. Together they formed the Adventice project, which released several EPs on Tresor and more recently they formed a more abstract electronica duo titled Sergie Rezza.
Ahead of supporting Robert Hood for Nightvision on Saturday 10th December, We caught up with DJ Deep in his studio, which is situated next to his house in the 8th arrondissement, near central Paris. When not record shopping or travelling internationally to gigs, this is where you'll usually find him, so he was in a relaxed mood to be questioned on his career to date.
Your productions in the early 2000s were generally collaborations, then you seemed to take a long break from production. Was that purely because you were devoting your time to Deeply Rooted House and to Djing?
I started my label in 2003 because I was a bit frustrated with not being able to produce to the level I wanted. I was not as gifted, as talented, as I would have liked. I was always unhappy with my stuff. I'd realised I had all those talented friends around me and it would be more creative to work with them.
I would go to friends studios and tell them “oh, your track is really nice, but my feeling is that it would be interesting if you were to go this route.” Sometimes it worked.
I had the distance of not being in competition with friends, just loving the music and respecting them and knowing how hard it is sometimes to be facing a computer screen and not being able to go any further. Sometimes it's helpful to have a friend around to give an opinion, an idea and I loved doing that. I was lucky enough to be able to speak to several friends like that, about their music, in a very positive way. So, for about ten years, yes, I stopped trying to make music.
Do you regret taking such a long break from making music?
No, because it was a really exciting moment, running a label. I had a chance to release one of the first Franck Roger tracks, some of the first Manoo records and Kerri Chandler's music.
At the time I felt techno was becoming inspiring again. When I felt a fresh air coming from the likes of Ben Klock and Marcel Dettman, I was lucky enough to be able to ask Ben to remix Kerri, which was a bit of a dream come true because I was able to link the dots of the soundscape of music that was in my head. No, I'm really happy I had the chance to run the label and try and experiment that way.
On your radio show, your Respect Is Burning and your City To City compilations you earned a reputation for being a champion of the underground New York and New Jersey house sound. If we can resist the temptation to identify Kerri Chandler's incredibly current popularity, do you think New York music of the house music era gets less attention and respect from younger generations than the music from Chicago and Detroit?
No, not really, to be honest with you. I had my first radio show when I was really young, I was maybe 19 and I was on radio FG. It was a house and techno show, one of my first guests was Armando from Chicago. The Respect Is Burning parties were a moment in Paris just before the kind of specialised Daft Punk movement arrived.
At the time, my feeling was that the exciting sound was coming from New York. As a music lover I have to trust my guts and my ears so, if at one moment I'm inspired by the Detroit techno sound, I'm going to play that. If I feel that's getting a little stale, just going round in circles and I feel that Masters At Work or Jovonn are doing something very fresh, then I'll be playing more of that.
With Respect Is Burning I was focusing on this moment, where I felt it was the best sound. That's the reason why, in my career, I'm going from one sound to another. I'm trying to follow what I find in the record stores.
I understand. But my question wasn't exactly about those compilations or parties. In a lot of European clubs I hear a lot of music that seems to be of Chicago and Detroit inspiration, for instance people are remaking acid records, sometimes using exactly the same, primitive equipment. Detroit and Chicago music seems, to me, to get more respect from younger generations than the New York sound.
I'm sorry but I disagree. When I see people like Motor City Drum Ensemble or Jeremy Underground play I get the feeling I'm hearing one of my radio shows from the Respect Is Burning days. I think there is a big revival of this sound, Masters At Work, Kerri, Jovonn. On my travels I still hear influences of all those cities in productions and in DJ sets.
What I particularly like about that era is that, although you would hear some incredibly deep, dubby house music on the dancefloor, you could also hear some very bold vocal anthems that were contemporary at the time. Who makes contemporary vocal anthems today?
I'm blown away by the last Louie Vega song with 3 Winans Brothers and Karen Clark 'I Choose You'. I play it in my house like 20 times a day. Osunlade just sent me an album from his Yoruba label which is absolutely incredible. Josh Milan makes good songs. So I do hear good songs today. Maybe not as many as in the late 90s, but I do still hear some.
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Your last release on your reissue label House Music Records was in 2006. Did you to some extent lose the urge to re-release old music in favour of concentrating on new music?
Yeah, a bit. And I got tired of the business. It's a bit of a headache to license old music. You can find yourself in the middle of situations and conflicts you didn't expect, and you just stepped in with good faith, hoping to reissue one of your hero's music.
You realise a lot of bad business went on back then and I hated that. I hated getting involved in that. I love music and I'm not really a business man. The business side is something I don't really like much.
When you first started out you earned a reputation for being able to very competently move from house to techno and back again. To what extent do you think either the dynamics of contemporary productions or the demands of audiences make that more difficult nowadays?
I'm going to sound a bit negative here and I'm sorry for that, because I don't like to be. I think it's a cultural problem. It's a problem of culture, of learning, of knowing your craft. There is no excuse in 2017 for not knowing the basics of house and techno. It's not a question of money, it's not a question of anything.
You want to know about this music? It's all there. If you want to be passionate about it, check it out. I sometimes feel that the problem today is that some kids are into it for the wrong reasons, they just want to do drugs and house and techno is just the soundtrack to their drug experiments. That's a little bit annoying and sometimes that's the reason why it might be a bit harder for DJs to experiment and to go from one direction to the other.
Having said that, I meet, on a daily basis, kids who are really knowledgeable about the music, really passionate. I'm amazed. Some kids will talk to you about Mike Dunn's 1987 productions or something and they will know the titles and all the different versions.
So there are both. Sometimes the crowd don't know so much about the music, sometimes they can be really knowledgeable. When they don't know too much it's not easy to make bridges from one style to the other. Sometimes they only want to hear what they think is techno and sometimes what they think is techno has nothing to do with what I think is techno.
When I first started listening to techno music it was really outsider music, it wasn't for everyone. I feel now that techno has become more accessible than house music, as it is a percussive and aggressive sound that most young people can nowadays easily understand in a dance music context.
But I think it got that way by losing a lot of its soul. You can go to a techno night now and come away not having heard any strong melodies or anything musical at all, it's just rhythm, sound effects. Would you agree that both techno DJs and techno producers are taking an easy, perhaps even cowardly path by not making or playing music with bold melodies, the sort that Carl Craig, Juan Atkins, Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson used to make and which originally defined this genre?
Well, it's a tough question, to tell you the truth. The guys you mention were, in my opinion, doing amazing music, but that was a few years ago, as you know. The problem is that techno production today can sometimes lack imagination or soul. Techno today can miss a lot of techno [laughs]. It happens. I know it as well as you, I guess. That's why I think it's my duty, as a music lover, to try and present what I think this music can be.
My highlight right now is to play the remix I did with Roman Poncet of 'St Germain' because it has elements in it that I rarely hear in today's techno. I'm not saying that our record is an example of how I would like techno to sound today, all I'm saying is that it contains elements that are missing in techno today. It has percussion, a swing, extreme repetition, something that I hope is a little uncompromising.
Of course I agree with you. A lot of today's techno is incredibly boring. Let's be completely honest here. But, on the other hand, I've never bought as many records as I'm buying today. There is a rebirth of creation and productions which is really inspiring. I find a lot of interesting records that are not easy to play.
It takes a lot of work to make a connection with the audience so hopefully you can play some of them, but it's exciting. I'm excited that I find so much good music that I want to share. It can be difficult sometimes, but it has always been difficult for me. I was always against the common current. When it was Belgian, hard, ravey techno, I was into Derrick and Carl, when it was the cheesy Daft Punk sound, I was into Masters At Work. I've always been fighting for something that was different from what the bigger audience was into, so it's not unknown territory for me. Sorry for my messy answer, I hope that makes sense.
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Yeah it does. As someone who really loves music, music itself is enough to liberate you and make you lose your inhibitions on the dancefloor. But to other people that's not enough. Is there anything wrong with people taking assistance to lose such inhibitions?
[Laughs] Man, I wish my English was good enough to use those terms. I wish I could put things that way.
I don't do drugs. I've never been interested in drugs. I've never tried them in my life. But I respect people's choice to do them. People do whatever they need to. Music takes me to places where I don't need drugs, I'm not interested because my mind is already going really far away with the music. I wouldn't like to ruin that with anything that was a parasite to that experience.
I'm not judging anyone. I'm not a priest. My concern, as I was trying to say before, is that I don't want house and techno to just be a tool for kids to take their weekend drugs. That I would really hate. I think music is powerful enough to make you travel in a way that is a million times stronger than drugs. That's just my opinion. I could be wrong, but that's my opinion after 25 years of discussing this with friends who do drugs; music is more powerful than drugs.
With your Sergie Rezza project you have a more abstract sound than we're perhaps used to hearing from you. I read that in this particular partnership you often contribute to the collaboration by bringing in records as inspiration. What kinds of artists and music inspire that particular project?
A lot of Cabaret Voltaire. They actually let us sample one of their tracks. A lot of Brian Eno, Jon Hassell, Harold Budd, some Fela Kuti. A lot of techno, some house, dub reggae. It's really a mix of things I love. I was doing the podcasts called Deep Library where I was trying to present some of the influences I have and that was a bit of the vibe.
The project came along when I was working with Roman and he found this feature in Abelton Live that could stretch music to an extreme, in a rhythmic way and we never tried that before. We never heard anyone do it in this way, so we tried to do more and I was bringing in all these records to sample. We were experimenting and it was really good fun. We're working on a new album right now.
What else have you got on the immediate horizon?
I have a release on Fred P's label called 'Boards' that should be out sometime around January. We completed a remix for Ilario Alicante, the St Germain remix came out and there's the Sergio Rezza album which we hope will come out in the first part of 2017.
DJ Deep comes to Edinburgh's Liquid Rooms on Saturday 10th December, grab your tickets from the box below.
https://www.traxmag.com/les-secrets-de-production-de-la-djr-400-une-table-de-mix-pas-comme-les-autres/
Les secrets de production de la DJR 400, une table de mix pas comme les autres
Écrit par Trax Magazine Le 10.06.2020, à 11h01 05 MIN LI- RE ©Quentin Lacombe ACCUEIL TOUS NOS ARTICLES LA MUSIQUE LES SECRETS DE PRODUCTION DE LA DJR 400, UNE TABLE DE MIX PAS COMME LES AUTRES On la voit entre les mains de Kerri Chandler, Joe Claussell ou Theo Parrish. Avec son design simple, ses gros potars et son bois clair, la petite DJR 400 semble être la table de mixage rêvée des aficionados de funk et de disco. Loin d’être le produit d’une grosse industrie, son fabricant est un artisan discret et passionné, dont la modestie égale la réputation de sa fameuse console. Cet article est initialement paru en février 2020 dans le numéro 228 de Trax Magazine, disponible sur le store en ligne.
Propos recueillis par Hugo Boursier Photographies par Quentin Lacombe
La silencieuse cour d’immeuble de la rue des Batignolles est partagée de chaque côté par les locaux de deux travailleurs de précision, aux métiers pourtant très différents : le premier est celui d’un prothésiste dentaire, le second appartient à Jérôme Barbé. Voilà, vingt-huit ans qu’ils se font face. À l’époque, au début des années 1990, le Parisien n’a pas sa DJR 400 en tête. La table de mixage en question, élevée au rang des meilleures consoles du monde par les pionniers de la disco et de la house, n’était pas encore dans les projets de cet ingénieur taiseux. L’idée d’une Rotary facilement transportable ne naît qu’en 1999, à la faveur d’une rencontre avec Cyril Étienne des Rosaies, alias DJ Deep. Quand il arrive dans le XVIIe arrondissement, Jérôme Barbé n’a pas encore 30 ans, mais il collabore déjà avec Moog, Sequential et Korg. Avant de se mettre à son compte, il a même accompagné Jean-Michel Jarre pour ses concerts à Houston et à Lyon au printemps 1986, où il était un des premiers à introduire la technologie MIDI dans le vieux monde des synthétiseurs.
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« Ces machines ne sont pas toutes jeunes, mais ça fonctionne bien. C’est increvable. Le numérique peut faire la même chose, mais je préfère l’analogique. Ce n’est pas les mêmes sensations » Ces souvenirs, éparpillés parmi mille projets à terminer ou à venir, il les ressort par petites touches, la voix basse et le phrasé lent. Sur les murs de son atelier, pas d’affiches avec ses clients connus – Kerri Chandler, Joe Claussell ou Jovonn en tête – ni goodies à offrir aux curieux qui passeraient par là. Son site internet, où l’on reconnaît le logo qui figure à l’arrière de ses tables de mixage – E&S, pour Électronique & Spectacle – reste rudimentaire. On y trouve le détail des DJR à deux ou quatre voix, un mode d’emploi téléchargeable gratuitement et quelques photos. Et pour cause : sans artifice publicitaire, la machine se vend bien, entre 1 500 et 3 000 euros. Tout en restant un produit d’exception, la DJR poursuit sa lente voie de démocratisation : environ 1 500 tables siglées E&S tournent sur les cinq continents.
Jérôme Barbé ne cherche pas à vendre toujours plus. Ce qu’il veut, c’est produire suffisamment pour vivre et garantir la qualité de chacune des machines qui sort de la rue des Batignolles. Pour cela, l’artisan n’a pas besoin de grand-chose : son local et son ami d’enfance, Dominique – dit « Dodo » – qui l’aide les lundis et vendredis. Son atelier est divisé en trois petites pièces en longueur, éclairées par la lumière blanche de néons dénudés au plafond. D’un côté, un large établi encombré de composants, de générateurs de fréquence, de tournevis, de multiprises jaunies, de poste à soudure et de DJR 400 désossées. De l’autre, un grand placard où sont alignés des dizaines de tiroirs.
« Ça, c’est la DJR 200. Elle est sortie il y a deux ans, mais elle traînait dans les tiroirs depuis longtemps. Sur ce modèle, on peut dire qu’il y a un esprit un peu plus de “série” par rapport à la 400 où l’on peut choisir plein d’options, ce qui rend chaque machine unique. Et puis la 200 est moins chère et plus facile à transporter. Dimitri From Paris m’a un jour dit que la 400 devenait presque trop grosse pour voyager en avion. Alors j’ai eu l’idée d’une deux pistes. Que ce soit la 200 ou la 400, tout passe par ici. C’est mon poste de travail. Je teste chaque table de mixage grâce à ce générateur de fréquences qui me permet de calibrer l’isolateur. Ces machines ne sont pas toutes jeunes, mais ça fonctionne bien. C’est increvable. Le numérique peut faire la même chose, mais je préfère l’analogique. Ce n’est pas les mêmes sensations. Je ne me dépêche pas pour monter mes consoles. Avec Dodo, on peut en faire deux par jours, mais il n’est là que deux jours par semaine. C’est bien de prendre son temps pour faire les choses ».
« Je retombe sur des trucs que j’ai créés à droite, à gauche. Comme ce circuit électrique. Lui, c’est sûr qu’il ne fonctionne plus, t’as vu le bordel que c’est ! J’ai bricolé mon premier ampli à 11 ans. C’est une passion. Mon premier synthétiseur, c’était un Korg MS-20. Je n’ai même pas joué avec, je voulais juste voir comment il fonctionnait. Au début de ma carrière, je faisais beaucoup de réparation. J’ai même bossé sur une machine qui perforait des cartons d’orgue de barbarie en partant de fichier MIDI ».
« DJ Deep est venu à l’atelier pour faire réparer sa console de mixage Urei 1620 sur laquelle il voulait changer les potars. On était en 1999, c’est comme ça qu’on s’est rencontrés. On s’est vite entendus et on a développé ensemble la DJR 100, une console qui reproduisait la sonorité chaude des années 80. J’ai fait une petite production avec ce modèle sur des volumes assez réduits. Et puis Soundcraft a fait la 1620LE, qui a inondé le marché et m’a un peu coupé dans mon élan. Mais avec Deep et Kerri Chandler, on a continué à réfléchir à un petit modèle quatre pistes, tourné vers le DJing. C’est comme ça qu’est née la DJR 400. La première année, j’ai dû en faire entre cinq et dix. Aujourd’hui, on en vend partout dans le monde. La dernière a été envoyée au Pérou. Il y en a aussi au Mexique et on la vend bien au Japon. J’ai même une machine qui est partie en Afghanistan. Un soldat américain m’a passé une commande pour une 400. Il voulait avoir une console pour jouer dans sa base militaire. Parfois, on reçoit des messages de certains clients qui se plaignent de l’odeur de clope. Il faut dire que je fume tout le temps. Je craignais que ça imprègne les composants, mais en fait ça vient de la mousse ».
« Je fais des efforts pour vider régulièrement l’atelier, mais comme je suis là depuis 28 ans, c’est un empilage de choses invraisemblables. À la fin des années 1990, je bossais sur deux ordinateurs Atari avec plein de disquettes. Au fond de l’atelier, il y a des stocks de DJR 200, de 400, et les matériaux pour les tables. Le bois vient de Normandie. C’est un ami qui m’a dit qu’il connaissait un bon menuisier. La métallerie est faite en Bretagne et les circuits imprimés sont créés en région parisienne chez un gars qui fait ça depuis vingt ans. J’ai aussi plein de réparations sur des consoles que des mecs ne sont jamais venus récupérer. Il y a aussi de vieux trucs que j’ai inventés et que je ne peux pas jeter. À côté de l’ordinateur, c’est un échantillonneur que j’ai fabriqué en 1985 ».
Dodo : « Ne me prends pas en photo, je suis un gars de l’ombre, moi. Prends plutôt ce qu’il y a sur mon bureau, voilà. Comment je suis arrivé ici ? Je n’avais plus de boulot et je connaissais Jérôme depuis 1975. Quarante ans que ça dure. Je ne suis là que depuis quelques années. Au début, je faisais les comptes de la boîte. Mais il fallait mettre la main à la pâte. Pourtant, moi, c’est fini la musique. Avant, j’aimais ça. D’ailleurs, chez moi, j’ai toujours un piano synthétiseur, une boîte à rythme, des effets, un tas de trucs. Mais je n’en fais plus depuis quelques années. Mon cerveau est un peu attaqué par tout ce bruit. Ici, il y a toujours un peu de radio, ça me suffit ».
https://www.petit-bulletin.fr/lyon/article-56660-DJ+Deep++l+esthete.html DJ Deep, l'esthète Par Sébastien Broquet Publié Mardi 17 janvier 2017
Photo : © DR
DJ DEEP + MATRIXXMAN + RADIO SLAVE
LE SUCRE
CE SPECTACLE N'EST PAS À L'AFFICHE ACTUELLEMENT + d'infos Si aujourd'hui "la deep" est parfois synonyme de soupe aseptisée, ce sous-genre de la house music fut longtemps le repère des esthètes et des puristes, des gardiens de l'esprit originel, garants d'une house nourrie de vocaux empruntés au garage, d'un beat ne dépassant pas les 120 BPM, d'influences piochées dans la sono mondiale (les percussions latines ou haïtiennes, le petit riff de guitare afrobeat, ce genre). On disait deep, pour évoquer la profondeur de l'âme, de la soul s'en dégageant. Une musique de club, au sens propre du terme : ici, l'on dansait entre connaisseurs et mélomanes.
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En France, un homme incarnait ce style au point d'en avoir pris le nom : DJ Deep. Cyril Étienne des Rosaies de son vrai nom. Un esthète, en effet. Converti dès 1988, vite coopté par Laurent Garnier, qui le convie à ses côtés, du Boy (on écoutait alors beaucoup de deep house dans la sphère gay) au Rex Club dont il devient à son tour l'un des résidents. Au Queen, aussi : on le croise dans les mythiques soirées Respect. Mais de longues années plus tard, c'est en jouant techno qu'il devient une star et se retrouve à l'affiche des grands festivals et clubs du genre, en solo ou en duo avec Roman Poncet.
Sur Deeply Rooted, il propage cette même bonne parole techno, pour le coup plutôt inspiré par Berlin que par le New York de ses premières amours. Dimanche, DJ Deep et deux des artistes signés sur son label, Radio Slave et Matrixxman, seront les invités de la bien installée session dominicale du Sucre : rave !
https://partyflock.nl/fr/artist/1098/biography
Biography · 22 Janvier 2015
Seeing himself as somewhat of a musical filter and a self confessed vinyl junkie, Dj Deep can be found in record stores chasing jams almost every day. Following his renowned ear for a good sound he has gone through fazes of playing everything from Techno to New York Deep House but always tries to deliver something of a history of both House and Techno, playing what he sees as being personal "classics" rather than the hits of the day.
Never professing to being right or wrong about what is "good music" he has been seen as a revered tastemaker on the Paris scene for pretty much the last two decades, cutting his teeth for Laurent Garnier at La Luna. He has hosted radio shows, most notably with friends, DJ Gregory and DJ Alex from Tokyo on a show called "A Deep Groove" where you could hear everything from Mos Def to Jeff Mills but his real passion is underground deep house and Techno.
A regular warm up DJ at the legendary "Wake Up" parties ran once again by Laurent Garnier at the Rex Club and featuring prestigious guests such as Lil' Louis, Derrick May, DJ Pierre, Ron Trent and Chez Damier, this enabled Deep to become close to a certain Derrick May who invited him to Detroit where he met a lot of his hero's of the time Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson, Carl Craig, Kenny Larkin and Stacey Pullen.
A change of radio station to Radio Nova and a Saturday night slot followed and lasted for 5 yrs at a time when Deep also began to produce and release music for labels such as Basenotic and series of mix CD's on Distance music. The Legends parties at the Rex were another huge influence on DJ Deep as it was there he met Kerri Chandler among others, Chandler somewhat took him under his wing inviting him to his studio to learn more about how he made his music.
Alongside former production collaborator Jerome Barbe he has even launched his own series of revolutionary new portable rotary dj mixers the DJR400. He has also created two labels:
Deeply Rooted House Records (2014 renamed Deeply Rooted): A label that aims to release true to its roots Underground House and Techno sounds, featuring releases and remixes by the likes of Franck Roger, Manoo, Kerri Chandler, Marcelus, Ben Klock, François X, Marcel Dettmann, Bleak, Jonas Kopp, Mike Dehnert, Dax J, J.C., Emmanuel, Terence Fixmer and rising star Roman Poncet.
House Music Records: a label that focuses on re-issuing classic house gems or hard to find House records, featuring releases by LB BAD, Burrell, Charles Mac Dougald etc... 2005: « city to city » mix cd a retrospective journey through Chicago Detroit and New York Underground House double cd on BBE / HOUSE MUSIC RECORDS.
2015 sees the first releases of music from DJ Deep for nearly 15 years and he is as on point as ever with and EP on Ron Morelli's L.I.E.S and production with fast rising Roman Poncet on Tresor with 2 EPs to be released in the first half of the year and a full LP due on Desire records. The story is already a long and successful one and things show no sign of slowing for DJ Deep with regular dates all over Europe and a reputation as one of the continents premier selectors already firmly established.