A conversation with The Deepshakerz
A big part of our ongoing goal with UltraMaroon is to deliver sound and perspective to our NY audience that they’re not getting from others. We did that with Moscoman earlier this season, and now we’re pleased to present The Deepshakerz.
You may not know them, but I rarely go a set without dropping a Deepshakerz production. Curatorial choices I make are driven primarily by who I play, so I thought it would make sense to reach out. Turns out they’ve NEVER PLAYED IN THE U.S.! They said yes, for some reason, so let’s party! In advance of our dance, I asked Daisy to help everyone get to know this Italian duo a bit better. Check it out…
The Italian DJ/Producer dynamic duo, The Deepshakerz, composed of Domy Berardino and Mirco Sonatore, has been steadily climbing the ranks of the global dance music scene. Their productions and remixes consistently bring the groove to dance floors and festivals everywhere. UltraMaroon regulars may not know them by name, but they will quickly recognize the unique and intensive afro-percussive vibe of The Deepshakerz. Resident and curator Someone From Berlin rarely gets through a set without selecting at least one Deepshakerz production. With that in mind, we thought it would be brilliant to dig in a bit and introduce you all to Mirco and Domy. We now present to you: a conversation with The Deepshakerz.
DXD: How did you both get your respective starts in the music industry?
MIRCO: During the first years of high school, I started to be interested in the figure of the DJ and house music. In the first school parties with friends, I selected music and fell in love with this job. For many years, I played on a local radio station. When I started producing I felt the need to play around and see the reaction to our songs.
DOMY: I started as a producer when I was 14-years-old and then as DJ for a local radio station as well as some little parties with friends.
DXD: You formed your DJ/Producer duo, The Deepshakerz, after working together at a radio station event in southern Italy. In an interview with Deep Tech Mag, you referred to it as a moment of “love at first sight.” What were the qualities that you both initially observed that you knew would make for great collaboration?
MIRCO: Definitely the passion for good music, even if we came from two different genres. Dom is more on the hard style and I am more on the deep. We created the Deepshakerz project and found ourselves in the middle of those genres.
DXD: How has your ability to work together evolved over the past decade?
DS: By now we know what we like and when we propose ideas to each other we already know that it can work for both of us. This gives us the opportunity to work on various projects simultaneously.
DXD: How would you best describe the sound of The Deepshakerz?
DS: We always try to combine real house music with afro and tribal percussion. We attach great importance to both the groove and the voice.
DXD: You have been a powerhouse team of production, with an especially steady stream of releases since 2020 that have caught the ears of top talent across the globe. What are the tracks that have been the most special to you?
DS: We try to give our best in every production obviously. Every day, a lot of music comes out and it's really hard to stand out. If we had to choose tracks, we would definitely choose, "Shake It," "My Way," and "What I Do."
DXD: Speaking of a steady stream of releases, tell us more about your process for taking a track from concept to completion in the studio.
DS: We work in two different studios, which gives us the chance to develop two ideas at the same time. We initially swap groove and vocal ideas, and once we both like it we start putting together the song; working together for so long that we know what works for everyone as well as the two of us.
DXD: You’ve released work with the likes of Circus, Moon Harbour, Mother, and Toolroom. What do you feel was the turning point of The Deepshakerz being fully recognized on the global stage?
DS: We don't think it was a single release that consolidated the Deepshakerz project, but instead all the single releases that have come out in these years that have led us to be able to collaborate with the most important labels of the genre and be supported by the most important DJs of the scene, so we will work again more to do better and better.
DXD: You have also been building your own label, Safe Music Records, to release your work and give a platform to upcoming artists. What do you look for in other artists you want to work with?
DS: When we hear demos for our labels, our part as DJ comes out. We play first and support all the releases of our artists. We only give a chance to talents that maybe are not considered by other labels and want to be known by as many people as possible.
DXD: Your work is a consistent favorite in the UltraMaroon space. Someone From Berlin is known to spin some great Deepshakerz moments and you’re also in my personal library quite frequently. Have you felt an eager anticipation from the North American market to possibly come play live since you have not done a show in the U.S. yet?
DS: We know that the American market has been following us for some time and we follow it as well. House music was born there and many of our favorite artists come from there. In recent years we have had other proposals, which unfortunately have not been implemented due to problems beyond our control. Therefore, we are very happy to be your guests for the first time. We hope it won't be the last, but the beginning.
DXD: What is a track/artist/set that has been inspiring you lately?
DS: In this period, we are returning to very percussive productions rather than artists. I refer a lot to labels with which we work or would like to work with, such as Crosstown Rebel, Get Physical, or Toolroom. We are getting inspiration from artists such as Harry Romero, Little Louie Vega, David Morales, &Me, Riva Starr, and others.
DXD: Top 3 things you love seeing at parties?
DS: The most important thing for us is to see people having fun, dancing, and feeling good. If we can convey this during our evenings, I think that we have achieved our goal and we're happy if everyone is happy.
DXD: We are over the moon to have you at UltraMaroon! What would you look forward to the most?
DS: We hope it will be a nice event for everyone and that you enjoy it also because there are so many bad things in this world. Music has the power to make you feel good even if we have fun for one evening. So let's party time!!
Thank you Domy and Mirco! We look forward to your continued success and hearing more of The Deepshakerz in the speakers of UltraMaroon.
Don’t miss the February edition of UltraMaroon on Sunday, Feb. 5, at Blue Midtown. Doors open at 5pm. Opening set by Clinton Foster, followed by resident Someone From Berlin with special guests, The Deepshakerz, making their US debut. Get your tickets here!
IG: @thedeepshakerz | SoundCloud: The Deepshakerz
Xx,
DavidXDaisy