Tweet
Taken from THREEDWORLD Magazine. Available online here.
Deep Dish: Mixed Platter
The US combo Deep Dish have always been at the forefront. They're a force to be reckoned with - and never more so than in 2005. Ali "Dubfire" Shirazinia and Sharam Tayebi have resurfaced with George Is On, their first album in seven years and, following their latest hit Flashdance, it should re-establish them as leaders of house.
The veteran DJs, based in Washington DC, are confirmation of the universalism that defines dance culture. The Iranian-Americans are both products of the Iranian Revolution, having fled to the States with their families as children. Shirazinia arrived in 1978 and Tayebi in 1985. The two grew up in their new nation's capital, meeting only in the early '90s, and not in an expat community, but at a party where they found themselves booked to DJ at the same time. Ali and Sharam shared similar interests. They were equally absorbed in the emergent dance. The DJ-cum-producers went on to form a partnership and developed a label, Deep Dish Records, with the assistance of their friend BT, aka Brian Transeau, whom Ali knew from school. (They'd later launch Yoshitoshi Recordings).
'It brings together even more so our fascination with merging elements of traditional rock instrumentation and electronic music. Over the years we've been very heavily influenced by what people like Radiohead have done as far as trying to bridge that gap.'
Initially Deep Dish were equated with deep house but, by the end of the '90s, they were identified with the surging progressive movement (as with Danny Tenaglia), and acquiring a new fanbase. However, Deep Dish have long eschewed purism. In their music can be discerned house, techno, trance and breakbeat. Either way, they're among the most influential players in house. But while Deep Dish are perceived as a unit, their personalities are distinct. "We couldn't be more different than one another," Ali insists. "When we first met, we were just complete opposites - and that's been one of the main reasons why we've been so successful. I mean, if he had my personality and my musical taste and my way of doing things, and vice versa, it just would not have worked out. It's that tension that has always existed between our music, and sometimes that tension has been volatile and sometimes it's been mild, but I think it's that tension and that attitude that made us who we are today.
"Sharam has a very unorthodox approach to not only appreciating music but also to making music and I come from a more musical background where I played in bands and I play instruments and things like that, so he has a way of looking at things from a different perspective - and that's always healthy. So I think it's a combination of all those things that's really been instrumental in us achieving this kind of success and acclaim."
Deep Dish presented their first 'artist' album, Junk Science, on Deconstruction in 1998. The LP impressed critics, even if it wasn't a commercial triumph. Deep Dish felt that they'd confused punters with their wayward approach. To be fair, Deconstruction failed to market Junk Science properly. The sublime single The Future Of The Future (Stay Gold), featuring Tracey Thorn, demonstrated Deep Dish's capabilities.
Deep Dish are back on track with George Is On. The title isn't an allusion to George Clooney, Boy George or any George other than Bush. "That would be the correct assumption, yeah," Ali laughs. Deep Dish aren't likely Bush supporters. They've admitted in past interviews that, as immigrants, they faced discrimination after the attacks of September 11. Bush has sparked racial hatred at home in his modern-day crusade. But if Deep Dish are Bush-bashing, then they're preaching to the converted. It's hard to imagine many underground dance fans being into an archconservative president, particularly in the US with its anti-rave bids. But a typically laidback Ali plays down any political content on George Is On.
"The reason we called it that is it's thought provoking. It has absolutely no political connotations and there's absolutely no reference to a certain George Bush, so it's just a reason for people to talk about the title. The title comes from the term that pilots use when they flick a switch and turn on the autopilot on airplanes, so it's basically a reference to something being on autopilot. Don't ask me what we were trying to achieve as far as calling it that and how it ties into the vibe of the album, we're still trying to figure that out!"
At any rate, Deep Dish will release George Is On through Sony-BMG mid-year - they'll preview it on their upcoming Australian tour. The set remains under wraps. It turns out that Deep Dish have been awaiting clearance of a sample - Fleetwood Mac's Dreams - for one track on which Stevie Nicks furnishes updated vocals. With George Is On Sony-BMG (and Deep Dish) mean to capitalise on Deep Dish's comeback, Flashdance, a homage to Shandi's '80s platter He's A Dream. Ali reveals that Flashdance, picked up by DJs across the spectrum, offers a "teaser" for George Is On with its guitar lick. Deep Dish's next single, Say Hello, was deemed one of the big records at the Miami Winter Music Conference. Above all, Ali is proud of the hybrid sounds on George Is On. "It brings together even more so our fascination with merging elements of traditional rock instrumentation and electronic music. We dabbled with it a little bit on the first album with some of the tracks, but this time around we tried to bring in even more guitars. Over the years we've been very heavily influenced by what people like Radiohead have done as far as trying to bridge that gap.
"We're trying to infuse our music with these types of traditional elements to see what kind of new styles and genres we can come up with. It's proved to be very challenging and we always like to be challenged musically with everything - every project we do - and this was just another step in the right direction for us."
Ali attributes the album's delay to their manic schedule. "We just got sucked into that whole world of doing mix-CDs and gigging relentlessly and doing remixes and stuff," he says.
Indeed, Deep Dish have sustained their profile - and popularity - since Junk Science with their ambitious volumes in the best-selling Global Underground series. They've remixed pop acts, like Madonna, whom they supported in New York. Deep Dish won a Grammy for a remix of Dido's Thank You.
Deep Dish have also been linked to P Diddy's mysterious house project, Divided Souls, along with Erick Morillo, Felix Da Housecat and Timo Maas. They overhauled Diddy's underrated Let's Get Ill. Ali recounts how he lately bumped into the rap impresario in Miami and Diddy explained that he hadn't had time to revisit the innumerable tracks he's recorded. Liaising with Diddy, "a perfectionist", was yet another challenge for Ali, who dropped hip-hop for the first few years of his DJ career. Deep Dish are open to further production gigs. Ali sees them as opportunities to learn more about music - and to stay fresh.
Otherwise all is well in the Deep Dish camp. The duo have survived the industry downturn. They were among the first to utilise new digital technologies - Yoshitoshi has deals with the likes of Apple's iTunes. But, in spite of his complaisant demeanour, Ali has a restless spirit. He's frustrated by the ethnocentricity of the States and he appreciates why somewhere like Spain has become a refuge for electronic music's finest. Ali can envisage himself spending more time in Europe. "We get fed up with the sort of attitudes that people have here. There's a lot of people in America who don't have an interest in travelling abroad and experiencing different cultures and things like that. So I think everybody has a personal reason for wanting to do that and I myself have felt the need to maybe live half of the year outside of America."
George Is On will be available through Sony/BMG.
Deep Dish: Mixed Platter
The US combo Deep Dish have always been at the forefront. They're a force to be reckoned with - and never more so than in 2005. Ali "Dubfire" Shirazinia and Sharam Tayebi have resurfaced with George Is On, their first album in seven years and, following their latest hit Flashdance, it should re-establish them as leaders of house.
The veteran DJs, based in Washington DC, are confirmation of the universalism that defines dance culture. The Iranian-Americans are both products of the Iranian Revolution, having fled to the States with their families as children. Shirazinia arrived in 1978 and Tayebi in 1985. The two grew up in their new nation's capital, meeting only in the early '90s, and not in an expat community, but at a party where they found themselves booked to DJ at the same time. Ali and Sharam shared similar interests. They were equally absorbed in the emergent dance. The DJ-cum-producers went on to form a partnership and developed a label, Deep Dish Records, with the assistance of their friend BT, aka Brian Transeau, whom Ali knew from school. (They'd later launch Yoshitoshi Recordings).
'It brings together even more so our fascination with merging elements of traditional rock instrumentation and electronic music. Over the years we've been very heavily influenced by what people like Radiohead have done as far as trying to bridge that gap.'
Initially Deep Dish were equated with deep house but, by the end of the '90s, they were identified with the surging progressive movement (as with Danny Tenaglia), and acquiring a new fanbase. However, Deep Dish have long eschewed purism. In their music can be discerned house, techno, trance and breakbeat. Either way, they're among the most influential players in house. But while Deep Dish are perceived as a unit, their personalities are distinct. "We couldn't be more different than one another," Ali insists. "When we first met, we were just complete opposites - and that's been one of the main reasons why we've been so successful. I mean, if he had my personality and my musical taste and my way of doing things, and vice versa, it just would not have worked out. It's that tension that has always existed between our music, and sometimes that tension has been volatile and sometimes it's been mild, but I think it's that tension and that attitude that made us who we are today.
"Sharam has a very unorthodox approach to not only appreciating music but also to making music and I come from a more musical background where I played in bands and I play instruments and things like that, so he has a way of looking at things from a different perspective - and that's always healthy. So I think it's a combination of all those things that's really been instrumental in us achieving this kind of success and acclaim."
Deep Dish presented their first 'artist' album, Junk Science, on Deconstruction in 1998. The LP impressed critics, even if it wasn't a commercial triumph. Deep Dish felt that they'd confused punters with their wayward approach. To be fair, Deconstruction failed to market Junk Science properly. The sublime single The Future Of The Future (Stay Gold), featuring Tracey Thorn, demonstrated Deep Dish's capabilities.
Deep Dish are back on track with George Is On. The title isn't an allusion to George Clooney, Boy George or any George other than Bush. "That would be the correct assumption, yeah," Ali laughs. Deep Dish aren't likely Bush supporters. They've admitted in past interviews that, as immigrants, they faced discrimination after the attacks of September 11. Bush has sparked racial hatred at home in his modern-day crusade. But if Deep Dish are Bush-bashing, then they're preaching to the converted. It's hard to imagine many underground dance fans being into an archconservative president, particularly in the US with its anti-rave bids. But a typically laidback Ali plays down any political content on George Is On.
"The reason we called it that is it's thought provoking. It has absolutely no political connotations and there's absolutely no reference to a certain George Bush, so it's just a reason for people to talk about the title. The title comes from the term that pilots use when they flick a switch and turn on the autopilot on airplanes, so it's basically a reference to something being on autopilot. Don't ask me what we were trying to achieve as far as calling it that and how it ties into the vibe of the album, we're still trying to figure that out!"
At any rate, Deep Dish will release George Is On through Sony-BMG mid-year - they'll preview it on their upcoming Australian tour. The set remains under wraps. It turns out that Deep Dish have been awaiting clearance of a sample - Fleetwood Mac's Dreams - for one track on which Stevie Nicks furnishes updated vocals. With George Is On Sony-BMG (and Deep Dish) mean to capitalise on Deep Dish's comeback, Flashdance, a homage to Shandi's '80s platter He's A Dream. Ali reveals that Flashdance, picked up by DJs across the spectrum, offers a "teaser" for George Is On with its guitar lick. Deep Dish's next single, Say Hello, was deemed one of the big records at the Miami Winter Music Conference. Above all, Ali is proud of the hybrid sounds on George Is On. "It brings together even more so our fascination with merging elements of traditional rock instrumentation and electronic music. We dabbled with it a little bit on the first album with some of the tracks, but this time around we tried to bring in even more guitars. Over the years we've been very heavily influenced by what people like Radiohead have done as far as trying to bridge that gap.
"We're trying to infuse our music with these types of traditional elements to see what kind of new styles and genres we can come up with. It's proved to be very challenging and we always like to be challenged musically with everything - every project we do - and this was just another step in the right direction for us."
Ali attributes the album's delay to their manic schedule. "We just got sucked into that whole world of doing mix-CDs and gigging relentlessly and doing remixes and stuff," he says.
Indeed, Deep Dish have sustained their profile - and popularity - since Junk Science with their ambitious volumes in the best-selling Global Underground series. They've remixed pop acts, like Madonna, whom they supported in New York. Deep Dish won a Grammy for a remix of Dido's Thank You.
Deep Dish have also been linked to P Diddy's mysterious house project, Divided Souls, along with Erick Morillo, Felix Da Housecat and Timo Maas. They overhauled Diddy's underrated Let's Get Ill. Ali recounts how he lately bumped into the rap impresario in Miami and Diddy explained that he hadn't had time to revisit the innumerable tracks he's recorded. Liaising with Diddy, "a perfectionist", was yet another challenge for Ali, who dropped hip-hop for the first few years of his DJ career. Deep Dish are open to further production gigs. Ali sees them as opportunities to learn more about music - and to stay fresh.
Otherwise all is well in the Deep Dish camp. The duo have survived the industry downturn. They were among the first to utilise new digital technologies - Yoshitoshi has deals with the likes of Apple's iTunes. But, in spite of his complaisant demeanour, Ali has a restless spirit. He's frustrated by the ethnocentricity of the States and he appreciates why somewhere like Spain has become a refuge for electronic music's finest. Ali can envisage himself spending more time in Europe. "We get fed up with the sort of attitudes that people have here. There's a lot of people in America who don't have an interest in travelling abroad and experiencing different cultures and things like that. So I think everybody has a personal reason for wanting to do that and I myself have felt the need to maybe live half of the year outside of America."
George Is On will be available through Sony/BMG.
Comment