Deep Dish. The Second Coming

From Deep Dish's last album — George Is On — I've only heard one single, Say Hello, and in various remixes at that, and I've heard certain opinions from DJs whose judgement I trust. Deep Dish are not quite in the spectrum of music that I play, and not quite in the spectrum of music I like to listen to at home. That's exactly why I haven't listened to their album in full, but I respect what they do, and I know it's a good, quality product that, on top of that, sells very well. It's rather hard to characterise their work in two or three words, but I'd say it's the breakthrough of Arabs into the European market. Personally I like them a lot as DJs, I really enjoyed their set when they came to Moscow at Gary's invitation. I've listened to loads of their mixes; very often they open up new names, new sounds for me. I can't say they're my very favourite DJs, but they definitely make my top twenty. I think that since their last visit to Moscow they've matured and come to the sensible conclusion that you can, after all, make good music for a large number of people. It started with their single 'Flash Dance', which I like far more than 'Say Hello'. And after the release of their latest album they've been getting more and more popular all over the world, thanks precisely to these singles and to heavy rotation on all the radio stations, on television and so on. If they had kept doing all this within their own label Yoshitoshi, there wouldn't have been such a big breakthrough. That's why I have enormous respect for the way they develop. They started out as good underground DJs, and now they've reached certain peaks that give them untouchable status. Timo Maas and many others have reached those same peaks. I really like that. To be honest, lately I've been more taken with what they do within downtempo music; their mixes for Global Underground… After Hours is one of my favourite CDs.

I've listened to the latest Deep Dish album and I can say I wouldn't give them more than a four out of five. In short — no masterpiece, though I used to really like their music. Right now, in my view, they've become too commercial. I was at their first show in Moscow, I really liked it, they played a gorgeous set; the second one I liked far less. These days Deep Dish aren't what they used to be, they've changed for the worse. I think money spoiled them.

Back in the late nineties I learned of their existence, and a few of Deep Dish's first records turned up in my collection. I haven't heard their latest album. I don't buy the new ones. But I can say they are great professionals. They do their thing: they make tasteful and intelligent music. I've never been to a single Deep Dish show, so it's rather hard for me to judge their work professionally.

Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to listen to their latest album. I don't come into contact with their music myself, I have no particular preferences regarding Deep Dish, but I'm well aware that they are masters, that you can take your bearings from them, and that they really do create a resonance in society and in club culture. Judging by the releases I've heard, I can say they've become more commercial, more mainstream, though they were never part of the underground. They always held a fairly steady position, and I consider them innovators. I suspect that George Is On consists of releases I've heard before — it's a compilation of records that had already come out. In general, Deep Dish have always been opportunists, and their main trait is opportunism, but they can quite legitimately lay claim to the title of one of the best in the world. In any case, their tracks — the very same Flash Dance — will enter the golden collection of DJ music. I can also say about Deep Dish that they are hit-makers, and rather charismatic, vivid personalities at that. I really like the way they work live, it's different from what they record onto disc. When Ali and Sharam perform together — it's a pleasure. I'm going to go to XIII for their sets; for me the arrival of Deep Dish is always an event, and there's something to learn from them, take just the way they present themselves on stage. I consider them true showmen.