Interview: Deeper Purpose Talks MMW, Repopulate Mars & His Own New Label

Deeper Purpose is a consummate pro. He’s always on time for an interview, is thoughtful and engaged, and with each remark during our chat at Factory Town Miami, he clearly demonstrates his unbridled know-how and passion for music.

He’s also a workhorse. The London native—born Stephen Galloway—began making a name for himself as a DJ in his home country close to a decade ago, holding residencies at esteemed clubs like Egg London and XOYO.

His early productions caught the attention of Repopulate Mars, leading to a flurry of other successful releases on labels like Catch & Release, Spinnin’ Deep, Club Sweat, Toolroom and Off The Grid (now Experts Only)—a further catalyst for his now burgeoning stateside following.

And most importantly, he’s here to stay. Respected labels continue to take notice and he’s now truly leaving his mark on the scene.

After a string of shows out West and a cross-country flight to Miami, EDM Maniac grabbed DP ahead of his set for Repopulate Mars at Miami Music Week to discuss his history with Lee Foss‘ label, upcoming releases, and the curatorial vision for his very own label, launching this May.

EDM Maniac: How are you feeling about the set tonight? About being here in Miami to play for Lee Foss’ Repopulate Mars?

Deeper Purpose: It’s a good moment to be here playing for Repopulate. I’ve obviously had a massive involvement with them over the years, so to come to Miami to play on their stage, its always a big deal—like supporting Lee and him supporting me back.

It’s a nice little full-circle moment, especially playing in direct support to Lee.

EDM Maniac: Miami Music Week parties have clearly grown into this behemoth of a thing. But what does it mean for you as an artist to be here? How does this week serve you as an artist?

Deeper Purpose: Being from the UK, we see Miami Music Week—we see all the parties that go on. So as an artist, to be part of it—it almost proves that you’ve been accepted into this group of artists that are just on the top tier of what you’re doing. You’re in the leading field of music.

Being here and being part of this event shows that I’m now well and truly that staple in the industry.

And to be playing a lot of esteemed parties—like at Factory Town, at Space—is a great feeling because you feel accepted into the community.

EDM Maniac: You’re back here on the Repopulate Mars bill, a label with which you received some of your early breaks and have played a lot of events. What’s it like to be back playing with this crew?

Deeper Purpose: I’m very much a person who sticks with the people that gave me my first opportunities. A lot of artists, they build up through certain avenues and then forget about the parties or labels they were associated with earlier on. They go their own direction. 

But with me, I’m very much a person that if you give me a foot up and help me in my early stages, I will stay with you. I’ll always have some form of involvement with Lee and Repopulate Mars because I have so much love for him and him giving me one of my first breaks in the industry.

We’ve got a little family together. I’ve always got Lee’s back.

EDM Maniac: In your eyes, what does that foot-up look like? What did it look like for you?

Deeper Purpose: Especially with Lee’s label—the fact that he does events as well. Lee’s also very much a person that likes to put people on or bring people up.

He’s the sort of person that will mention you, your name, in a room when you’re not there. And having someone like that in your corner goes a long, long way. 

Repopulate Mars was the first big label I signed to. Even after that he was on Radio 1 in the UK, bigging me up, shouting me out, saying I’m this new producer that’s emerging. It’s valuable stuff like that which helps people take notice of you.

EDM Maniac: You notably returned to Repopulate Mars with “Activate” early last year. Anything else with the label on the way?

Deeper Purpose: So me and Lee have been talking. We’ve got a few tracks that are options, so I feel like this summer there will be something back on Repopulate. Which track exactly—it’s either going to be “Safari VIP” or “Like a Cake,” which is a new one of mine.

EDM Maniac: You’ve released on plenty of other respected labels, each with its own unique sound, including John Summit‘s Experts Only, which is also here at Factory Town tonight. How do you keep your tunes diverse to land on a variety of labels?

Deeper Purpose: Without sounding big-headed, I feel like good music speaks for itself in volumes. I’ve realized this now—if music is good enough, no matter what a label’s sound is, they’ll always turn their head and consider putting something out, if it’s a great track. 

With John’s label, it is more techno stuff now, but obviously “Party Diva” was more tech house. John has always had an ear for tech house anyway—and his label is maybe not so much tech house anymore—but all these labels, no matter what their sound is, if you have a track which will work, nine times out of 10, they’ll put it out.

EDM Maniac: Would you ever start your own label? What would the vibe be?

Deeper Purpose: Oh dude, so actually my label launches on the 10th of May. I haven’t put anything out, you’re the first inside scoop. It’s called In 2 Deep. The first track on it is one of my originals called “Lemonade.” 

All my stuff is original, my vocals, and that’s what the label is going to be—celebrating original music. Not really sample-based, or if we do release any samples, it’ll be very obscure samples that people don’t really know.

EDM Maniac: That’s great. Congratulations! It does seem like we’re at a point where everyone is just throwing a hip-hop sample on a house beat and calling it a day.

Deeper Purpose: This is the year that original music comes back. I’ve always made original music. I’ve only ever released one track with a sample on it. I’ve done a few free downloads of edits. But I feel like yeah, that whole sampling era is coming to an end. And I’m grateful for it, because I’ve stuck true to my guns. 

It’s a long, hard road to be an original because trying to get someone to buy into a vocal, which is an original—having them latch onto it and really take it on board—is 10 times harder, being something they’ve never heard before.

If you use a hip-hop sample, stuff like that, straightaway, they love it because they already know it. Getting people to buy into a project that is original is a lot harder. But I’m here for it. I feel like if the rest of the pool becomes original, then the real good stuff will shine through.

EDM Maniac: Your latest release comes on another respected label in Defected’s DFTD imprint. What can you tell us about “That Sound”?

Deeper Purpose: Oh dude, so Defected was like the second event I ever went to—on a night out, to a house music event—and that was around 10 years ago. And I stood there with my friends—we’re on the dancefloor—and I was like, “One day I will be involved with Defected, one way or another.” I think my exact words were, “I will play for Defected.” 

At that point, I wasn’t producing. But I always had a love for Defected in my heart, as a brand, because it just held a special place to me. So I’ve been sending them demos for years, and years, and years, and finally, they got one that’s right. 

Not for the main label, but for their underground label, which was a fine foot through the door. It was sort of a ten-year accumulation toward that point. And now I’ve got my first gig for them in Ibiza playing Ushuaïa in the summer.

It’s a good personal achievement. I was so stoked about it—the whole process of getting involved with them. Hopefully, more to come.

EDM Maniac: What other releases are on tap? We know you teased a couple of tracks at the beginning of the year along with “Lemonade.”

Deeper Purpose: My next release [“One by One”] is on Toolroom on the 5th of April. It’s more of a deep house track, and it’s an actual song.

One thing I’ve been wanting to do is release an actual song with a proper vocalist. It took me a while to find something that works on my project and wasn’t completely the other side of the moon.

But I finally did it. It’s the girl that sung “The Hanging Tree”—Jalja—she’s done an original vocal for me on this track.

Featured image credit: Deeper Purpose.

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