Deepak Sharma and Dieter Krause: an interview
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Deepak Sharma and Dieter Krause: an interview
18 October, 2007 | 4.37PM- Section: Music News
“It’s been a fantastic year so far, and I’m looking to continue the momentum from 2007 into ’08,” states Hidden Recordings’ Deepak Sharma.
As the owner of Hidden Recordings, he, along with Dieter Krause, Sharma’s production partner in Germany, have been busy releasing tracks releasing tracks this year that have been licensed for mix compilations, charted on well known promo pools, and supported by jocks throughout the world.
To add, they have been contracted by a major ad agency in Singapore to complete music for a large beer company, and Deepak has seen his calendar book up with DJ gigs throughout the world playing at some of the finest venues.
The press alone from this year illustrates the buzz around Hidden Recordings.
We caught up with label mastermind, Deepak Sharma in New York city to learn more about his label, Hidden Recordings.
What is the mantra behind your label?
We make music we feel, and we have the freedom to experiment. With that in mind, not all of tracks are for everyone. Since we don’t conform to strict guidelines, our emotions are more easily expressed through our music. What I love the most about our catalog is you will see music from all different genres from minimal to deep techno to tech house to chill out. That’s what I’m most proud of, you can’t pigeon hole Hidden Recordings. You have to pay attention to each release, because each track is so unique.
How and why did the label come about? How’d you meet Dieter Krause?
In 2004, I released a mix compilation, “Boogaloo. Brooklyn. 3:23pm” for a lounge in Brooklyn named Boogaloo which was comprised of slower tempo, atmospheric minimal techno and tech house. Dieter, who is also a part of Laplaceausoleil had released a track off the label, Plong which I loved and liscensed for the mix compilation. Shortly after that we began to speak regularly. We found we had common interests and perspectives on music and life in general. I would ask his advice on what I was producing, and he would share some insights with me. It was in November of 2005 when we decided to work on tracks together. I was then in Europe for a gig and I stayed with him for a week and we worked and worked on tracks till we couldn’t do it anymore. I will say this was a very natural progression from getting to know each other as friends into now partners in a label. I don’t think either one of us thought it would get to this point, but we are happy it did!
After I got back from to the States, I began to reach out to labels who might be interested with little response or feedback. Some labels would take one track, but didn’t want the other, and I became frustrated. We had worked so hard on the tracks and I would ask myself, how could people just ignore us or not want our music. I didn’t realize how much they were inundated. But I took my frustration out by starting the label so that Dieter and I could have an outlet to release whatever we wanted, whenver we wanted. It was only recently, now that the label is firmly on two feet that I am looking to expand and release other artist’s music.
So the label has only been around for just over a year, yet there has been so much press, especially in 2007 about you and your label, what can you attribute that too?
When I first told people about Hidden Recordings, they didn’t have much reaction but after I began to send them our productions, the responses and feedback came in, and overwhemingly positive. I think a combination between the quality of releases and me being dilligent and reaching out to all different types of press people helped. You only push what you believe it, and I think our tracks are that good, so I spend the time to write emails and make phone calls along with working in the studio. Dieter has been very good partner and helps a lot with the day to day maintenance of the label. I could not do this without his help and passion for music.
Over time, people become to know you and trust you, and I think the press and public know what I’m about and respect it.
What are some cool projects and highlights so far in 2007?
We were contracted out by Singapore’s Ogilvy and Mather advertising agency to produce music for Heineken Global. This took a lot of time and effort, but was well worth it as it helped push us to the next level in producing. You are very much under the gun and need to work under immense pressure. I’m most proud of us winning the contract over established publishing groups because it shows what kind of skills we carry. The beauty of the music we made for them, is it fits our style and will be a track out under Hidden Recordings. Obviously a project like this also brings a lot of attention to a young label such as ours.
Other key highlights include having our track “Blow” licensed for the well known and established UK label, Four-Twenty’s Music 02 mix compilation. We were on with some great names such as Loco Dice and Martin Buttrich. The mix was great and helped push our profile in Europe a bit more. Again, when you are young and trying to become known, everything counts.
Naturally, what I’m most happy with is our catalog is steadily growing, with more and more releases lined up for 2008. We’ve definitely caught the eye of many as our tracks this year have been charted in the Balance Record Pool Chart on numerous occasions, reaching as high as number 16, and we’ve been mentioned in press from Germany’s Raveline Magazine to DJ Times to XLR8R. I think the press is catching up with us as we continue to release.
So how much did you get paid for the Heineken contract?
Haha, I won’t give dollar amounts, but its definitely a line of work, making music for tv commercials, movies etc that I want to do more and more. I will say that even after splitting it with Dieter 50/50 it was more than my first years salary as a media planner right after college! This kind of work also provides an outlet to really hit the masses. Think about those who have produced music for commercials. Now lump us into that group. Not to bad if you ask me.
Amidst all the new labels, how will you connect with new customers and fans?
I’m looking to expand my roster on the label beyond just Dieter and myself. This will bring more attention to the label and also provide some different sounds coming out of the catalog releases. One artist who has agreed to release with Hidden Recordings is Lineas De Nazca from Mexico.
One of the main points of feedback I always hear is the production quality of our tracks and how they work really well in big room and also small rooms. I think that quality and consistency will go along way in the future.
So you are a minimal label, how do you differentiate from all the rest?
Our tracks really range from minimal to deep techno to chill-out music. I don’t think other labels focus on being abstract or different, I think they concentrate on what will sell more so they follow a formula. I believe over time you’ll see a very natural organic growth to the popularity of Hidden Recordings, and not because we did some cheesy remix or began to follow a formula.
So what’s Hidden Recordings all about?
It was originally set up so that Dieter and I could release the tracks we made without having to conform to other label’s formulas. And that’s still the case but now we want to bring on artists with the same mentality as ours.
Hidden Recordings will always be about deep groovy vibes, abstract thoughts, psychedelic sounds and weird noises. And of course, what we believe to be great music!
What pressures/difficulties have you faced running a label?
When you begin to run a label, you realize there are so many little tasks such as sending out promos, chatting with press, and keeping up with releases and distributors that you sometimes lose time to produce. It’s a balancing act that I’m still learning.
What’s your take on the digital revolution?
It’s so much easier to buy music, you know that people will always have access to your catalog. You can simply do more research and learn more about whats going on – it’s all at your fingertips. It’s also great because it allows you to connect with consumers on a more personal basis through social networks such as Facebook and Myspace.
You’ve headlined and Djed at some of the biggest name venues, how have the crowds reacted to your style of DJing?
A little surprised, but always really happy.
Its funny because I really pride myself on knowing my room, my crowd and playing accordingly. My style reflects the label catalog very much. I’m not a clicky-clack minimal DJ as most of them, as I like to keep the energy levels higher. That being said, some big room techno, some downtempo afterhours music, it’s all there. People are often most surprised at how hard I can play, but usually only during late hours in big room. I’ve had the chance to DJ at clubs such as Vertigo in Costa Rica, Vision in Chicago, Five in Washington DC, Room 960 in Hartford and have also Djed in cities throughour North Amercia, South America and Europe. I recently gigged in NY with Loco Dice and it went really well as I played over four hours.
What can we expect from you in the next few months?
Defnitely look out for more releases from Dieter and me. Our production schedule looks really full and we are taking on an interesting project of remixing music for a new tequila company.
I also have some great gigs lined up and it’s always very important to hit the road and help push the music.
The big news is we are welcoming Lineas De Nazca to release off Hidden Recordings, making him the first artist besides Dieter and myself to release off the label. Dieter and I will remix the track and that will be out later in 2008. Lineas De Nazca has released on Rrygular, Eintakt and Channels Recordings, and has had tracks licensed to mix compilations from Craig Richards, Lucaino and Jeremy P. Caulfield.
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