Dean Turnley Breaks Down His Beatport #1 Hit “Actin’ Tough” [Q&A]

Hey Dean, congratulations on scoring your first-ever Beatport #1, "Actin' Tough"! Where were you when you found out and how did you celebrate?

Thank you! I was actually in Miami. It was my first morning there, and I woke up to a message from Rossi congratulating me. It was a pretty crazy moment! Absolutely, being present at Miami Music Week was a celebration in itself. No better environment or time to soak it in, and the timing couldn’t have been better.

Take us back to the beginning. When did you first get hooked on DJing and producing? What pulled you into the world of dance music in the first place?

If we are going all the way back...2010 in high school. I first got Ableton, and everyone would use my iPod and mixtapes at house parties. Once I could afford my first bit of equipment, I started playing house parties, and the journey evolved from there. That era of electronic music was very inspiring for me. The breadth and individuality of artists were unmatched.

“Actin’ Tough” has been one of those rare records that DJs couldn’t stop rinsing even before release. At what point did you realize this one had real weight on the dance floor?

The Ripponlea Estate show with Not Without Friends in Melbourne was a big one for me, as it was the first time I had personally played it to an audience! It just felt big, and I could see that it brought a unique energy that people really connected with.

You mentioned the track came together on a 404 sampler just a few months ago. Can you walk us through the original idea and how quickly it evolved into the version we hear now?

I’m a bit of a crate digger with samples. I've spent a lot of late nights and years digging through old samples and whatnot. When I found this one, I had a great feeling immediately. From there, I spliced some hip-hop drums together on the Roland SP404.

I searched a little for a bassline with a 303 and wasn’t getting anywhere. The M1 is not often touched for me, but I've always wanted to do something with it. I gave it a go and was immediately hooked. The conversation it had with the vocals made me want to stomp my feet. From that point on, I just wanted to test it on the floor.

Between your work as a DJ and co-founding Sundancer, you’ve got a sharp instinct for what connects on the dance floor. How much did that real-world feedback shape the final version of “Actin’ Tough”?

The support, both online and on the dance floor, really drove me to get the track out to the world. For me, this record was an OG record. It has a real vintage feel to it, with the drums being very on the grid and raw. I wanted to keep it that way. I’ve got a lot of respect and love for the origins of house and techno.

Support from artists like Chris Lake, Michael Bibi, MPH, and Ben Sterling came in early. How did it feel watching the track spread through that circuit before it officially dropped?

Absolutely wild! It’s nice to see so many artists from different lanes play it, and I mean, what more do you really need or want? I was just blown away and kept watching it on my phone with my mates smiling!

How many times did you hear your track get played out during Miami Music Week?

More than a couple of times, hahahaha.

Any fun takeaways from your time in Miami that you’d like to share?

Club Space and ANOTR 11 a.m. Saturday – very hard to beat! Luuk van Dijk playing my tune at Jolene Soundroom when he didn’t know I was there! Random tacos with KinAhau, tea party with Ben Sterling.

With a Beatport #1 now under your belt, how are you thinking about the next chapter? What does the future of the Dean Turnley project look like from here?

I’ll keep doing what I've always done, but with the privilege of more opportunities. Expect more shows and more music, real soon. I’m wrapped that this particular record has put me into the spotlight, as it sits in a unique pocket. I just know that this is only the beginning, and I can’t wait to show the people my version, culture, and flavour of dance music.
 

Dean Turnley's "Actin' Tough" is out now via CHAOS / Astralwerks / Intercord Germany in collaboration with ROSSI.HOME//GRXWN.

Get it on Beatport.