Get to know Deas, Poland’s Most Prolific Techno Talent

Born in Greece but based in Krakow, Poland, Karol Mozgawa (aka Deas) has been hard at work carving out a spot for himself as one of Eastern Europe’s most promising techno acts. He first started releasing music in high school, and for the past decade has become increasingly proficient in his productions, which have gradually turned more driving and sinister over time.

In addition to working as a full-time music engineer, Deas has released on labels like Second State, KMS Records, Planet Rhythm, and more while performing at clubs across Europe, most frequently in his adopted home of Poland.

While his tracks gained more and more support from techno heavyweights like Len Faki, Marcel Dettmann, and Pan-Pot, it was during a fortuitous Clubhouse chat with Chris Liebing that news of the return of Liebing’s CLR label found Deas. Soon he was part of the imprint’s newly forged roster.

Following an impressive debut EP for CLR titled Command, and with a new label EP on the way, we caught up with Deas to learn more about Krakow’s scene, his electronic music beginnings, and what the future holds for this outstanding techno talent.

Hey Karol, thanks for joining us! What have you been up to, and how’s life treating you these days?

I’m good, thanks! I just finished my next EP, which will be released later this year. How is life treating me? I have to say that everything is perfect. The calendar is filling up with great clubs. I have also had a very productive period of time. I’m learning many things, so it’s a very creative moment in my life.

You were born in Greece and then moved to Belgium, but you grew up in Poland. How did you first become enchanted by the sound of techno?

This is a good question. I don’t really remember when my first touch with techno was, but definitely, I know when my first clubbing experience was.

It was when I was in the first year of high school, here in Krakow, at the no longer existing Roentgen club. It wasn’t quite techno, more like rave, breakcore, drum & bass music, but it was this moment at this club that I first started to become enchanted by clubbing, loud music, and all the art that comes with it.

You’ve been releasing music for over a decade now, which is impressive for someone in their early 30s. When did you start producing and DJing, and how has your sound evolved over time?

In the beginning, it was out of pure curiosity about how the music I was listening to was being made.

I started producing music when I was in high school, and then in a few years, it was kind of like ‘training.’ I had no people who could show me what techno is or introduce me to acts like Aphex Twin, Boards Of Canada, and Plastikman. So I had gone quite a long way in my music taste, evolving from trance to progressive, and finally, to techno.

I’ve made some mistakes along the way, and there are still so many things I am still learning. It was my evolution based on my fascination with sound and technology.

Can you bring us back to the moment you first learned of your music being supported by a globally renowned artist?

I don’t remember exactly the track and moment, but I remember that I had a strong complex about my music for a long, long time. I would make and release something that I would be happy with, but then I would suddenly get obsessed with the idea that it didn’t sound any good and my idea was not that cool, so there was a point where I hadn’t played my music out for quite a while.

This obsession spurred me to start another side of my career: music engineering, mixing, and mastering, but back to the question…

When I saw that more and more people were playing my music and I witnessed the crowd’s reactions, I slowly started to believe in my sound. It was, of course, a long way again to altogether drop out of my complex, but I had observed, thought, and drawn conclusions.

You’ve become a fixture of Poland’s techno circuit. How would you describe the club scene there?

The scene in Poland is not very big, it’s not like in Germany or Netherlands, but people know what’s up. The crowd here is always open and very enthusiastic. This type of ‘Polish welcoming’ is sometimes even ‘too much,’ haha, but always comes from a good place, of course.

How did you first get linked up with Chris Liebing and CLR for your recent Command EP?

Just before the pandemic, I saw that Chris had constantly been playing lots of my tracks, and I remember thinking to myself, “Wow, it would be nice to release on CLR if it was still pushing out music.”

Then I heard that Chris is planning to open CLR again, which was the trigger for me. But unfortunately, we all know what happened in March 2020.

During the pandemic, I saw that Chris was going to live on Clubhouse. When I joined, he recognized me, and I asked him about plans for CLR.

He said that he was planning to open CLR again, and he would love it if I sent him any new records.

After our conversation, I sent him music. I had so many tracks ready to go because all I was doing during the pandemic was producing. I was in the studio almost the whole time. And voila! Next thing you know, I’m part of the label.

What are three of CLR’s most essential tracks?

Black Asteroid – Engine 1 (Dave Clarke & Mr. Jones Unsubscribe Remix)

Dave Clarke’s remix of “Engine 1” has always been one of THESE tracks! I remember when the very first time I heard it. The experience was purely mind-blowing for me.

Chris Liebing – Auf Und Ab (Edit Select Remix Part 2)

Love this mood. Huge track!

Virgil Energizer – Move Beyond

For me, this track comes off like a complete ‘wall of sound.’ It’s like a tank. Love it.

What are your plans and goals for the remainder of 2022?

I have scheduled a vinyl / digital release on A R T S, as well as Bau Muzik and Planet Rhythm. And, of course, my next EP is coming out on CLR, which I couldn’t be happier about.

My agent Marco has also scheduled a few festival slots for me and some great club bookings all over Europe, so I’m over the moon that after two years of Covid, I can get back to the dance floor!

Cameron Holbrook is Beatportal’s North American Editor. Find him on Twitter or Instagram.