Deepgrooves: A record label deep in the Pacific of bass, and the people who gave it a voice - press release

 

Deepgrooves was a 1990s Auckland-based record label that released the first ever local hip-hop single to reach number one on the NZ charts with 3 The Hard Way’s ‘Hip-hop Holiday’, back when there were local radio stations with slogans like 'No rap, no crap'. At that time, some people in the media and the music industry genuinely believed rap/hip-hop was a fad and it would die out. Especially if they ignored it.

The label created forgotten classic records from Fuemana, Sulata, Grace, Urban Disturbance, Freebass, Breaks Co-op, New Loungehead and Ermehn, plus countless individual moments of funky greatness on the reggae and hip-hop vibe.

It was hugely influential and broke down barriers for those who followed like Fat Freddy’s Drop, Che Fu, Nesian Mystik, Shapeshifter, Ladi6, and many more local dance acts. It proved we could make great dance music right here in Aotearoa New Zealand.

This oral history looks into the many stories of Deepgrooves and the musicians, DJs and producers behind it, how they got started and where they ventured. It’s the tale of the inner city community in Auckland that gave rise to this scene.

Deepgrooves opened the door for a collective of talented young men and women who were largely shut out of the local music industry, and brought to life some incredible music.

“From the outside, watching Deepgrooves grow, and watching what they were doing was really hugely influential on what I was listening to. I connected to the fact that they were releasing music by young Maori and Polynesian acts – that was progressive for its time. The music also felt truly competitive on the global stage” – Kirk Harding.

“It’s easily one of the most important local indie labels of the post-punk era and one that paved the way for so much New Zealand music” – Simon Grigg.

Published by Dunbar Noon Publishing, 18 November 2024.​
ISBN 978-0-473-72061-2

Size: 218 x 218 x 19mm, 322 pages, paperback
Cover illustration and inside illustrations by John Pain, book design by Peter McLennan

CONTACT Dunbar Noon Publishing
Email: petermac008 at gmail dot com

Contents:

Foreword by Simon Grigg 
Introduction 
1 Let’s take it from the top. And make some deep grooves 
2 DLT: Bass, how low can you go?
3 Daniel Barnes: Talking rhythm and business 
4 Mike Hodgson: The Projector Mix
5 Jules Issa, Mighty Asterix: The Twelve Tribes kids
6 Tierney and Lattimer depart, Sinclair and Submariner arrive
7 It’s FreeBASS! Not Freebase
8 Compilation stations in 93/94, plus a riot
9 Unitone Hifi vs Nemesis Dub Systems inna mashup stylee
10 Colony: Rest in pieces
11 Urban Disturbance: Figure these kids
12 Manuel Bundy: On the real
13 Andy Morton: Submariner on the beats
14 3 The Hard Way: Hip-hop holidaze
15 The brothers Grace
16 Lost Records 93-94: We have guitars
17 Jordan Reyne: Long way to climb
18 Fuemana: On the Phlypcyde 
19 Simon Holloway: In the studio
20 Rip it up and start again: DIY takes over with Kaiun Digital
21 Sulata: Kia koe/for you
22 New Loungehead: Talking all that jazz
23 Breaks Co-op: Up on the roof
24 Lole: Feel like making an album?
25 Ermehn: Walls of steel
26 John Oz: From Slacker to Freaker
27 Justyn Pilbrow: Press Pause
28 The end: Sofa so good, so long
Appendix 1: Discography, music awards
Appendix 2: Pages from the 1997 Deepgrooves website
Acknowledgements, photo credits
End notes
Bibliography 
Index