Deep House Proposal, a new house music imprint from Istanbul conceived by DJs Berk Doan and Baris Bergiten, is proud to present the label’s second single, remixes of “Between Us" originally by up-and-coming DJ/producer Gurhan. Gurhan’s Between Us EP was Deep House Proposal’s inaugural release and its confident, lush sound quickly gained support from the likes of Giom, Asad Rizvi, Nick Holder, Atnarko, and Scott Hardkiss. To celebrate the single’s success Deep House Proposal decided to follow it with a bang … thus this newest issue contains top shelf remixes from two house music giants: Terry Lee Brown, Jr. and Subsky.
Everything came together full circle as Deep House Proposal manager Berk Doan remembers being fascinated by the classic Terry Lee Brown Jr. Chocolate Chords vinyl album that Subsky introduced to him. Initially intrigued by the artist’s now well-known logo on the cover, the music within turned Berk and Subsky into instant fans. Subsky, who is a recognized pioneer of Istanbul’s house music scene eventually had a track chosen by Brown Jr. for an installment of the Terry’s Cafe compilation series. To have the pair remixing for Berk’s Deep House Proposal label seemed inevitable.
The two producers present very different versions of Gurhan’s “Between Us.” Terry Lee Brown Jr. provides a mix with a throbbing, remote drive and warm pads that approach like watery waves. Percussion hits, reverb washes, and breathy accents add to the track’s late night appeal. Subsky’s remix begins with an ominous, low-end groove that patiently and effectively builds over the span of the track. Filtered synth hits powder the rhythm as a hypnotic house music shuffle leads the way to the dance floor. These two mixes are deep house with a purpose, masterful reworks from adepts of the genre. It’s a shining moment brought to you by Deep House Proposal, with many more to follow.
Christian Martin - “Terry Lee Brown Jr. always kills it. Love this!”
Pezzner - “Terry Lee Brown Jr. is in excellent form on this release … as usual. I am digging the Subsky Remix as well. A+”
Three - “Both versions are super-strong.”
Joshua Iz - “Terry Lee Brown Jr. come with the deepness, as usual.”
Manuel Sahagun - “Both remixes are intense! Deep, fat, and big room friendly.”
Deepchild - “Proper, deep, and lovely. All very on-point.”
Will SumSuch (UrbanTorque) - “Really digging both remixes, but the Subsky version just edges it for me. Wonderful, atmospheric deep house.”
Mr. Jones (Disclosure Project) - “Terry Lee Brown Jr.’s remix is a nice dubby affair and gets deeper in the back half. Good remix.”
Michael Fossati (Spirit Of House) - “Two ingenious remixes of this great deep house tune.”
Sandro Bianchi (Ibiza Sonica) - “Straight 2 my bag 2 rip the dancefloor!”
Al Bradley (Audiotonic / 3am Recordings) - “Wow! Both mixes here are simply stunning - no surprise really, both Terry & Subsky both consistently proving their credentials all the time. Deep, techy, bass-heavy & wicked on both cuts.”
Also supported by Luciano, Alexi Delano, Inland Knights, DJ Schwa (Shades Of Gray), Hipp-e, Satoshi Fumi, Robert Owens, Nick Holder, Omid 16B, Nico De Ceglia, Murray Richardson, Da Funk, Merlyn Martin, and DJ Linus.
Available now from Beatport.
Gurhan - Between Us EP (Deep House Proposal) →
From Istanbul comes Deep House Proposal, an enterprise that organically evolved from a Turkish club night to a well-received podcast and then eventually an ambitious label focusing on the deeper side of the house music spectrum. The idea was conceived in 2009 by DJs Berk Doan and Baris Bergiten who simply wanted to promote a style of music they wanted to hear, and were not hearing enough of. After programming many club events and acquiring tens of thousands of regular listeners to the Deep House Proposal podcast, the pair have honed and narrowed down the vibe of the label, warmly expressed on their debut release.
The first Deep House Proposal release is the two track Between Us EP, helmed by up-and-coming DJ/producer Gurhan. With previous releases on Dark Pleasure, Keepitpure, and Muenchen, Gurhan is quickly making a name for himself via underground circles through his sweeping, lush deep house sound. Gurhan’s Dream Catcher EP received plays from the likes of Lukas Greenberg, Steve Lawler, and Mihalis Safras, while “Bakarsın” hit the top ten charts on Istanbul’s influential Dinamo FM.
“Between Us" starts things off with a melancholy synth pad soon giving way to a tight house music rhythm and repetitive bell-like melody line. A warm, throbbing bass fills the low end while distant pads hit with filtered sweeps to create an evocative sense of space. Reminiscent of Timewriter’s earlier works, "Between Us" can easily sit among the deepest of tracks in an after-hours DJ set. Up next, Gurhan raises the energy with "What You Say,” a driving cut that is characterized by its heavy, rolling bass line, and rhythmically chanted vocal hits. The cut builds nicely as well-placed breakdowns lead to dramatic crashes and airy sweeps. While still firmly in the deep house realm, “What You Say” has enough pump and groove to welcome it into the virtual crates of discerning tech-house jocks. All in all, a superb debut release from Deep House Proposal, and a promising signal of things to come.
Scott Hardkiss (God Within / Art On Air Radio) - “I’m happy to be turned on to this one … ‘Between Us’ is a great, great track. Modern and spacey, but still dripping with emotion. Keep ‘em coming!”
Les Wright (The Sunday Alternative / Ambersound FM) “Very nice production. I particularly enjoyed the way ‘Between Us’ builds up.”
Will SumSuch (Urban Torque / Seven Music) - “Really nice, bass heavy Deep House.”
Kiko Martínez (Doce Pulgadas Radio Show / Ibiza Global Radio) - “Both tracks are nice and deep. Thanks!”
Dino Michael (Good Hope FM / Godfathers House Radio Show) - “Awesome! Full support on my show and in the clubs … Kicking deepness!”
DJ Bonehead (Heads Up & Sundada Radio) - “‘Between Us’ is the jam!”
Velanche (Urban Landscapes Radioshow / KCPR 91.3 FM) - “Out of the gates, a nice first release full of Deep House … It has a sense of play that makes it a cut above the usual house fare.”
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - A fantastic release from Gurhan! Both tracks are exquisite Deep House productions. ‘Between Us’ has just the right mix of deep & tech infusions, while ‘What You Say’ provides a wonderful warm deep groove. Full support!”
Michael Fossati (Spirit Of House Web Zine) - Blissful melodies and deeper than deep truly remorseless rhythms make ‘Between us’ something truly special.”
Available now from Beatport and emusic