⋆˚࿔ untitled 909 podcast 260: deep creep ⋆˚࿔

“This is a live mix from my set at Globus Tresor in Berlin in August. I was invited by a good friend of mine Dylan aka radart to play with him and Mike Midnight. The whole night had a very special vibe from start to finish. Prepping for this mix I was super worried that I didn’t have time to dig for a specific vibe. I was kindly reminded by a friend of mine that it’s always better to dig in your own collection. Simple thought for sure but sometimes I need to be reminded of this for I love the newness of a good find. Spent a lot of time going through what I was into that year and found some heaters I had missed upon first search. When I listen back its a nice representation of where my head was at. A bit twisted, a bit chaotic, a bit me.”

welcome to warm and wiggly world of NYC-based dj deep creep. a fellow platform curator, running the long-standing brilliant mix series, parties and record label pi pi pi, deep creep is someone i’ve looked to for inspiration for a while. not sure when we first connected online but the way that deep creep (real name sasha) navigates world-building within her platform and sets is something i’ve long admired. creating these dream-like, playful atmospheres that step away from the rigid construct of what music press can sometimes come across as, pi pi pi allows the artist to dig deep into their creative being. through her dj sets and the lot radio show, deep creep has found her voice. with a distant sound that often traverses the glistening, the slinky, and the sleazy, nodding to bygone eras of dance music, whether that’s leaning more into dub, tech house or minimal influences, there’s a sense of groove that ties everything together. for her contribution to the 909 mix series, deep creep submits her latest set from the glowy globus room in tresor, moving through a deep selection of early 00s minimal, low-end focused tech house and deep, bubbling techno.

Hey Sasha! How are you doing? What have you been up to lately?

Oh hi : ) Greetings from the sky as I answer these questions on my flight back to NYC from Montreal. I just played at this community space called Parquette for the four year anniversary of a very sweet collective called Flush and experienced what might have been the coldest weather ever. Regardless of the cold I am so in love with the people, scene, music and food of Montreal. I’ve only been there when its chilly and I look forward to making my way there in summer one day.

Let’s start from the very beginning, what was your first introduction to music in general and then more specifically electronic music?

My first introduction to music at a very young age was through my mom. She is from La Paz, Bolivia and had a deep love for Bossa Nova. She loved so many different types of music and could always be found playing anything from Jazz to some esoteric new age Enigma.

When I was a bit older, she was the first to introduce me to dance music and all the tracks that had with lyrics about ecstasy before I knew what ecstasy was ;). I used to brag that she would pull up to pick me up from school bumping the hottest euro dance in our small Dallas suburb.

Who was the first artist or band that you were a fan of?

Ahhh there are so many to name but one fond memory that comes to mind from when I was as a teen circa maybe 2002. I went to a CD shop at our local mall and bought a CD based solely on the cover without even listening. It ended up being Interpol. ‘Hands Away’ from their album “Turn On The Bright Lights” steered me into a completely different direction from what I had been previously listening to on the radio. After becoming obsessed with this find, I used to make my parents drop me off at the mall so I could lock myself in at Barnes and Noble and dig through their CD selection for as long as possible.

Was there a formative moment growing up, whether that’s seeing your favorite band live or an incredible DJ set, that led you to this path?

Haha wow I have a couple of those! But a memorable one that comes to mind is when I was in Europe for the first in a small coastal town in Italy with my best friend Anna.

We were visiting her grandparents and I was just under 21. I was just getting into dance music but I wasn’t really sure of what I liked yet. We met this very fancy American guy who said that we had to go to this very exclusive club on the beach to see this massive DJ.

I wanted to go but tickets were 130 euro and I had spent all the savings I made from waiting tables just to buy the ticket to Europe. He offered to pay for us and so we went. We got there and at this time they were not really managing capacity. We were packed like sardines and barely able to move. This DJ came up to the decks and everyone started to freak out as if he were some godlike figure.

Anyways, at that point I was pretty convinced that whatever this music was I indeed did not vibe. I was trying to find an escape when I looked up and was immediately hit by a huge couch cushion from the sky, leaving me with a huge bump on my head. After I finally found my friends and left, we found out that the DJ was David Guetta lol.

Where do you look for sources of inspiration outside of music?

Any time I am feeling a bit burnt out I like to switch gears and indulge in film. Especially a film with an amazing soundtrack. Shout out Naman for introducing me to Exotica. Highly rec!

How has New York influenced or informed your sense of self and artistic output?

I moved to NYC to pursue music after dropping out of college. In hindsight this was maybe a dumb decision but it’s one that I don’t regret. I feel very lucky to be surrounded by many like-minded individuals and to bear witness to one of the best music scenes in the world **I’m biased — sorry haha.

The hustle is tough but I appreciate that NYC keeps me on my toes and engaged whether I want to be or not. Also, I want to give The Lot Radio a big shout out because becoming a resident changed me as a DJ and helped me develop my style that I feel pretty confident in these days.

What has been your most recent musical discovery that you’re obsessed with?

Doom Jazz… not sure how I came across it but now I’m not sure I can live without it. Rinsed Bohren & der Club of Gore on my long flight home from Australia. The eerie subtle nature of it really resonates with a certain kind of mood for what it feels like to return to normalcy after a crazy tour.

What was the motivation behind launching your platform pi pi pi?

pi started as a Facebook group between a few of my friends (mostly based in TX) for sharing tracks. It was a private group that quickly grew to around 500 or so members. When I moved to NYC I was really into making mixes and wanted to create a platform for sharing my friends’ tastes as well as my own, accompanied with a cheeky Q&A that’s grown in absurdity. I like the freeform aspect of asking people questions that are a bit more surreal and floaty. To me it feels more grounded in the nature of what it would be like to talk to someone in a dream as opposed to the cold hard reality of what a lot of music journalism portrays these days.

You’ve also contributed a mix for the 909 series, tell me about the mix?

This is a live mix from my set at Globus Tresor in Berlin in August. I was invited by a good friend of mine Dylan aka radart to play with him and Mike Midnight. The whole night had a very special vibe from start to finish. Prepping for this mix I was super worried that I didn’t have time to dig for a specific vibe. I was kindly reminded by a friend of mine that it’s always better to dig in your own collection. Simple thought for sure but sometimes I need to be reminded of this for I love the newness of a good find. Spent a lot of time going through what I was into that year and found some heaters I had missed upon first search. When I listen back its a nice representation of where my head was at. A bit twisted, a bit chaotic, a bit me.

How does your approach to DJ sets differ from studio mixes and radio show? Is there a narrative in mind that you’re always trying to tell through your sets?

While I might be playing a different style live vs my radio show I do believe there is a common thread of pace and momentum. I think for every mix I make or set I play I want to give the track time to breathe and showcase what it can do. That might mean playing out the entirety of an 11 min track. I hate the idea of cutting off work that someone spent so much time making. I think this style of pacing allows a narrative to grow but I hope that everyone experiences the story to their own interpretation. That’s kind of the beauty of sound. It can mean one thing to me and a completely different thing to the listener.

When was the last time you were on the dance floor?

Two days ago shaking it to a live set from Emissive at Parquette in frigid Montreal.

What are you most excited about right now?

I recently just signed with Phuture West, an agency based out of Amsterdam. To be quite honest it took me a long time to find an agency that felt aligned with what I want in the future. I think patience was a virtue in this case as I am so excited to start working with them for this year.

I feel insanely lucky to be a part of so many cool festivals this summer. One specifically that I can talk about now would be memòri in Occitanie, France. When I received this booking offer I was blown away and had to read it a few times over to make sure that it was real haha. The lineup is so fresh and full of friends that I admire. (Excited to see you play too)

What’s on your vision board at the moment?

Stay sane

Stay hydrated

Stay warm

Stay positive

Stay true