The Deepshakerz

This Italian house production pair, Mirco Sonatore and Domy Berardino, occasionally channel Afrobeats rhythms within their output. The two DJs and producers have built a sizable body of singles, EPs, and remixes since forming in the late 2000s.

They first crossed paths at a radio station in the southern Italian seaport of Trani. After each issued early solo electronic work on the same local imprint, a second encounter prompted them to pool efforts, which yielded the Deepshakerz’s first single, “Over the Ride,” in July 2008. Berardino favors groove-driven composition while Sonatore excels at fresh ideas and melody, a balance well suited to tech-house; their mutual fascination with the rising Afrobeats sound further aligned them and surfaced in early tracks such as 2010’s “Yamamba,” 2011’s “Jelee Homa,” and a 2011 guest spot on Stefano Ritteri’s Solo release “Alki Bamba.”

February 2012 saw the Nervous Records debut “Maracana,” a joint effort with Roter & Lewis. The German pair reconvened with the Deepshakerz the next year for the Witty Tunes EP Give It Up. In 2014 the duo launched their own Safe Music label, whose first offering was the single “We Are.” Although the imprint would remain active throughout much of their career, it absorbed considerable energy during its startup phase; its opening year featured material from Bruno Furlan and Dennis Ihm, while 2016 hosted the Deepshakerz’s own debut album, Sensations. Later that year an invitation to join the Defected roster marked another milestone; the ensuing Keep Pumping EP generated fresh attention that spurred heightened output. Twelve EPs and singles appeared in 2017 across imprints including Cajual Records, Deeperfect, and Street King, alongside remixes drawn from Sensations. August brought a live set at Defected Croatia, and the same pace continued into 2018 with collaborations involving Bohemien, Raf Parola, and Mikey V.

A 2019 Safe Music single, “House You Want,” paired the duo with Baltimore gospel vocalist Martin Wilson of the Choir Boyz. Another Safe release, “No Questions” with Jako Diaz and Shyam P, preceded the 2021 compilation Radio Cuts, Vol. 1 on the same label, which gathered edits of favored in-house material. Two further singles featured Happy Mondays vocalist Rowetta—“Price to Pay” and “What Ya Heard?”—before 2022 opened with a fresh version of the 2017 track “Diggin’ Down.”