i:Vibes presents something slightly different as we take a look at a club/bar that is causing a stir in London. Deeper Substance is holding together the true spirit of music- maintaining an underground approach as it veers away from commercialism in its entirity. So often we hear how the major influence on a DJ / Producer's career stems back to the underground-nice to know it is still evident!

"Deeper Substance, in association with Substantial DJ Management, is now a regular event, with your infamous hosts, Demi and Sianie - AKA Deeper
Substance bringing fresh up and coming talent to the decks each month. It's the perfect way to warm up for the night ahead.

"Deeper Substance's vibe made me go to Fabric afterwards... The best atmosphere i've experienced outside a club in ages"

Each month we showcase fresh new talent, bringing in the best of the up and coming NuBreed DJ's, such as Paolo Mojo (Muzik Bedroom Bedlam Winner,
John Digweed Kiss 100 Guest Mixer, Pacha, Ibiza, Fabric) and Jonathon Lisle (Bedrock, John Digweed Kiss 100 Guest Mixer), as well as distinguished
DJ's such as Fabric's own residents Bill Brewster (Elements, Faith) and Lee Burridge (Tyrant). Deeper Substance was also host to Rui Da Silva's first ever solo UK DJ appearance.

"The sort of night people will talk about for years. It had an underground feel that you just cannot get anywhere these days." (Jonathan Lisle, Kiss FM, Bedrock)

Deeper Substance is about getting down to the basics of what really makes a good party go off- DJ's with talent, passion for what they do and freedom
to play the music they really believe in. Names, attitudes and industry bull**** are surplus to requirements.

With this attitude Deeper Substance has attracted many friends. They provide upfront music straight from the souls of the DJ's who just pure and simply love music.
The need to spend large amounts of money to attract a crowd does not interest Demi, as the whole vibe and atmosphere created is enough for A class Dj's to relax and play their own true sound. As mentioned, the likes of Lee Burridge and James Zabiela frequent the decks, loving every moment they spend playing to an appreciative crowd- even asking to play again! Deeper Substance is the UK's answer to the American underground-an intimate affair pushing the scene into new directions with minimal financial output- isnt this what dance music should be like??? Stepping away from the fat cats who commercialise in every possible respect-wasting solid productions for profits, taking over respected names and taking them into household name status-relinquishing the pride that was once the figurehead of these clubs: I can thankfully say-this is the last thing Deeper Substance aims for!

HOW DID IT START??
Demi explains:
"It was something Sian (ex partner at Deeper Substance) and I wanted to do for a long time with each other since we first found out when we were at university that we both DJ’d. In the end it was when the promoters who booked us for Bali said the two of us could play together out there that we started thinking about it seriously. So we organised a few private parties before we left to see how we got on and it just grew from there. Playing 5+ hours 2-3 times a week b2b was a massive learning curve for us but it turned out to be the best move.

We had been thinking of starting a party for some time since then when we got back to London. Having had the full wax superstar DJ treatment in Bali for so long, we thought that our success there would be a guaranteed ticket to making it big here in the UK which after a few months was not or never going to be the case.
Originally the very first party we held back in May 2001 was actually our engagement party. We wanted to organise a big get-together for all our friends and people who had congratulated us through emails, message-boards. So we arranged to do the party in a bar just round the corner from Fabric. John Digweed was playing that night and despite a last minute panic finding the venue only two days beforehand, carting round a sound-system and getting in a sweat about the whole thing, the night went down really well. We knew that we had something special so decided to make a go of it. The rest is history."

Demi has recently expanded the Deeper Substance sound to broadcast via Proton Radio, providing listeners with a personal treat straight out of Demi's box. He himself has just made it through to the final of the Cream competition- the winner is the next Cream resident! He has worked his way through the rounds, on sheer excellence in programming and an extremely hard working approach-as he himself will tell you. Having a day job, 9-5, running Deeper Substance requires the hours usually spent in relaxation- working to promote, pushing Deeper Substance in new directions: creating flyers, contacting future guests, organising the next edition of the london night.

On top of that he strives to fulfil his own personal ambitions, and finally it is in touching distance- and possibly at a pinnacle as he will be warming up for DANNY TENAGLIA at
Be Yourself! ..

PAST GIGS:
RUI DA SILVA: First UK Solo DJ Gig Review:
"One of the things about club promoting is that you never know when your DJ is going to let you down at the last minute. So when I received a call from Paul Sidoli's agent three days before Deeper Substance was set to take place, my heart sank and I felt yet another few hairs turning grey. 'Unavoidable work demands' meant that we were left without a guest DJ and with only three days left to find a suitable replacement, I started to consider getting a day job - fast.

Luckily for us, this last minute cancellation proved to be a blessing, as another DJ on the Enter Music roster agreed to step in and save the day. Not just any DJ either - Rui Da Silva - and this was to be his debut UK DJ appearance, so none of us really knew what to expect or quite how to warm up for his set.

We guessed after 'Touch Me' that he would play quite a housey selection of tracks (no money was placed on him closing with his title track!). Alex had prepared a deep and soulful build up and as the clocks were due to go back an hour later in the night, he played an extended set until 9pm. Then Demi took over the decks and continued the deep house vibe. The haunting vocal talents of Andrea Brown, `Trippin` being mixed in beautifully into Danny Tenaglia's collaboration with the great Byron Stingily `Why can't you be Real`. And then the beat kicks in and Demi has effortlessly moved the night into second gear once more.

I took over and built up the pace through a selection of dark and percussive tracks, finishing to great response with Soulvation: Flying into love - a deep and dirty production from Dutch producer Revolt.

By now a crowd has gathered around the decks and I mix out my last track under the watchful eyes of Jonathan Lisle and Rui Da Silva - talk about pressure! Rui takes over, instead of laying down the party tracks, he takes us on a journey through some deep, deep progressive house, and Deeper Substance takes on a feel of Bedrock at midnight. And it's getting almost as hot and sweaty!

Rui plays till 12, and you can sense that the crowd are waiting for the music to move up a notch - Deeper Substance style - so when Alex, Demi and I go back to back for an extended hour as the clocks go back, the lights go down and the pace goes up. Alex was the star if the night, as he drops the theme track toAxle Foley - Beverly Hills Cop - as the last track, to a rapturous response. Another Deeper Substance moment as we stand around the decks and sing along like a bunch of school kid clubbers! Quality."

LEE BURRIDGE AS SURPRISE GUEST AT DEMI'S BIRTHDAY!:
The Deeper Substance crew doesn't need an excuse to throw a party, but on November the 17th, they had a better one than usual. Sian had arranged for a special guest to play in honour of co-promoter Demi's birthday, with the identity of the mystery DJ kept secret until the night itself. Thus

it was with an air of hushed anticipation that the Spirit Bar in Farringdon gradually filled up, with Sian herself stepping to the 1210's to lay down the deep, percussive sounds early on. Keeping things on a housey tip, she built the vibe with a feel-good selection of tracks, including a brilliant track on Spiritual Life Records called `Slavery Days` and even hitting her peak with the warped disco of Superfunk's 'Lucky Star'.

With photographer Graham Newman throwing ever more bizarre shapes behind the booth in the quest for the perfect shot, Deeper Substance regular Alex Sansford took over for an excursion into dark, freaked out territory, kicking off with a Deep Dish cut of Beth Orton's classic "Central Reservation". Managing to play oppressive, Creamer-esque tracks whilst keeping the energy levels up is quite a challenge, but Alex pulled it off with ease; his tight, fluid mixing serving only to highlight his considered selection. The new single by `The Lighthouse Family`called "Tree" was a notable track which seemed to definitely get the approval from Demi as he scuppered across to the booth.

DJing on your birthday can go one of two ways. Either you dig deep and produce something a bit special, or you get violently blatted and chuck up over the mixer. Thankfully Demi opted for the former, and spun like a man possessed. Beginning his set still clueless about who he was warming up for, Demi took the dancefloor by the scruff of the neck and shook it around with his unique brand of twisted house. Weaving in the brilliant the Halo Bonus version of "Que Pasa" by Nigel Hayes, Demi began with something fresh and brand new on the newly launched Ark Records with what appeared to be an accapella of Xzique "Your Mind" floating over the top. All while this is happening, I see Demi just grinning, singing or trying to sing the accapella "you wanna fuck me up….". Nice!

Taking some cues from Tenaglia, but stamping the sound with a British toughness, Demi never fails to deliver pure filthy music. The look on his face and Jonathan Lisle who I saw scampering to fiddle with the filters on the mixer as Wally Lopez's "House Park" slams in was a picture and a half.

But of course the real cheeky surprise that night was the mystery guest DJ. Well, when Lee Burridge walked down the stairs it's fair to say that Demi's jaw dropped- he was in danger of knocking the needle with his chin. Most of the crowd had already picked up the news earlier, so were prepared for the onslaught which was about to ensue. But not before the birthday boy laid down his own little gift to the masses as well as Lee. …Stopping the last record as he waits before dropping in a thunderous bassline of Adamski's "Killer" which has everybody going back to their karaoke roots. CUE LEE BURRIDGE!!!! Kicking off with Andrea Brown's 'Tripping' (already a Deeper Substance favourite), Burridge let rip with a barrage of basslines, sweeping melodies and crisp, chunky beats.

With his deft touch and rhythmical flair, it's easy to see how he's earned his place amongst the DJ Premier League. With the floor slowly mutating into a single sweaty mass, it was soon apparent that Mr Burridge was thrashing the system to within an inch of its life. As the set wore on, one filthy 'woomph' sound proved too much for the bass bins, and they promptly keeled over and died. Not letting a small thing like that spoil the party, the crowd all moved closer to the DJ monitors, and the session continued (albeit a little more quietly). When the bar had been virtually drunk dry, and Burridge had spun his last tune, the mass exodus to Fabric was as well subscribed as ever. As we walked the streets of Farringdon en route to the superclub there was just one topic of conversation… How long till the next one?

What are the clubbers own thoughts on Deeper Substance?
"My first experience of Deeper Substance was last month’s bash with guest Jonathan Lisle, and I witnessed something rarely seen in London these days – a bunch of people smiling and completely losing it to good records played by good people on an absolutely brutal soundsystem. But hosts Demi and Sian have been steadily building their name since last year, thanks mainly to the internet and word of mouth, even drawing the talents of one Lee Burridge a few months back.

By the time we arrive tonight we’ve missed resident Alex Sansford again – apologies good sir – but we’re assured that his selection of deep house was of the highest order, so fair play to him. Demi is into the last half hour of his set, and though Spirit is far from full the assembled few groove happily to X-Press 2’s Lazy, before building up into the traditional DS dirty, mostly tribal sound. 9.30 may be a little early yet for Angel Moraes’ thumping Turn It Up, but just you try telling this lot in here. They’re loving it. Sian takes over and keeps the vibe going nicely while we get involved with the vodka cranberries."
NATHAN BROWN

WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS FOR DEEPER SUBTSANCE:
"Plans for Deeper Substance in the future?
The first official Deeper Substance US Tour will kick off in November starting with a couple of very high profile gigs in New York, startin at Centro Fly with the Low End Specialists and the following night at Arc for Danny Tenaglia’s Be Yourself party. Demi and Deeper Substance will then head down to Miami’s Lola Bar which hosted John Digweed’s Winter Music Conference Bedrock Party earlier this year and then final leg will be at the Vibe in Gainsville which is proving to be a very popular choice for a lot of British DJ’s including Danny Howells and Jonathan Lisle.

Initial talks have been set with possible future overseas residencies both in Zurich and San Francisco as well. After travelling to Zurich last month, I was amazed at how healthy and underground the scene is over there and with some talented local DJ’s and promoters over there, plans are already underway for a regular DS event in 2003."
Demi..

As shown, you can seek out success purely from the love of music-and good loyal friends. The key is providing a scene in which the environment is friendly, relaxing- and a musical pleasure! Summed up in two words: DEEPER SUBSTANCE!
We wish Demi the best for his own personal aspirations and those of Deeper Substance.
For further details please visit their web site at: www.deepersubstance.com