During times of career reflection, Diamond Dealer will remember 2023 with pride, appreciation, and fondness.
The Kimberly, South Africa born producer and DJ has been a standout in Afro house culture for fifteen years. A genuine crowd amplifier, he’s given hand-waving audiences epic jams “Ain’t No Pressure” featuring Sacha Williamson (with remixes by the icon Groove Assassin!), “Found U” featuring Ziyon, “Mbali’nhle” featuring Tabia, and remixes of “Love Affair” by Joe Davis and “Time” by Nick Holder featuring Sacha.
Currently producing the best music of his career, Diamond Dealer’s 2023 resume includes a streak of consecutive hits – “Peah” and “Forever Young” with Idd Aziz, “Shine” with Roland Clark, and the magnificent remix of “Mire” by David Hooperman.
Three years ago, the Covid lockdown ushered Diamond Dealer away from packed clubs and festivals of thousands. Isolated, his sets were broadcast “Live From The Kitchen” on YouTube. Back to populated venues while still in demand, he closes 2023 with a NYE set at Ocean View Cabestan in Morrocco.
In THIS INTERVIEW Diamond Dealer shares insight into his production, Afro house culture, and the shared experience of feeling the music!
How and in what ways does Diamond Dealer the producer differ from Diamond Dealer the DJ?
Good question! I have roots in deep house and house music, and that influence has always been present in my songs. My music is more Afro inspired these days, but it’s not limited to that sound and I’m still enjoying those piano hooks in the studio. There’s a big return to the analog 90s sound. It’s timeless.
My DJ sets depend on where I play. A festival is different to a club and also the time of the set makes a big difference. But wherever I play there will always be a house music feel and an African flavor to it, even though I like to switch genres and go on journeys in my sets.
I was listening to “Found U” repeatedly, and everything about it has a very retro deep house feel…except the drums. Their style is fresh to my ears. Please explain them.
“Found U” is classic house music and the drums were from the Roland 808s and 909s. They sound so crisp and have a great identity.
I’m uneducated when it comes to dance music from South Africa. Please take me to class. What are its standout traits?
Dance music is a culture in South Africa. It’s 7 days a week, 24/7. What we call Afro house today originated from a period when we as South African artists decided to make our own beats with African rhythms and use our own local singers on vocals.
So there was a South African house period and then it started to export. And everywhere around the world Afro house started to grow until the DJs and DJ stores started to realize it’s a genre on its own that they needed to specifically add to stores.
What is Future Africa all about?
Future Africa was a show featuring my live DJ sets on Facebook, kind of like what we were doing during Covid with lockdowns. The whole idea of the name was to showcase the latest cutting-edge tracks in African music with the live streams. It was an interesting period because Afro house started to infiltrate in the underground techno scene in Europe.
What does music do for you that you’d like it to do for your listeners?
I’m about feel-good music. I can’t release a song if it doesn’t move me. That’s my vibe.
I really enjoyed “Aint No Pressure” also, which features singer Sacha Williamson. She’s from Canada, you’re from South Africa, but your chemistry sounds as though you grew up next door neighbors! How were you able to click so well?
“Ain’t No Pressure” has a deep house feel. I wrote the music and it needed a vocal. So, Nick Holder introduced me to Sacha and she recorded the song. She has a great soulful voice and recorded a beautiful vocal that really goes well together with the beats.
Tell us what it was like once you and the artistry of music started to click.
Music is my form of expression and it’s a freedom to be whatever I want. My DJ sets are fun sessions and I like to interact with the crowd, feel the music with them, and share that moment with the people in the same room. | By Mr. Joe Walker
