DJ Deep

DJ Deep (née Andreas Peine^[1] on 1968-01-02) is a German remixer and DJ from Schermbeck. From there, he started his exemplary career as one of the best megamixers of Europe. Similarly successful in the genre was his friend Uwe Jagusch who, together with Peine, since 1996, created world-leading megamixes using the pseudonym "Studio 33". Ever since, both work together in a team.^[2]

Deep Dance

His Deep Dance mixes (also called Deep Mixes) are bootleg megamixes. Starting at the end of the 1980s up to halfway through 2000, DJ Deep was responsible for 66 episodes of the CDs that ranked high on popularity within the European remixing scene, and which likewise were popular on flea markets and record fairs. The in part illegally produced mixes contained around 70 songs per CD (sometimes even over 100). The Deep Dance volume 50 mix alone, distributed in a minted silver sheet metal can as an enclosure for the discs (see picture), was sold over one million times. On this two-disc, most successful sampler of all the Deep mixes, over 400 titles from the 1980s and 1990s have been used. Released in 1997, this Deep mix is sort of a "Best of Deep" (1987–1997). Due to its success, the mix has been rereleased in 2004 as a Video CD with sequences from Japanese anime (Deep Animix). Also very successful was the "Studio 33, 23rd Story, Single Top 100 1998", a hybrid of all songs that were in the charts at that time. This one still counts as one of the best megamixes of all time today, and is a milestone in the history of pop.

The illegality of the mixes was a result of the actual artists not receiving any royalties, for example by means of the GEMA fees in Germany. The Deep Dance is on record with the GEMA since 1993. Proponents argue that many of the individual songs only received public attention because of the popular mixes. By now, DJ Deep only produces legal mixes, see below. The successful series of mixes however attracted a number of illegal copycats that continue them. DJ Deep was decisively influenced by Dutch remixer Ben Liebrand. An important characteristic feature of all Deep Dance and Studio 33 episodes was to integrate new unreleased tracks (mostly from the Dance genre) into the mix. Many of these tracks subsequently acquired high rankings in the charts. This also applies to the illegal fake releases from the Deep Dance/Studio 33 series from 2000 onwards. Furthermore, additional secondary series, such as Deep Fox (Schlager and Disco genre), and Studio 33 "Party Compilation" were released, albeit these series were continued by other DJs.

Illegality

By the end of the 1980s, Deep's first cassette tapes reached a CD manufacturing plant by unknown means. An enthusiastic acquaintance took on the part of marketing. DJ Deep created the mixes in return for a professional fee and only sent in the master tape. As a result of the higher production count, the Deep Dance music found a greater audience. Since 1992, the CDs were sold on flea markets and in special record shops "below the counter" for roughly 30–50 Deutsche Mark, like pirated printed copies before. "Direct sales" to DJs in discos was also commonplace. The Düsseldorf Customs Authority estimates that the real price of these mixes — which were preferably produced within in East Europe — was between 3 and 5 Deutsche Mark.

That which started as a hobby with a double-deck for DJ Deep in a party cellar/garage at the end of the 1980s, grew into a very big commercial success for the scene in the 1990s. Peine already had prior experience with mixing through his DJ activity in the now-closed discothèque "Glaspalast" ("Glas Palace") in Dinslaken. With the financial plus, it was possible for DJ Deep to steadily improve his recording studio. The double-deck, and later octo-deck Revox audio tape machine was soon replaced by digital equipment, which then made the for Deep mixes characteristic keysampling possible.

As DJ Deep however continued to reuse copyrighted material without paying the GEMA fees, he came to attention to the federal/state prosecution authorities. Primarily, they suspected tax evasion rather than copyright violation. The same also applied to his colleague Studio 33. The GEMA assumed a yearly loss of 150,000 Deutsche Mark solely for the Deep Dance series.

Conviction

The Landgericht (state court) of Essen convicted all participants of tax avoidance and commercial production of illegal records, and sentenced them to delicate paroles. Some of the distributors received prison sentences. Andreas Peine and Uwe Jagusch received a financial fine (amercement).^[3]

1. ^ http://www.discogs.com/artist/DJ+Deep+(2)
2. ^ - DJ Deep's own webpage, May 2001. Includes history as well as scans of local newspapers.
3. ^ Ruhr Nachrichten newspaper, 2001-03-23

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Name	DJ Deep
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