Interview: Gorge Talks His Latest Déepalma Release, Running His 8bit Label & More

Mannheim’s Peter Felix Waldmann, known to the electronic music world simply as ‘Gorge’, has been undoubtedly one of the most consistent names on the deeper side of the house music spectrum for almost two decades.

He recently returned to Déepalma with another masterful creation, highlighting his innate ability to remain at the forefront of cutting-edge electronic music with compelling studio productions that stand the test of time.

‘Sleepless’ is also part of Déepalma’s extra-special Ibiza VA as they celebrate their tenth anniversary. The label has gone from strength to strength over the last decade, welcoming releases from some of the best-known artists on the planet and helping springboard some of the industry’s most promising talents. You can buy/stream the compilation here: http://dplm.lnk.to/Ibiza2023.

Each year, label boss Yves Murasca and his longstanding creative peer Rosario Galati put together a trio of carefully handpicked and intricately mixed selections to make up the revered ‘Déepalma Ibiza’ compilation, which spreads itself across three immersive continuous mixes that mimic significant scenarios from the Balearic hotspot.

This year’s Ibiza compilation also features seven previously unheard tracks, alongside some of the label’s most popular releases over the last year and a carefully handpicked selection of wonderful external tracks.

To celebrate Gorge’s latest work and Déepalma’s tenth anniversary Ibiza compilation on which it features, we caught up with the man himself for an immersive chat:

Can you tell us about your latest release, ‘Sleepless’, on Déepalma Records? What was the inspiration behind it?

Sleepless came out of checking some new synth presets, which led me to the bass stabs, and I had the idea to combine it with the piano chords I played for another track which I had stopped working on the week before. The aim was to create a mood between the chilled piano and the bad synth stabs, which can also work on the dancefloor then.

How do you approach the production process, and how has your approach evolved over the years?

It’s always different, but mostly, I get inspired by some records I heard in the club on the weekend. Production always starts with a rough idea, loop, melody or vocal, which I try to put together into a rough sketch very fast. If this doesn’t happen in the first hour, I quit and start something new or leave the studio as it’s the wrong day for that track. If I have the right main part ready, I arrange it very quickly not to lose the vibe.

This is one of the most important things I learned over the past 25 years. The longer you work on a track, the worst it gets.

What was your experience like starting your label, 8bit Records? What challenges did you face?

Back in the day, we started our own label because we were sick of waiting for labels to get back when we sent out our demos. Also, we wanted to create a platform for artists from the Mannheim scene, which led to a big success with all the people involved.

One big challenge was the vinyl pressing, where a lot of stuff went wrong with test pressings and release dates that we needed to re-schedule because of that.

Can you discuss your involvement in the Mannheim electronic music scene and how it influenced your sound?

The Mannheim music scene had a wide variety of all kinds of artists. Pop, Hip Hop, Drum & Bass, Techno and Minimal. When we started the labels, everyone was sick of the Minimal stuff and wanted more groove. The first releases on 8bit were still minimal, but we changed it together with Cecille, Oslo and 8bit. The world press so-called “Mannheim Sound” was born. As I also worked as a producer with Nick Curly from the beginning, our sound changed to more groovy and deep music. I was also very inspired by the Plastic City label with its great producers like Terry Lee Brown Jr and the Timewriter – the combination of all we find on 8bit and in our sound.

How do you stay motivated and inspired when working on new music?

I love music, and I’m very open to a lot of styles. I can produce deep-house and bring in some elements of a nice EDM track I heard the week before. Also, I work with many artists, and it’s still inspiring to listen to tracks they like that I have never heard before. This keeps me always learning new things and not falling back on old arrangements or sounds. One very inspiring person is my friend Markus Homm. We work on some projects together, and it’s always great to show each other new plugins, skills or samples.

What advice would you give to up-and-coming producers and DJs?

Take your time and build it slowly. Instagram is one thing, but the quality of the music is the most important. Don’t be pushy when you send out your music to labels, and don’t give up too quickly when the biggest labels don’t want your music.

Can you discuss any personal or professional milestones you’ve achieved that stand out to you?

Erotic Soul is still my favourite track I produced in my career. It’s simple and is still played by many DJs after 13 years. I did a new version in 2020 with some great remixes out of a contest we offered, and it went straight to Beatports deep-house #1 like ten years before. Also, I stayed in their beat stats charts at #1 for 26th months as the world’s best deep house artist.

What’s next for Gorge and 8bit Records? Any upcoming releases or projects we should be on the lookout for?

The next release is a collaboration with Jordan Arts called “Falling” and will be out on HMWL on 16th June. I did a remix for Freddy B and Savi Leon from “Monday Social”, which is gonna be released beginning July, and a single I with my friend Danjo (ITA) called “Stellaris” will also be out in July on my own label Katchuli. Another collaboration with two great artists from Australia, Greater than Us and DeSaint, is gonna be released by Valiant end of July, I think. I’m working on another EP on 8bit at the moment to be released in August or September then.

Déepalma Ibiza 2023 (featuring Gorge’s ‘Sleepless’ and many more standout label tracks) lands on 16th June 2023 as a limited 3xCD and is available to buy/stream on all major stores/platforms now.

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