This interview originally appeared on the DeepLife Records Blog (http://deepliferecordsonbeatport.blogspot.com/) and is used by permission. Please add DeepLife’s blog as another site to check out regularly -- Editor

This month, our special guest is Wim van Wingerden of Deepsink Records.  We caught up with Wim via email and he conversed with DeepLife about a new release schedule, faith in Christ, a history of Deepsink and much more!

Andrew: Wim, first of all, let me wish you and everyone at Deepsink a Happy New Year!  I trust that the Lord is good to you all the time, especially with you and your label in 2007!

Wim: And a very happy new year to you as well my friend! Yes we depend on Him in all we do!

Andrew:  Your label Deepsink Records has established itself as one of the premier Christian dance music labels in my eyes.  Please tell give us a little history of your label, how it came about?

Wim: Thank you for that compliment, we are only trying to do what God wants us to do! It all started after putting up some small alternative festivals and shows with my good friend Arjan Nihot. The Brainwave Festival featured some awesome bands such as Blindside (first show outside of Sweden ever), Selfmindead, Eso Charis, The Blamed etc. Our mission was to give a stage to underground (unknown) Christian bands well worth a listen.

After like 5 years we decided it was time to start something else. By the time I joined the festival/label there were already some releases in the hardmusic section (the scene we originally came from) to support our festival. Also the second Dance in Motion album (they were with LowRoof before I was) just came out around that period. After many talks and prayers we decided to try to boost the dance scene by setting up a compilation series of 4 albums, all trance music produced by Christian artists. We decided to do this since nothing much was going on these days, only a few labels that did some stuff but mainly set up by producers trying to put themselves in the picture. Not a bad thing, but an independent label to support the artists just wasn’t there and it seemed like the right thing to do.

Over the years the Osmotic concept became what LowRoof is all about. Giving producers a stage to display their talent; trying to round up the best producers I could find willing to cooperate and fill up the album with the best quality music by young, up and coming producers.

Every artist I work with is a Christian but whether they decide to carry out a message or not, that is up to them. Every person has a different relationship with God and I do not think He wants us all to get up on a soapbox and start preaching. Some are much more needed in the secular scene to spread some light by just being there. Therefore we do not specifically ask for Christian lyrics or something; just good quality music made by Christian artists.

Next to the hardmusic releases we did in the beginning (subdivision: Intensive Elements), we have our dance-division Deepsink you are well familiair with including the Osmotic series plus some releases by several other awesome producers such as Tresice and DJ Phase. And lately we also are into the hiphop scene in the Netherlands. There is not much going on there, most Christians are rock-fanatics (something you guys overseas might recognise) and the hip-hop scene, well, doesn’t really exist. Still there are some emcees definitely worth a listen so we give them a chance as well. The hip-hop is being released under our Skilltone subdivision.

Andrew:  Deepsink Records has an unprecedented line-up scheduled for 2007.  What goals do you have in 2007 as a Christian label?  What influence does faith in Jesus Christ have in your music ministry?

Wim: Our goals for 2007 are mainly to continue what we are doing. We just released the fourth and final Osmotic album and there is one more awesome electronic release coming up in a few months by William Higgins. Next to that we are also putting up demo releases, meaning we give a producer the opportunity to release a professional demo (pressed disc with good artwork) in order to shop for bigger labels and have a really good-looking demo to present themselves with. The very first demo was released by Out of This World, an acid techno producer from the northern part of the Netherlands. He is an excellent producer in his style and the limited edition disc he produced is pretty awesome, including great artwork and personal testimony. There are some more demo’s coming up on our Skilltone division; supporting artists is our main thing; LowRoof is here for them!! Without good producers and artists LowRoof wouldn’t exist anymore!!

Then we teamed up with Andrew from DeepLife Records, you might know the guy, and together we are realising the release of our digital music. The first digital release comes from Quillroader who made a great maxi-single with 4 mixes of One More Chance (ft. Morgan Casey).

I do not really have a release schedule since all the producers I work with are having daytime jobs (including myself) and I cannot work with deadlines since it still remains kind of an exploded hobby.

Faith in Jesus Christ means a lot in my life! If you really understand what the sacrifice on the cross meant, it makes your life so much more worth living!! And it does influence our ministry, if you like to call it that.

On our website we state: “The people behind LowRoof are Christians and with this label want to create an opportunity for Christian artists to display their talents and create a positive sound in this world.”

That is what we are about.

Andrew: Please tell us a little bit about the Osmotic Series.

Wim: As I said this compilation series is mainly about supporting producers. It is awesome to see what happened over the years. For the Osmotic Hype release, which is the first one, I had to ask the producers to produce a track for me. For the second one (Osmotic Wave) already close to 20 people sent in music. And by the time the fourth disc was here I had over 35 producers sending in over 100 tracks from which I could select.

For every new release I invited several producers and dj’s I knew (all Dutchmen since I live here) to listen to the tracks and give some advice on technical aspects. Those were really great days talking about the music; we had fun listening to all the entries. After that I’d get back to the producers and tell them whether we liked the music or not and what they could do to improve. That is really the key, it just encouraged many to produce their best track and try even harder.

A release on a compilation by an official label always looks good on your c.v. and we were able to release the discs for a fair price. So there you have the win-win situation. The featured producers have a release and the buyers have a great compilation for a nice price!

Andrew:  What Artists are you currently working with?  Do you plan on signing on additional producers in the upcoming months?

Wim: Take a look at the website and check out all the artists we worked with so far. I know them all and I still am in touch with many of them. Currently we are mainly working with the artists we released music with, such as Tresice, Timo Rozendal, Quillroader, Coretex, William Higgins etc.

Talking about signing on additional producers that really depends on what I come across. If I receive a demo I always check out the music and get in touch with the producer about it. Now when I am really impressed I talk to the producer about their plans and vision and that way we might end up working together on a release or project. So keep those demo’s coming!  

Andrew:  Where do you see the music industry headed in the next few years?  Do you see mp3's and CD's staying around for a while?

Wim: Well for me personally a CD (or vinyl) is something really physical and collectable. And I am not the only one, so I do think there will remain a market for CD’s. It might be smaller than it used to be though. Then again I do see the rise of digital music and digital releases are the future. At this point in time everything is being switched to digital format from our TV (cable is sooo passé) to our telephones including the music industry I guess. So this means I really think mp3 will stay around for quite some time!

Still I prefer a CD over a download, but I’m an old guy I guess…

Andrew: What kind of live shows do you enjoy participating in, and in what capacity (as a label, promoter, producer, or other)?  Can we in the U.S. expect to catch Deepsink Artist(s) on tour, or perhaps performing at Cornerstone Festival in Bushnell, IL, Florida, or California?  

Wim: I love checking out our DJ’s on stage, always a pleasure to visit a party with someone like DJ Phase, Marco Faralley or DJ Joost Dekker spinning (those three are probably my favourite DJ’s from NL at this moment).

I love checking out my hip-hop friends from the She’erith Nation (a dutch crew similar to Deepspace 5 with a range of emcees and acts able to put up an excellent show individually or as a collective) or other dope hip-hop acts.

I love checking out some of my hardcore heroes such as Norma Jean, Blindside or Benea Reach (awesome Norwegian band). In fact Facedown Records is one of my favourite labels ever; their work is amazing!

It’s awesome to visit a fest like the Flevo Fest where you can enjoy many styles of music; it’s not really the style that appeals to me, but the quality of the music I enjoy.

And about Deepsink artists @ C-Stone…I’d love that; I can imagine what a Deepsink Dance Night would look like (sweaty, steamy, catchy, funky) and finally meeting so many of my US-friends I’ve made over the years but never got the chance to see in person. I am very open to suggestions and the organisation of C-Stone can always talk to me about a dance night and maybe a tour.

Do you view your Record Label as one way to communicate the Gospel of Jesus Christ through music?  Do you have a story regarding helping someone come to faith or perhaps someone strengthening your faith in Christ?

Wim: I do not really see my label as a way to communicate the Gospel. I work with Christians, whether they choose to communicate the Gospel is up to them and not my responsibility. I merely create options for them to develop and grow and offer them a platform to display their talent and to be heard. Nevertheless I pray daily for LowRoof and I ask God to work through me and the people I work with to reach His goal. And He does bless LowRoof.

One example is a 16-year old boy who came up to me while I was selling CD’s during a dance-night at Flevo Fest. He told me how he struggled with faith since his parents told him his favourite music was from the devil. He bought one of the Osmotic albums and told me he had an awesome worship experience while playing the record. After that he talked to his parents and played the record to them and there finally grew some understanding between them. Things like that happen and I am very thankful for that.

Creating awareness is also important; it is very possible to be a Christian and enjoy good quality dance music without listening to music you really do not want to hear due to the content of lyrics or atmosphere surrounding the style.

My faith in Christ is strengthened by running LowRoof; it’s both a struggle and a blessing and I do experience some spiritual battles going on.

Andrew: Finally, what qualities do you expect from a new producer seeking to release material on your label?  What is the best way to go about submitting material?  Do you feel that the Artist and Label can mutually benefit from a recording contract, or do you prefer to license copyrights from the owners of the songs? 

Wim: a new producer to me should produce quality music and preferably display his own style, vision and ideas. I like people who artistically are doing things no one else does. I like people who are growing and learning and I enjoy to see people grow while working with them.

The best way to submit material is via a demo-CD in the mail. I receive so many downloads that digital demo’s really tend to ‘get lost in the crowd’. A CD always catches my eye and I always check those out. My address is found on our website www.lowroof.nl

Surely artist and label can both benefit. That is what I’m here for. If an artist has a label supporting him, he always stands stronger. Even if it’s me. I mean I’m just Wim, and I’m doing my thing, but still a release on LowRoof can be very important and really stand out on your cv. It can trigger things or help you get signed to major labels. Anyway I am here to do whatever I can to help artists, give them advice or tips. That is what I think is beneficial.

Mainly I do not want to buy copyrights since I believe whatever you create is really yours and I do not wish to own that. I merely ask permission to release so more people can enjoy the music.

Andrew:  Wim, thank you so much for your time.  I sincerely look forward to hearing more from Deepsink Records this year. 

Wim: Thanks Andy, I am very happy with this opportunity to talk about LowRoof. Anyone reading this go on and check out our website, visit our store and buy some music so we can continue to do this! Our latest releases include the new Osmotic album, the (too-good-to-be-a-demo) ‘demo’ from Out of This World (limited edition, so get one while you can) and several other projects coming up. DJ’s or radio-people can always contact me for some cool, free digital downloads.

I encourage all of you to search for Gods will in your life and work for your dreams!!