Deep Dish and Neil Frances

Members Ali Shirazinia and Sharam Tayebi were both born in Iran, however didn’t cross paths until 1991 at a dance event in Washington, D.C. The pair were in similar boats, both immersed in the thriving local DJ scene and both performing menial retail jobs they hated. A year later the duo created the label Deep Dish Records and made their debut production with the 1992 single “A Feeling” by Moods.

In 1993 Shirazinia’s old school friend Brian Transeau recorded the singles “A Moment of Truth” and Relativity” and Deep Dish produced and released them on their label. It wasn’t long before the songs were making their mark on dancefloors across the country, and the release led to a connection with Detroit, U.S. producer Carl Craig increasing the duo’s street credibility. Then the pair hit the big time, Deep Dish began to rule the Washington D.C. house scene and they formed the sub-label Yoshitoshi and released material by Submarine, Satori, Alcatraz and Hani.

After signing with the new Tribal America subsidy of UK label Tribal Records, the pair made waves on the dance charts with productions including “High Frequency” and “Casa de X”. Deep Dish’s full length mix debut came in 1995, being the production hands on compilations for Tribal America.

1995 brought the duo’s commercial and mainstream breakthrough with a laundry-list of high-profile, well-received remixes including work for Michael Jackson, Tina Turner, Janet Jackson, Pet Shop Boys, and Kristine W. Not content to sit on their thumbs and release only mix albums, Deep Dish made their original material debut “Junk Science” in 1998, followed by the mix albums “Yoshiesque”, “Renaissance Ibiza” and a second “Yoshieque” in 2001.

The duo earned a Grammy nomination for Remixer of the Year for their remix of Madonna’s single “Music” and Amber’s “Sexual (La Da Di)”. A year later their remix of Dido’s “Thank You” won them the award in 2002 and the same year they also won the Dancestar USA’s “Best Compilation” award for their “Global Underground: Moscow mix-CD”.