Deft is an electronic music producer based in Croydon, London, United Kingdom. Despite his young age, Deft has already managed to establish a sonic personality in his music that is earning him support from all the right people, in all the right places. Following a fairly standard musical upbringing – you know the usual: learning to play drums, playing in bands with cringe worthy names, drawing influences from hip hop and electronic music – Deft took the next logical, some might say cliché, step and started making music with software experimenting with drum loops and basic production. A forgettable experiment with local Croydon artists and MCs led him further down the rabbit hole as he moved to Brighton and began taking music more seriously.

Studying digital music and sound art allowed his musical persona to fully develop. Sound with moving image, sound design and sound art all made a big impact on his musical perspective, informing his output. Deft’s productions are not just powerful and intricate they also manage to carry the sort of emotions and atmosphere that only come from a deeper understanding of the subject matter. It was also during these university years that Deft began involving himself in electronic music scenes and clubbing. Starting on the bottom rungs with the odd DJ gig he soon connected with the Throw Some Shapes crew and after submitting a remix for Tokimonsta’s ‘Almost Free’ competition he was offered a support slot at her gig. Further support for the likes of Daedelus and Bullion soon followed. You could say he had arrived. Or that he was just starting.

Returning to Croydon with a brain full of ideas and the confidence to put them into effect, Deft refined his sound and soon enough started to attract the attention of the right people. It all started in 2011 with a release on the Disconnected label, followed by a self-released collection of tracks on Bandcamp and carefully selected exclusives given to choice DJs and tastemakers, who will all attest to the devastating effect some of his work can have on a person’s brain or a dancefloor. Add to this support slots for the likes of Two Inch Punch and LV and Deft had firmly cemented his spot as one of London’s upcoming producers most worthy of the tag “one to watch”.

2012 started in fine style with a release on Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood label, a remix for Gang of Colours, and the rest of the year sees Deft continues to build up his profile with releases on WotNot, Rwina, and future releases on Hypercolour offshoot Space Hardware, an appearance on Maya Jane Coles’ DJ Kicks mix, remixes for both mainstream and underground artists (Graham Coxon to Pixelord) and increasing public appearances and support from the across the spectrum of electronic producers and DJs. As the sample on his refix of Wiley says: “something is about to get built up.”
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