The label brings critically acclaimed album ‘George Is On’ to digital streaming platforms (DSPs) and download portals worldwide
Armada Music, the biggest independent dance music label in the world and part of newly-formed parent company Armada Music Group, today announced a significant partnership with iconic electronic music duo Deep Dish. The agreement will see Armada Music managing a portion of Deep Dish’s renowned catalog, namely their critically acclaimed album ‘George Is On’, bringing the album back to DSPs and download portals worldwide on Friday, July 19 for the first time in several years.
Deep Dish, consisting of Ali "Dubfire" Shirazinia and Sharam Tayebi, has been a pioneering force in the electronic music scene since the early '90s. Their innovative sound and chart-topping hits have earned them a GRAMMY® Award and an enduring legacy in the music industry.
This strategic collaboration marks a major milestone in Armada Music and Deep Dish’s journeys, aiming to reintroduce the legendary sounds of ‘George Is On’ to a new generation of listeners. Originally released in 2005, the album includes timeless tracks such as ‘Flashdance’, which peaked at #3 on the UK Official Charts, and ‘Say Hello’, which reached #1 on the US dance chart.
Bound by creative synergy, Armada Music and Deep Dish hold a shared passion for empowering creativity and preserving the legacy of dance music. Leading the charge in re-introducing Deep Dish’s music to the world is Jason Ellis, global senior A&R director at Armada Music, who was formerly Deep Dish’s A&R and maintains a deep connection with the duo.
"We are ecstatic to partner with Deep Dish and bring ‘George Is On’ back to digital platforms," said Maykel Piron, CEO of Armada Music Group. "This album has a special place in our hearts and in electronic music history. There’s no better person than Jason to usher in this moment for Deep Dish, and we’re thrilled to make ‘George Is On’ accessible to both long-time fans and new listeners."
“We’re so excited to reunite with Jason and team up with our longtime friends at Armada Music to finally get our defining album back on digital platforms,” said Ali "Dubfire" Shirazinia and Sharam Tayebi of Deep Dish. “'George Is On' is such a core part of the Deep Dish DNA, and we hope it sparks nostalgia for longtime fans while also reaching new listeners."
The re-issue of ‘George Is On’ sees the original fourteen-track album supplemented with nine extended bonus tracks, five of which were previously available only on vinyl. Alongside that will be newly packaged EPs of the album’s four singles – ‘Flashdance’, ‘Say Hello’, ‘Dreams (feat. Stevie Nicks)’ and ‘Sacramento’ – including all the original versions and remixes from the likes of David Guetta, Axwell and Steve Angello & Sebastian Ingrosso.
About Armada Music
Armada Music is the biggest independent dance music label in the world. Founded by Armin van Buuren, Maykel Piron (CEO) and David Lewis, the label manages an ever-growing catalog of over 50,000 tracks across twenty-plus years of specialized dance music exploitation.
Representing artists such as Armin van Buuren, ARTY, D.O.D, Eelke Kleijn, Jan Blomqvist, Lilly Palmer, Loud Luxury, THEMBA, Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano, Tensnake and Yulia Niko, Armada Music amasses more than one billion streams per month, airplay on leading radio outlets such as BBC Radio 1 and Sirius XM, and top positions in the world’s most notable charts. Significant label milestones include Armin van Buuren's GRAMMY nomination for 'This Is What It Feels Like' and two tracks surpassing one billion streams on Spotify: Loud Luxury and Brando’s ‘Body’ and Lost Frequencies’ ‘Are You With Me’.
Across offices in Amsterdam (HQ), New York, London and Laren (NL), Armada Music offers a global appeal to its growing roster. The label has its own club, radio studio and multiple production studios, and hosts various live formats. Producer platform Armada University, which offers educational products and opportunities, shows the label’s sustained effort to nurture the next wave of talent.
About Deep Dish
Grammy Award-winning DJ and producer duo Ali "Dubfire" Shazinia and Sharam Tayebi, known as Deep Dish, built a celebrated legacy based on innovation. While electronic dance music remained subsumed in nineties rave culture, the pair struck their own delicate balance amidst house and techno with a sly pop sensibility.
Following their breakthrough remix of De'Lacy's "Hideaway" in 1995, Deep Dish became sought-after remixers, working with everybody from Madonna and Janet Jackson to Cher. Their full-length debut, Junk Science, solidified them as trend-setters, and they eventually garnered a Grammy Award in the category of "Best Remixed Recording" for their 2002 remix of Dido's "Thank You". After nearly 15 years together, Ali and Sharam chose to go their separate ways in 2006, respectively embarking on highly successful solo careers. However, in 2014, Deep Dish re-emerged once again, subsequently blazing a new trail for electronic dance music.
It's a reunion that fans clamored for since the split and something the two had discussed for the four years preceding.
"We started throwing around the idea in 2010, but it wasn't the right time yet," admits Ali. "We wanted to come back, finish that first chapter, and turn a new chapter into a fresh sound. We've had so many experiences and developed different perspectives, galvanizing what this entity can be. Our modus operandi has always been to bridge the gaps between house and techno and credible pop and electronica."
"We have a very special bond," Sharam continues. "Our principles are the same, but our approaches are different. It's interesting when we get into that swing together. When I met Ali, he was into acid jazz and industrial. My background was seventies progressive rock, eighties pop, and high-energy music. We shared house music as our common ground."
After two packed "surprise" reunion shows in Chicago and their native Washington, D.C. in early 2014, they took to one of their biggest stages ever at Winter Music Conference. Deep Dish transformed Miami's sold out Ice Palace into their world with entrancing production and their inimitable and impenetrable sound. "We picked up where we left off, but we approached everything from a modern angle," smiles Ali.
That next phase formally began with their 2014 single, "Quincy". Debuted on Pete Tong's BBC 1 Radio, the track instantly set the scene ablaze. Boasting atmospheric production and a propulsive beat, it upholds the hallmarks of Deep Dish, while infusing new sounds and textures . "We went against the typical formula again," Ali continues. "We're not falling in line with what's going on in EDM. We went through hundreds of demos to figure out which represented where we wanted to take Deep Dish. It was a meticulous process, but we've got a starting point. We want to do something new, and people are pining for that."
"Quincy" is only the beginning of offerings to look forward to from Deep Dish. Ali and Sharam have been diligently working on a host of new music in the lab for a forthcoming album to be released on Astralwerks Records in the U.S. and Virgin EMI in the U.K., "We really do our homework," insisted Sharam. "We pay attention to why something's hot, and we use that as inspiration and tools to better ourselves. We're going to incorporate vocalists and melody in a manner people haven't heard yet. That's exciting to us."
It's also exciting to millions of listeners worldwide who have been waiting for this moment to see Deep Dish again and for younger audiences to catch them for the first time.
"Now is the time," concludes Ali. "We're trying to push forward on our own terms. We're going to get creative and explore different sonic possibilities to give listeners an alternative."
Sharam leaves off, "We want everybody to enjoy themselves. We're pushing ourselves and having an incredible time. We hope they feel the same."
About Armada Music
Armada Music is the biggest independent dance music label in the world. Founded by Armin van Buuren, Maykel Piron (CEO) and David Lewis, the label manages an ever-growing catalog of over 40,000 tracks, built up across twenty-plus years of specialized dance music exploitation.
Representing artists such as Armin van Buuren, ARTY, D.O.D, Eelke Kleijn, Jan Blomqvist, Loud Luxury, Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano, Tensnake, THEMBA and Yulia Niko, Armada Music amasses more than one billion streams per month, airplay on leading radio outlets such as BBC Radio 1 and Sirius XM, and top positions in the world’s most notable charts. The label also takes great pride in major achievements such as Armin van Buuren’s GRAMMY nomination for ‘This Is What It Feels Like’, Loud Luxury and Brando’s ‘Body’ surpassing one billion streams on Spotify and breaking artists such as Lost Frequencies into global stardom.
Across offices in Amsterdam (HQ), New York, London and Laren (NL), Armada Music offers a truly global appeal to its growing roster. The label has its own club, radio studio and multiple production studios, and hosts various live formats. Producer platform Armada University, which offers educational products and opportunities, shows the label’s sustained effort to nurture the next wave of talent.
In 2023, Armada Music launched BEAT Music Fund, the world’s first dance music investment company, that acquires catalogs with the mission of honoring, representing and reinvigorating them. BEAT’s portfolio will continue to grow; in the first six months following its launch, BEAT acquired the catalogs of, among others, electronic music star ARTY, house and techno pioneer Kevin Saunderson’s KMS Records, legendary NYC-based house label King Street Sounds and chart-topping producers Chocolate Puma.
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