It’s time again for another artist interview! This month, we’re checking in with Denats who joined our team back in 2023. One of my biggest moments of stupidity was not putting his first few tracks down as jackin house. This guy is a master of the genre and is constantly being recognized for it.
He works closely with Demuir or rather Demuir works closely with him as a production coach and it’s paying off. Between having multiple tracks be named afterhours essentials by Beatport, earlier in 2025, one of his tracks was promoted on Defected’s 4 To The Floor Radio show.
Anyway, let’s jump into the interview.
Dave R
Label Owner
MK837
How did your love of ’90s house first lead you to chase that classic Jack sound in your own productions?
Honestly, I think it’s always been the groove that got me—the drums in those early house records had that magic swing I couldn’t shake off. I’ve never really set out to make a “Jackin’” track—it’s just where I seem to land when I’m making tunes.
As an Irish producer now based in Australia (and father to two teen music critics!), how do those personal roles shape your music?
Let’s just say I’ve got a captive audience—literally. The only time I get to listen to my tracks properly is when I’m ferrying my kids around, so they get subjected to endless versions of the same tune. Their feedback is unfiltered, occasionally savage, and usually spot on. Teenagers don’t sugarcoat.
What was it about the Robsoul community—and figures like Demuir and Phil Weeks—that inspired you to push harder in the studio?
Both are absolute legends — so it’s wild to even be in conversation with them, let alone getting feedback or coaching. Demuir’s been coaching me for a while now and I’ve learnt so much from him, he’s a great coach and had to sit through a lot of early tracks that must have been hard to sit through but he was very polite about them and helped shaped them and my sound so much. His Patreon is a goldmine that I couldn’t recommend more. As for Phil—I’ve been a fan of him and the label for years, so to be releasing with him is a real honour.
Nearly every one of your releases lands on Beatport’s Best New Jackin House chart—what do you think gives your tracks that winning edge?
Honestly? I’ve been lucky to get great support, and I think maybe the tunes are catchy enough to get noticed. Or maybe Beatport’s just been too polite to say no. Either way, I’ll take it and it really helps.
Your tracks frequently appear on Beatport’s After Hours Essential list. What vibe or energy do you aim for when crafting those late-night grooves?
It’s about finding that balance between hypnotic groove and enough weirdness to keep things interesting.
Landing your debut EP on Robsoul Recordings is huge—how did that milestone change your perspective as an artist?
I’ve learned a lot more about balancing out tracks and mixing to get better-sounding results. This partly comes from picking up information from online tutorials, but also from feedback from my mastering engineer, Rob Small from the UK. The evolution of VSTs and DAWs like Ableton has helped with this as well.
You’ve released on MK837, Groovphoria, Purveyor Underground and more—how do different label relationships influence your creative direction?
In theory, they should, but I never start out with an objective or really know what I’m making until it’s done. I just throw ideas around and see where they take me. Thankfully, the labels I work with are kind enough to give it a listen and sometimes even release it. Occasionally I’ll think, “Ah this track would suit that label”— and then get it completely wrong.
When you switch between working “in the box” and using hardware, what sparks more inspiration for you?
Hardware is definitely more fun—it feels like I’m doing something tangible. But it’s also a time-sink. I’ll spend hours looking for one sound and forget what I was making. In-the-box stuff is quicker, but less tactile. Either way, I usually end up mangling some unsuspecting sample into something danceable-ish.
What’s your go-to trick for ensuring a jacking-house groove hits hard enough to grab a label’s attention?
Drums. Then more drums. Then focussing on the bass. I try to get the groove nailed early—once that’s locked, the rest sort of falls into place. I’m not saying it’s a foolproof method, but it works for me.
How do you translate those studio-crafted grooves into an electrifying live DJ set?
I’m of an age where every DJ set was a journey so thats how I approach it—start with a vague idea of direction and see where you end up. I’m a big fan of letting tracks breathe and evolve, and letting them play. When I’m producing, I always think about how a track might fit into that kind of journey.
