Deep Dish: “Some of the most memorable nights happen in places you weren’t expecting”

Few names have left as profound a mark on electronic music as Deep Dish. 

From redefining progressive house in the 1990s to earning a Grammy and becoming one of dance music's most respected DJ partnerships, the duo have spent decades shaping club culture while continually evolving their sound. 

As they prepare to headline the opening night of Ibiza Global Festival 2026, Deep Dish reflect on their enduring creative chemistry, the timeless art of musical storytelling, and why Ibiza remains one of the most inspiring places to perform.

You’ve spent decades shaping electronic music - what keeps your musical partnership creatively exciting?

One of the reasons Deep Dish has endured is that we’ve never stood still creatively. Even after all these years, we still challenge each other, and that’s what keeps it exciting. We come from different musical instincts, so when we meet in the middle, something happens that neither of us would create on our own.

In 2026, what inspires us is much the same as when we started: discovering music that surprises us, connecting with people through a shared experience, and creating moments that feel timeless rather than tied to a particular trend. That curiosity has never gone away.

GU49: Dublin has just been released and completes a Global Underground trilogy that began with Moscow and continued with Toronto. Why did you choose these three particular destinations for your mix?

Each city represents a different chapter in our history with Global Underground. Moscow was an incredible moment during the peak of our early international career. Toronto reflected another important stage, with one of the most knowledgeable and passionate dance music communities anywhere.

Dublin felt like the perfect place to complete that journey. Ireland has always given us unforgettable crowds, and the city has a rich musical heritage that extends far beyond electronic music. More than anything, these weren’t strategic choices - they were places where we felt a genuine connection over many years.

The three cities you’ve chosen for your Global Underground mixes are all very different culturally and musically. What draws you to a city, and have there been particular places around the world where you’ve felt a special connection? 

For us, it’s never been about the size of a city or how fashionable it is. It’s about energy. Some places have an atmosphere that immediately feels inspiring, where the audience is completely present and willing to go on a musical journey with you.

We’ve been fortunate to experience that in many places around the world - from Buenos Aires to Tokyo, from Beirut to Ibiza. Every city has its own personality, and that’s one of the greatest privileges of what we do. Those unique connections often stay with you long after the night is over.

Having toured the world extensively, are there still cities, festivals or destinations that remain on your wish list?

There are always places we’d love to return to, especially festivals and clubs that have become part of our history. At the same time, we’re always curious about discovering somewhere new. Some of the most memorable nights happen in places you weren’t expecting.

For us, it’s less about ticking destinations off a list and more about finding environments where people are genuinely there for the music. That’s what makes a performance unforgettable, whether it’s in front of 500 people or 50,000.

Electronic music constantly evolves. Do you enjoy embracing emerging trends, or have Deep Dish always trusted your own musical identity?

We’ve always believed that good music is good music, regardless of genre or trend. We’re naturally curious, so we’re always listening to new producers and new sounds. Sometimes elements of those movements find their way into our sets or productions.

At the same time, we’ve never chased trends simply because they’re popular. Deep Dish has always been about building a musical identity that feels authentic. That’s probably why our records and DJ sets have continued to resonate across different eras.

Both of you have built hugely successful solo careers with very distinct identities. When you come back together as Deep Dish, how do those individual experiences influence the music?

Our solo careers have definitely expanded our perspectives. We’ve each explored different sounds, different audiences and different ways of approaching music over the years.

When we come back together, those experiences don’t disappear - they enrich what Deep Dish can be today. There’s a level of trust that only comes from decades of working together, so we’re able to challenge each other creatively while still knowing exactly what makes Deep Dish feel like Deep Dish.

Ibiza has played an important role in electronic music culture for generations. What are your earliest memories of the island, and how has your relationship with Ibiza evolved over the years?

Ibiza has always been a very special place for us. Some of our earliest memories are of discovering just how open-minded the audiences were. There was a real sense of freedom - people came to hear music with no expectations other than being taken somewhere unexpected.

Over the years we’ve watched the island evolve enormously, but that spirit is still there. It’s become more global and more diverse, but Ibiza remains one of those rare places where music is still at the centre of the experience. Every time we return, it feels like coming back to an important part of our journey.

Ibiza Global Festival offers a very different setting from a club or warehouse. Does an environment like that change the way you approach a set?

Absolutely. Every environment influences how you tell a musical story. A beach at sunset naturally invites a different emotional arc than a dark warehouse at three in the morning.

You don’t completely reinvent your identity, but you become more aware of the atmosphere around you. The landscape becomes part of the performance, and that gives you opportunities to create moments that simply wouldn’t exist in another setting.

You’ll be headlining the opening night of the festival in front of thousands of people on the beach. What kind of journey do you want to take the audience on?

The goal is always the same: to create a journey that feels emotional, energetic and unpredictable. We want people to lose themselves in the music rather than think about individual tracks.

We’ll move through different moods and textures while keeping the energy flowing naturally. Hopefully people leave feeling like they experienced something memorable together rather than simply watched a DJ performance.

10. Throughout your careers, you’ve often spoken about the importance of musical storytelling and digging beyond obvious tracks. In an age of algorithms, streaming playlists and shorter attention spans, how do you keep audiences engaged?

Storytelling has always been at the heart of what we do. Technology has changed how people discover music, but it hasn’t changed what makes a great DJ set. It’s still about creating tension, release, surprise and emotion over time.

People often underestimate audiences. If you give them a genuine narrative and take them somewhere they didn’t expect, they’ll stay with you. That’s something algorithms can’t replicate. A great DJ set isn’t just a collection of tracks - it’s a shared experience that only exists in that moment.

Deep Dish will be playing at the Ibiza Global Festival on Friday, July 3rd, from 00:00 until 01:30 am.