Toronto producer Will “Deebs” Diebel earned a reputation for warping and elevating electro beats on official remixes by AlunaGeorge, Erik Hassle, and Kid Smpl, but the beatmaker came into his own last year on Songs4UByMe, an EP of radiant, mind-bending originals. A co-sign from Canadian introspective electro big wig Ryan Hemsworth’s Secret Songs label introduced him to a wider audience, but it’s a new collaborative EP that positions Deebs as one of Canada’s fastest rising producers.
Deebs recently teamed up with golden-voiced Los Angeles artist Jarell Perry on Shift, a five-song EP brimming with lavish melodies and swoon-worthy electro vibes. From the light-as-air hi-hats of “Relapse” to the subwoofer-provocateur “Giving U,” Shift is an experimental and airy approach to electro-R&B that knocks from start to finish. It’s an especially impressive feat when you consider the fact that the project was born remotely—Deebs and Perry have never met in person.
We caught up with Deebs via email and talked about the Shift EP, teenage pop-punk mixtapes, and fully-stocked fridges worthy of Cribs.
Can you tell us the Deebs origin story? What was going on in your life, musically, prior to early Deebs drops like “You (In My World)”?
Music has always been part of my life in some way or another. I grew up taking violin lessons, and slowly taught myself the guitar so I could learn every blink-182 song in existence. I played in bands with friends and started writing mostly cheesy emo pop-punk. It wasn't anything that I really took that seriously, but I always had fun messing around. It was around the time I got my first laptop when I learned about Ableton and found a cracked version to start. I’m sure I was making some pretty awful music, but to me it was always more about having a creative outlet and just escaping reality when I was bored or had homework to do. I started sharing my music on Myspace and it was just a slow progression from there.
The Songs4UByMe EP felt like a bit of an awakening for Deebs. How do things compare to how they were 7 months ago?
Thanks! I think that EP was the first time I sort of embraced my introspective side and tapped into the mood of being alone at night, just like...working by myself with no lights on. It’s been a steady grind just trying to build off of that and carry over a similar theme with the new stuff while continuing to try new things. Other than that, I am still living in the same apartment and still take the city bus.
Can you talk a little bit about how Shift came about? What about Perry’s voice or creative approach makes him a good fit for your instrumentals?
Yeah, I was introduced to Jarell via email after I heard some of his music. I sent him some instrumentals and he sent me a couple acapellas to work with. I think it was less than a week and he had already sent me vocal recordings for one of the instrumentals (“Home”) and I had put together something for one of his acapellas (“Relapse”). I think part of why the fit worked so well is that we were in similar places heading into the project, both ready to try something new and embrace whatever happened. Regardless, we were definitely on the same wavelength considering how fast everything came together.
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You have another collaborator on Shift’s “Giving U,” with Meesha. What’s the relationship there?
Yeah, I’ve been a fan of Meesha’s work for a minute. He’s actually based in Toronto as well, but most of our interactions are over chat. It’s good swapping music with him since I think he’s got a great ear for details. I especially love his use of texture in his percussion and synths.
You seem to have a pretty solid Canadian support system, with Ryan Hemsworth and Harrison in your court. And I know you’ve connected with the TRP collective. What’s the community surrounding your music like?
Electronic music in Toronto is pretty diverse in terms of what people are creating. It’s funny that you bring up TRP radio. I think looking through their show catalogue really illustrates a perfect microcosm of what’s going on in Toronto right now. Even though people are kind of all over the map, I think there’s a common respect between artists since we’re all passionate and put care into our work. Ryan, Harrison, and Exeter are my Toronto family. Whether it’s sharing demos or mostly just getting lit with a n64, it’s nice being able to hang out together.
Does being Canadian affect how you approach making music, if at all? I mean, you’re able to do an entire project with Jarell, who’s in L.A., without meeting him...
Yeah that’s the beauty of the Internet. I definitely don’t feel restricted or isolated in any way, living in Canada. I think that maybe having the ability to put my music online for anyone around the world to hear right from my laptop might have naturally encouraged me to start using the same tool to create the music I was sharing.
When you’re starting an original song, what’s step one? Are you looking for a sample to flip, playing with a synth, putting together a beat? Walk us through a session with Deebs.
I almost always get inspired by a melody I hear in my head. It’s usually something simple that I can loop and build a progression under. Any detailed drum programming and mixing all tends to come later in the process.
Make a mixtape for 15-year-old Deebs. What do you include?
Hoooo baby, I honestly wish I could do this. I’d want to send my 15-year-old self music that got me thinking differently about music production.
“Amnesiac” Radiohead
“Arular" MIA
“Hell Hath No Fury” Clipse
“Late Nights With Jeremih” Jeremih
“LP” Holy Fuck
And if teenage Deebs made a mixtape for us, what would be on it?
“Silent Alarm” Bloc Party
“De-Loused In The Comatorium” The Mars Volta
“Deja Entendu” Brand New
“Tell All Your Friends” Taking Back Sunday
How do you want Shift, or any Deebs project to be experienced?
I think Shift is good driving music. A night drive with the windows down would be perfect. Another one of my favourite ways to take in the music I’ve been working on is just lying down on the couch with eyes closed. All the lights off & computer screen turned off. It’s much more personal like that.
So, after Shift goes triple platinum and you win a thousand JUNOs, what’s next for you?
Probably a fridge fully stocked, worthy of a Cribs filming team. There’s still lots to come from the Shift EP in the way of remixes and some visuals. I can’t say too much about new projects yet, but I am working hard!
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Stream Deebs and Jarell Perry’s Shift EP above, and if you like what you hear, buy it on iTunes. Catch Deebs opening for Milk & Bone at the Garrison in Toronto on Saturday, May 30th.
