Fish Go Deep

Fish Go Deep is a house and deep house group from Cork, Ireland, active since 1997. The act consists of Greg Dowling, Gregory Martin Dowling, and Shane Johnson.

Background

Greg Dowling and Shane Johnson have been playing records in public since the late 1980s. Their work is closely linked to Sweat at Sir Henry’s in Cork, where they hold a residency that lasts for more than a decade and helps shape the tastes of Irish club audiences and DJs.

Over the 1990s, Sweat gains an international reputation within house music. It is described in music press as a blend of underground house, as a deep house-focused night, and as some of the best music on its side of the Irish Sea. The club night is included among Muzik magazine’s ten best of 1998/99 and wins best regional club at the Smirnoff Dance Club Awards on three occasions.

Guest DJs at Sweat include Joe Claussell, DJ Deep, Rasoul, Miquel Migs, Laurent Garnier, Herbert, Derrick Carter, Glenn Underground, Boo Williams, Jovonn, Erik Rug, Harri, and Kerri Chandler.

Broadcast work and residencies

After Sweat ends in November 2001, Fish Go Deep continues DJing in clubs across Ireland, Britain, Europe, the United States, and Canada. The duo later settles into a monthly Go Deep residency in Cork while still appearing regularly overseas.

They also spend six years on Cork station Radio Friendly, where their Saturday night programme becomes one of the station’s most popular shows. From early 2004, they present the Go Deep show on Red FM and also contribute mixes to Ireland’s national station 2fm, Dublin’s Spin FM, Nova in Paris, FMR in Toulouse, and PlantSoul in Toronto.

Production and releases

As producers, Fish Go Deep is associated with releases on a number of labels. New Jersey label i! Records issues five Fish Go Deep EPs from September 2000. Other tracks appear on France’s Brique Rouge, Chicago’s Gourmet, New York’s Chez Music, and England’s Inspirit Music.

Their production receives attention from club DJs, dancers, and music journalists, and tracks by the duo appear on more than two dozen compilations on labels in the United States, Canada, Britain, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Ireland, and South Africa.

Label work

In May 2005, Greg and Shane launch Ork Recordings with fellow Cork artist Mark O'Sullivan.