Joss Dean on Deep House, Groove, and Finding His Sound at 19

At 19, Joss Dean (@jossdeandj) is already moving fast through the UK underground house circuit, and the early signs point to an artist with a clear ear for what he wants to play. The London-based DJ and producer has sold out Joshua Brooks, played Studio 338, and seen his records tested at clubs like DC10 and Amnesia, yet this conversation stays focused on the part of DJing that often tells you the most about a young selector: taste. As Dean continues building around early releases like “Was I Loved?”, he talks about groove, deeper house, and the stripped-back records he keeps returning to in his sets. That gives the interview a strong angle. Dean speaks plainly about influence, family, private listening habits, and the slow process of figuring out which tracks stay in rotation. He is still in the early stage of his career, and that makes the conversation useful, because you can hear an artist learning his own preferences in real time while still showing a clear pull toward deeper, minimal-leaning house with groove at the center. Interview With Joss Dean When someone hears one of your sets, what do you hope they learn about your taste? When someone hears one of my sets, I hope they understand the kind of sound I’m really passionate about. I’m very into deep house and tech house, but I like music that has groove, emotion and a bit of attitude as well. I’m only 19, so I’m still developing my sound, but I always try to play tracks that feel authentic to me rather than just following trends. I grew up around DJs because my brother is also a DJ, so music has always been around me. That definitely shaped my taste. When people hear my sets, I want them to feel the energy and understand that I care about the details in the music, not just the big drops. Do you think your crate reflects who you actually are, or who you want to be seen as? I think my crate reflects who I actually am more than anything. When I’m digging for music, I’m not really thinking about what people expect from me or what might look cool. I’m just choosing tracks that genuinely connect with me. My taste is shaped by growing up around DJs in my family, especially my brother and my cousin Luke Dean, who both inspired me a lot. At the same time, I’m young and still evolving as an artist, so my crate also shows the direction I’m moving towards. It’s a mix of who I am now and who I’m becoming musically, which is what makes DJing exciting for me. How do you know when a track really belongs in your rotation versus being a passing phase? For me, it comes down to how a track feels over time. If I keep going back to it and it still gives me the same energy after a few listens, that’s when I know it belongs in my rotation. There are always tracks that hit in the moment, but the ones that stay with you and work across different sets are the ones that matter. I try not to force anything into my sets just because it’s popular. If it fits naturally with my sound and I enjoy playing it, it stays. Has your crate ever surprised you, like realising you’ve drifted into a certain sound? Yeah, definitely. I think every DJ goes through phases where they realise they’re leaning towards a certain sound without planning it. Sometimes I’ll look through my crate and notice I’ve been playing a lot of darker or more minimal records for a while, and I didn’t even realise it was happening. That’s one of the things I love about DJing. Your taste changes naturally depending on what you’re listening to, what clubs you’re playing, and the kind of energy you’re feeling. Recently, I’ve been drawn to deeper and more stripped-back grooves, which have definitely influenced the way my sets sound right now. Do you keep folders or playlists that are just for you, even if you rarely play them out? Yeah, I definitely do. I think every DJ has music that they love personally but might not always work in a club set. I keep playlists that are just for listening, inspiration, or ideas for future sets. Sometimes those tracks are deeper, more chilled, or just a bit different from what I’d normally play in a peak-time environment. They still influence my taste and the way I think about music. A lot of the time those tracks end up inspiring mixes or even productions later on. Even if they’re not always played out, they’re still an important part of my musical world. What’s a sound, mood or genre you’ve always felt drawn to, regardless of trends? I’ve always been drawn to deeper house music with a groove and a bit of emotion in it. Even when trends change, that kind of sound always sticks with me. I love records that feel hypnotic and minimal but still have a strong rhythm that keeps people locked in on the dancefloor. That’s the kind of music I naturally gravitate towards when I’m digging or producing. My track ‘Was I Loved?’ is a good example of that because it’s quite stripped back but still has a strong groove and atmosphere to it. What do you think your taste says about your story as an artist? I