Exclusive Interview with 'SUN DEEP'

Sun Deep offers the underground hip-hop scene a much-needed global perspective. He uses a keen eye for detail to make his stories come to life as he explores themes of identity, love, and well-being. He was born in India and now makes his home in Oklahoma. His impressive discography as a solo artist, producer, and part of the multilingual duo Finite Galaxy has grown since the release of his first songs in 2020. Because of his unflinchingly honest lyricism, his humble approach to hip-hop has helped him forge strong bonds with his audience. Sun Deep is a creative who is only interested in the truth, not fame or power. Above all, he is committed to making meaningful hip-hop that genuinely affects the lives of his fans.

Sun Deep’s creative process is further explored in “Quarantine Thoughts,” which blends classic hip-hop with ethereal soundscapes. He is able to draw you into his carefully constructed world by building with carefully chosen samples before entrapping you with a funky bass line that is sure to get your feet tapping.

“Quarantine Thoughts” is another tasty album from this prolific producer worthy of playing on repeat for a while. Check out the album and the exclusive interview below:

1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how it all got started?

SUN DEEP: I am originally from India and moved to the United States right after high school with my parents and my brother. My early college life was filled with ups and downs academically. Music was always part of me but as a listener and not a creator. I did my undergrad and grad in Geophysics and moved to Oklahoma for a PhD but dropped it real quick to pursue another Master’s in Geophysics with focus on oil and gas. I got a job at an oil company in 2016 and life was good. All throughout my life Southasian music, Prog Rock, Classic rock and Alternative rock was part of my listening repertoire. In 2018 my wife (then girlfriend) took me to “The Roots” concert. Hiphop was not something I listened to a lot as I thought it was always too bombastic and I didnt vibe with the content. When I saw The Roots live, both the musicianship and the lyricism took over my senses. I was hooked. I bought a MIDI keyboard at the break of the show and hence the journey began. Rest is history, as they say.

2. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?

SUN DEEP: I have no formal training as an artist/musician. I am self-taught. I realized early that I have a good ear for music. I am currently taking guitar lessons and expanding my music theory knowledge.

3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name ‘SUN DEEP’?

SUN DEEP: First musical influences came in the name of Bollywood songs. As a kid I always liked songs that I can dance to. I loved dancing. When I got older, the biggest influence was a music director from India by the name of Amit Trivedi. He completely changed the way I look at music. Because bollywood songs aren’t a “genre”, he kept experimenting with different genres and blending Indian instrumentation with more western themes. That mesmerized me. Other influences include A.R. Rahman, Euphoria, Jal the Band etc.

It’s funny. My real name is actually Sundeep. I just put a space in between Sun and Deep to come up with my artist name. Not many people know this but I started uploading songs on soundcloud in my early years as “Shivalry”. I found out someone was already named that and was a better artist at that time so I dropped that name. “Sundeep”as an artist was taken on Spotify so my brilliant mind said “What if I put a space between Sun and Deep”. It was available so I went with it. But I believe there is a deeper meaning to it. I want to shine as bright as the Sun but I want to have Deep roots in my culture. Which is something you can hear in my music.

4. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?

SUN DEEP: My sound is all over the place. I want to reach a point where people have no idea what to expect but they know a “Sun Deep” song of beat when they listen to it. The element I want people to take away from my music is that soundscapes and sound in general can really make you feel a lot of emotions. Even without lyrics, a song can stand on its own and take you on a musical/spiritual journey.

5. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as HIPHOP?
**SUN DEEP**:
Absolutely! Initially I did emulate other artists. Mostly I tried to make “type beats”. Classic boombap, Nas type beat, J.Cole type beat. Slowly it became too boring and I wanted to find my own sound. I dont think I am there yet but I am getting closer to it. I dont think there is a truly original sound, we all emulate people we love a little bit but I want to inject my own style into whatever I do. Hiphop was the obvious choice at the beginning because that is what inspired me. Now I am venturing off into the unknown with other styles but there is still some hiphop at the heart of it.

6. What’s your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles – and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of technical artistry, personal narrative, and entertainment?

SUN DEEP:

My music as a solo artist and as part of the bilingual rap group “Finite Galaxy” has culture and spiritual aspects at the heart of it. I am a firm believer that where you come from and the culture you were born in molds you as a person. Music has the power to change things. It makes you feel, it makes you think, it makes you move. My music is always going to be a vessel of change and peace. I am trying to champion the cause of mental health. As an Indian, mental health is still sort of a taboo in our culture. I am trying to change that. If one person in this world listens to my music and finds some courage or hope, I have done my job as an artist and as a human being.

7. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?

SUN DEEP:

I am definitely getting a lot of fulfillment with music. Professionally I am not close to where I want to be. I dont want fame or crazy money with music. I just want to get to a point where i can create and sustain a decent living. I am definitely on my way there but it seems far. However, the journey is incredible. There are ups and downs, sure. But at the end of the day I am in love with music.

8. Could you describe your creative processes? How do you usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?

SUN DEEP:

My creative process has evolved over time. It also depends on what genre I am dealing with. If it is sampled based hiphop, I will usually go digital crate digging on tracklib or splice. When I find a sample I like, I will bring it into the DAW or my MPC live and chop it up. Usually once that is one, I will add a drum beat to set up the vibe of the song. And then keep adding more samples to compliment the main sample and the drums. When I am making more Synth/Guitar based music, I will usually start with a drum sample or programmed drums. Then I will usually noodle around on the synth and find notes and key I am feeling at that time. Then I go to work and add more layers to it to create a soundscape. I also change my beats within the same song so usually that will be part B of the song or a bridge.

9. What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?

SUN DEEP: In life, I have dealt with my share of depression and anxiety. Something I still deal with but there was a very low point in my life in 2016. It was hard to come out of it. A beautiful human helped me through those tough times and now I call her my wife. Things are better but as a lot of people do, I still struggle with depression and anxiety. I am getting better at managing it. This is the reason I speak about what I do and make music the way I do. It is about sharing my sadness and happiness with others so they can relate and not feel alone.

10. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?

SUN DEEP: There were two proud moments so far. One, when my 10 year old little niece in India started writing poetry once she listened to my music as part of the bilingual duo “Finite Galaxy”.

Second is creating an album with 16 local artists where we raised money for a charity called “Asha for Education” with a release party. We raised $900 and my wife and I matched that amount before donating it to the organization.