f: Hi Dean, it’s a pleasure to chat with you today, how are you?
Dean Montano: Very well thankyou. Enjoying this current wave of weather we’re having!
f: Please tell us a little about yourself, where you’re from and how you started making dance music?
Dean Montano: I am Nottingham born and bred but have lived in Manchester now for near 20 years (I also went to Uni in Manchester in the 90s). The late 90s was also when I started DJing, having bought a pair of Technics 1210’s (which are currently under the sofa in my little studio – I have no idea if they still work!). I managed to bag some bar gigs and basically went from there. It wasn’t until a couple of years ago that I decided to dip my toes in music production, and my eyes were completely opened when I first sat in the studio with some excellent producers. From there I invested in Ableton and have been self-teaching and making my own tracks ever since.
f: Who did you listen to growing up and do they influence your music career at all today?
Dean Montano: Well, my parents were and are to this day staunch Motown and Northern Soul lovers. That is all they ever listen to! So, I pretty much know all the words to most tracks from that era. But when I think back to how I got into dance music was really due to the time I lived in. I just fell in love with 1988 acid vibes, the 90’s vocal and progressive house stuff that followed. I was at ease with both sets of genres. My mates would call the vocal stuff “happy clappy garage”, but I loved it! Alistair Whitehead was my hero in the 90s. But I also loved the polar opposite of that music, dancing like crazy on podiums at clubs like Cream, Hacienda, Rise at the Leadmill, Back to Basics, and of course many trips to Ibiza.
f: How would you describe your sound?
Dean Montano: As a DJ, I am multi-genre. I play Nu-Disco, vocal and funky House, and more Deep and Progressive stuff. All depends on the venue. I also span across these genres on my weekly radio show live on Ibizapulsefm. As a Producer I am kind of following suit. However, I am leaning more to the stomping house side. I really prefer to construct a banger rather than a slower Nu Disco track. However, saying that, I am working on a Balearic track that is 110bpm!
f: What was your first release?
Dean Montano: My very first release was a track called Deeper than Deep that I made with Atari Safari. I had a reference track, a vocal I wanted to use, and we just went from there. It was such a fantastic experience.
f: Which of your own tracks was the biggest labour of love to create / personal favourite?
Dean Montano: For me it’s ‘6am Sunrise’ from my new ‘1am Heat’ EP. I started the track back in November 2025 and didn’t put it down until about April 2026! I just kept dipping in and out non-stop trying to perfect it. I just love the vibe of this track. For me it encompasses all things Balearic. It’s definitely my personal favourite.
f: What has been your most successful release?
Dean Montano: I achieved a number 3 spot in the Deep House chart with my track Funk Sensation which was released on Muscle Funk.
f: And what’s your favourite (own) remix?
Dean Montano: I am actually working on one now. I can’t say too much at this moment. Watch this space!
f: You’ve just released your new ‘1am Heat’ EP on Muscle Funk, what can we expect to hear?
Dean Montano: Well, ‘1am Heat’ is my ode to a big room romp. Driving percussive beats, cowbell, chopped up vocals, soaring synths, disco string loops, and peppered with epic builds and intense rolls that ramp up the dance floor temperature to fever level! ‘6am Sunrise’ comes with a touch of old school nostalgia from my 90s clubbing days. Arpeggios rotate over floaty synthscapes, fizzy electronica and breathy vocals, all underpinned by a groove that leads into a big breakdown loaded with even more twists and surprises. Both Balearic bangers!
f: What inspired the EP?
Dean Montano: In one word… Ibiza. I wanted something that epitomised the Ibiza clubbing experience. That 1AM dance floor heat to the 6AM sunrise. The tracks are very different but I’m hoping I capture the essence of the night… or should I say morning!
f: How do you typically go about putting a track together?
Dean Montano: I’d say I am a little unconventional. I love free styling. I don’t have a set template (I probably should have). I have something in mind and then I end up down a rabbit hole. I love that about music production though. The creativity is endless. I will get a groove going and just organically go from there adding and taking away elements as I go. A lot of people are scared of Session View in Ableton, but I love it!!! My approach is probably super inefficient, and the purists would tut like hell if they saw me work.
f: What’s your favourite piece of studio kit?
Dean Montano: Just my Midi keyboard. Great for free styling and generating ideas.
f: What’s been your favourite gig of the year and where are you most looking forward to performing soon?
Dean Montano: The Muscle Funk Music label parties are always epic, with the next one coming up early July. I am really looking forward to playing the Boho Festival in Nottingham 26th July, and the Hacienda Event also in Nottingham on the August 22nd.
f: Who would you love to do a B2B set with?
Dean Montano: I’d probably have to say Hot Since 82.
f: What has been your biggest triumph in your musical career so far?
Dean Montano: I think from going from zero production knowledge to getting tracks out onto Muscle Funk Music. It’s such an amazing buzz, but every day is still a learning day.
f: And your biggest challenge?
Dean Montano: Navigating the challenges of social media, gigs, .and of course the vast array of Plug-Ins available to Ableton!
f: Which dance track holds the most precious memories for you?
Dean Montano: Gosh! That’s a tough one. I’d probably have to say Kym Syms ‘Too Blind to See It’. I remember the first time I ever heard it, in a club in Nottingham in 1991. It was incredible. A more notable time was back in 2003 when Steve Lawler surprisingly played a classics set on the Space Terrace in Ibiza, and he dropped it. There was about 12 of us there, and it was just the best clubbing day of my life. The whole day just had everything, and this tune just takes me right back there.
f: Who are your top 3 current producers?
Dean Montano: Oooh… this is a tough one! There are so many amazing producers out there. However, I can mention 3 straight away as I absolutely love the stuff they put out. Nick Curly, Crusy, and CASSIMM.
f: What else are you working on at the moment that you can tell us about?
Dean Montano: I have a few tracks I am working on that the moment. I’m definitely starting to experiment more and more. Not only with the vibe I’m going for, but also what I can do with them from a technical perspective. Watch this space!
‘1am Heat’ EP will be released on Beatport Exclusive July 3rd / full release July 17th 2026 on Muscle Funk.