DeepMatter: the taste for music

In 2014, Tom Pickford launched DeepMatter, a design firm specialising in music. After two years, he decided to quit his job and transform his project into a record label. His aim is “to go and find underground artists, to bring them beyond the mainstream”.

In an interview for Without Further Adu, Tom Pickford confides that his passion for soul music comes from his mother: “if motown isn’t on [in the house], there’s something wrong.” His father, on the other hand, gave him a taste for hip hop and jazz. “My dad is a big influence on my musical taste and introduced me to hip hop like Tupac.”

The artist Simon Jefferis helped him start the label. Tom Pickford met him while working as a salesman in a clothing store. The two music enthusiasts became friends and the artist introduced him to Ricky, who would become his partner. Since 2018, Tom Pickford has taken care of the label full time, while managing Natty Reeves‘ career. Simon Jefferis is still signed to DeepMatter to this day.

DeepMatter’s roster includes:
PYJÆN: a combo from London, combining jazz, funk and afro-beat with accents of hip hop and disco.
Quinn Oulton: a multi-instrumentalist and producer from London, who recently graduated from the Royal Academy of Music
Myele Manzanza: a New Zealand drummer and composer inspired by hip hop, jazz and dance music
Jerk: a Brooklynite jazz/hip hop project, led by composer and producer Joshua Kinney
The label also discovered and participated in the success of Caleborate, Healy and Aso.

Tom Pickford has two goals in life: first of all, he wants every artist on the label to be able to make a living from their music. Second, he’s obsessed with pizza! So to combine his two passions, he would love to open a jazz bar/pizzeria one day.

Follow DeepMatter
Official Website / Facebook /Twitter / Instagram