Downsouth-Music

Ernst Schoemaker's Downsouth-Music imprint is as much of a reflection of Cape Town's current state of electronic music as it is a journey through life. Growing up in Johannesburg, an impressionable Schoemaker would make trips to Holland with his family and found himself plundering the endless musical resources not readily available in his hometown, gravitating towards the sounds of house music.Like most people bitten with the electronic music bug, the obsession didn't end there. He soon found himself energizing friends and turning on other like-minded teens to his newfound sounds through DJ gigs and small local events he was organizing. After a few years making a name for himself while climbing up the local ranks, South Africa's more progressive city, Cape Town, called and Ernst responded in 1999 by opening one of the few record stores in the city.Although relatively geographically close, South Africa's "Glamour City" nourishes more of the forward-thinking, open-minded mentality and provided Ernst the tools necessary, if he was going to make a career centered in the nightlife community. In four short years he went from strength to strength, utilizing his connections made through DJing and owning a local record store. In 2003, after a few years of paying his dues, Downsouth-Music was born.From the opportunities Cape Town provided Schoemaker has been able to play a key role in Cape Town's ongoing renewal process by providing some of the most memorable and soulful deep house coming out of the city, in addition to a solid platform to foster local talent and expose them on a international level. Today, Downsouth continues to offer music for sunsets, music for romance, sexy music that never lets up.