Marc Houle: The luxury of playing live

Created On by JackT

One of the key producers in Richie Hawtin’s M_Nus camp, Marc Houle is en route to Australia for the We Love Sounds festival, as well as an extra-special sideshow in Sydney. Performing under the banner of ‘The M_Nus Live Experience’ alongside labelmate Gaiser, he’s sure to tweak a few minds with the “latest stuff” from his studio.

Born in Windsor, Canada, just across the river from Detroit, Houle draws unmistakable inspiration from the Motor City. When not on tour, he shares his time between New York and Berlin, working industriously on new material that “pushes the envelope of standard techno”. His most recent dancefloor ‘hit’, the gimmicky Techno Vocals, divided opinion; but Houle is much more than a one-trick pony. ITM’s Jack Tregoning spoke to the man about what he got up to in M_Nus’s self-imposed ‘Ten Weeks of Silence’, and what’s in store for the label’s 10th Anniversary showcase down under.

Tell us a bit about the Ten Weeks of Silence. Did you emerge from it rejuvenated?

Not really. We spent so much time experimenting on music together that by the end we really wanted 10 more weeks to continue working on cool stuff. It was strange to get back to playing though – it felt like I was starting over.

As a M_Nus man on the inside, can you shed any light on how that “unknown cubical object” is helping celebrate a decade of M_Nus?

Ha, it’s almost as much a mystery to me! I did get to see it in action earlier and I was pretty impressed. If you are into technology, it’s very cool. I hope people take the time to investigate it – lots of nerd hours went into it.

What current projects are keeping you busy? I understand there was some music written over those ten weeks…

Yeah, one fun thing we did was to get a drum kit in the studio and record hours and hours of different drum fills and rhythms at different tempos. But mostly it was hooking up all the synths any way they could be hooked up. It’s good to get to spend time with your children and push the envelopes of standard techno. We have all been trying to push ourselves to create in more ways. Hopefully it will come across in the music.

As someone who splits his time between New York and Berlin, do you feel there’s a dual identity in your music? Or is that not something that can be measured?

I would say my music remains independent of my surroundings. I mean wherever I am, I tend to spend most of my time in my studio anyway – so even if I was on a farm in the middle of nowhere, I would probably be making the same as if I was in the middle of Tokyo.

So, Techno Vocals. Was it time for some cheekiness in minimal techno?

There has always been a fun side to techno. It’s the Detroit/Chicago way. Most of the old vocals from those great tracks are so much fun. I guess just look back at most of the vocal tracks from ‘88-‘93. It’s the stuff I learned from and it’s the attitude I picked up. This is about having a party, and it’s okay for a percolator to land on the dancefloor from time to time.

Apart from talent (of course), how do you explain M_Nus’s feverish following? There seems to be a really successful synthesis of music and image…

I can’t really? Let me ask the cube…no answer.

Does it disappoint you that the shelf-life of tracks is shortening? Is the preoccupation with new-ness frustrating?

It is kind of annoying as a live act and as a producer. I mean a DJ always has the luxury to pull out a new track, but I kind of have to make a new set’s worth of tracks every month because it’s how things are nowadays.

But you can’t really compare how things are to how things were. Technology has changed everything. Same goes with the record industry. But I mean, who is really bothered if a DJ plays an older track? Other DJs and internet freaks – people who would be bothered anyway! I always like to keep it fresh because of how often I play with the other Minus acts. I don’t want them do have to sit through the same songs over and over again. I couldn’t take it either.

When I interviewed Petter a while back, he mentioned he’s grown tired of the strictures of a live set and has reverted back to DJing. I know you don’t DJ, but obviously playing live doesn’t grow stale or become restrictive for you?

No, it’s actually a luxury to me. I am so happy I don’t have to search out new music and be involved in the scene. I am happiest making my own music and refining it. You do have the limitations of only being able to play your own music but it’s worth it to me.

Because you’re not concerned with finding tracks to play as a DJ, are you able to separate yourself from the music other people are making? Is that liberating?

Well, a little bit, but having to play before and after other DJs does influence me. I listen to older stuff I made and I can tell it’s a factor.

You’re playing in Australia as part of the M_Nus Experience with Gaiser. Along with Heartthrob, you guys keep up the label’s live contingent. Is there a particular creative closeness you three share?

Haha yeah, we all have had the same nightmares. Things are good with us – we can always rely on each other for good criticisms and ways to improve and we can bounce new ideas off each other. This trip I will be with Jon for several shows; something I am really looking forward to.

So what can we expect from your shows here? Is your live set a malleable thing?

I have lots of material to work from, but I usually like to play the latest stuff I make so that it’s more interesting. It also depends on the people dancing – the more they get into it, the more I do of course. We will see!

Marc Houle is playing in Australia for the M_Nus Label 10th Anniversary alongside Gaiser. You can catch them both playing live sets of heady, stripped-back techno at the following shows…

Saturday 31 May – Lost Baggage & Beck’s Fusions Presents M-Nus Label 10th Anniversary, The Cross, Sydney
Saturday 7 June – We Love Sounds Melbourne, Docklands
Sunday 8 June – We Love Sounds Sydney, Hordern Pavilion and surrounds