Unquestionably one of Brazil’s most famous musical exports, DJ Marky has been a favourite in drum & bass circles since the late 90s when he first travelled to the UK with fellow legend Patife. Asked to host the One World show on BBC Radio 1 around the turn of the century, Marky’s profile continued to grow, winning the Knowledge Magazine title of Best DJ in 2001. This was soon followed by the Best New DJ title at the Ericsson Muzik Awards and a place in the Top 10 DJ List in Ministry Magazine the very same year. In Summer 2002 he released ‘LK’, co-produced with XRS, and the rest was, as they say, history. Touring Australia in February as part of the Good Vibrations Festival with Stamina MC, ITM caught up with the Brazilian wunderkind for a quick chat.
So where are you at moment? Based in Sao Paolo or London?
My home always has and always will be in Sao Paolo. I spend a lot of time in the UK and London especially due to tour dates and easy access to the rest of Europe.
Is your attention focused on the Innerground label at the moment or is there a lot of touring going on?
I try to split my time as evenly as possible. Obviously I want the label to be as popular as it can be which is why I have been out searching for new talent such as Bungle and DJ Roots, but equally I love DJing. It’s where my heart is and I love profiling Innerground at the same time as bringing the music to the people first hand, and it gives me an opportunity to combine the business and pleasure sides of things.
Tell us about the Brazilian drum n bass scene you did so much to create. Is it as big as we always hear?
Drum and Bass is massive in Brazil and is always a big crowd pleaser. At the SKOL Beats Festival the Drum & Bass tent is always full with around 12,000 people cramming themselves in and rolling through at some point during the night. It’s a great atmosphere and one that I enjoy being a part of.
What about electronic music in general in Brazil- I’ve heard about some of these huge crazy parties they have in the favelas with guys becoming real famous in their neighbourhoods with their bootlegged cds- is there a mixing of styles with drum n bass?
From what I’ve heard the Favela parties can be pretty crazy and a lot of fun but as far as I know the sound at those kind of parties is a bit more Miami Bass than Drum & Bass. There’s a lot of other stuff going on over there though from Techno to Hip Hop and beyond, it’s a real exciting place to be musically.
You’re (and XRS’s) production definitely has a Brazilian feel to it. Maybe a stupid question, but does this come through accidentally or is it a conscious decision, and did this change after living in the UK?
We always set out with one thought in our minds when putting a track together and that is simply that it has to be good music. There is no conscious decision to stamp a green and yellow flag on anything, it just sort of comes out like that. As you can imagine we have a lot of influences and it just so happens that a bit of that Brazilian flavour comes out in the tracks.
Do you listen to a lot of older Brazilian music?
I try to be just about as eclectic as possible. I obviously like most forms of dance music but I am also really into my old school funk, rare grooves and soul, and as a result these form the basis for a lot of my tracks.
I notice you had a collaboration with music legend/politician Gilberto Gil? Did you guys talk politics?
We kind of passed the politics by and just had real fun making the track. It was a real honour to work alongside such a world-renowned figure as Gilberto.
Your Sydney performance at the Gaelic club in 2004 has honestly become a bit of a legendary gig. Where are your favourite places to play?
I love playing in Australia and I’m glad that that gig has touched people. I always get a great reception in Australia and New Zealand also, but my other favourite places are Tokyo, places like Serbia in Eastern Europe, and I also have a residency in London and Sao Paolo, Marky & Friends, which is always a good night out. I could go on and on but there are just so many great venues in some really exciting countries.
How did you think you would be received in the UK when you went over? Did u ever feel you got any of the ‘you aren’t from London, who the fuck are you’ treatment?
It’s a big thing going over to the UK because the scene is so big and there are a lot of really good DJ’s there, but I have been welcomed with open arms and the crowds are fantastic. They make it easy to do your thing and it makes it easier to put on a good show.
DJ Marky tours with Stamina MC this February, don’t miss out!
Sat Feb 11 – Good Vibrations, Brisbane (BUY TICKETS)
Sun Feb 12 – Good Vibrations, Melbourne (ITM SOLD OUT)
Fri Feb 17 – Secret Location, Adelaide
Sat Feb 18 – Good Vibrations, Sydney (BUY TICKETS)
Sun Feb 19 – Good Vibrations, Perth (BUY TICKETS)
