Bedrock’s Spanish star showing us how he does it
Marc, welcome to DMCWORLD. Hailing from Girona in Spain, how old where you when you started to take notice of dance music, who around you was also into these sounds?
“From my very early days I’ve been a movie addict, especially sci-fi futuristic films like “Star Wars”, “Tron” and “BladeRunner”, so probably Vangelis was one of the first musicians that struck me as a child. Gradually I was introducing myself to the dance genre with crossover producers like William Orbit, Orbital, Leftfield, Underworld…I just loved those raw fat synths over the massive big beats. I remember my college roommate introduced me to many of these artists.”
So when did the idea of becoming a DJ/producer start taking shape, what were the early clubs you were heading off to?
“Definitely I remember returning to my hometown which had a strong local scene. Girona has always been an area related to electronic music and is also very close to Barcelona, so it was easy to get into the vibe of a good techno club. By then, I listened to a lot of Detroit Techno and Progressive House stuff. That contradiction awakened my desire to start producing music with those sort of influences.”
In 2008 you signed an exclusive contract with the Hong Kong label SINO, one of the techno community’s iconic labels. How did that all come about?
“I met Sino’s captain Charles Siegling (Technasia) four years ago in my hometown club where I was resident. He watched my performance a couple of times and was always asking me for demos. So finally, I decided to send him few tracks and I signed for SINO’s label instantly. I was working as director at an advertising agency but I saw that deal as an opportunity of a lifetime, so I finally gave my life to music. After four years I’m glad to say it was the best decision I could have made.”
Who were your early DJ heroes?
“More than DJs I’ve always been into producers and music groups. To name a few: Orbital, Leftfield, Underworld, Carl Craig, Luomo, Alexander Kowalski, Sasha, Laurent Garnier… different kinds of musicians, but all of them put their passion into each one of their creations.”
The first two years saw you bring us a stream of hits, ‘Silent Drop’ and ‘Beach Kisses’ amongst others. What though do you think was your most important early track to establish your career?
“Both tracks were equally important for me, they caught the attention of a group of artists and labels of different musical genres, which later opened doors for my productions. I also felt that they received more global public attention thanks to the internet. I started having performances as far away as Hong Kong and Colombia, but in both places they knew the two songs and sang the melodies.”
2011 saw your stunning remix of Henry Saiz’s ‘La Marea’ smash dancefloors everywhere – when did you realise you had created something truly beautiful?
“The original song was already beautiful, I decided to just capture the essence of the main hook and take it to a new level. I looked for a more powerful club sound and tried to improvise some chords over and give some extra energy. I found it easy because Henry is a life-long friend and I know his music very well. When I had the first previews of it we realized it was the perfect continuation of the original. I also think it was the result of the special feelings that caused me to collaborate for the first time with a historic label like Bedrock.”
Your latest track ‘How Do You Do It’ is included on the new Bedrock_Underground Sound Of Miami album – talk us through the tune?
“Basically, it’s a song I did inspired by my girlfriend. I know it sounds corny, but it’s that simple. Sometimes there are people that we find it easier to say what we feel through the music than using words. When I had finished the song, I found out it created such an intense reaction when I played it in front of the crowd, so I decided to send it to Bedrock’s team.”
What is your current top 10 you are spinning?
Behind the line – Oscar Barila, Maiki
Knickerbocker – Mic Newman
Like Dat (Kirk Degiorgio Remix) – Lighter Thief
The Good Old Days – Fer BR
The Hope – Scuba
Motone – Wehbba
Hiphouse – Kabale und Liebe Lauhaus
Fake (Dosem Remix) – Black I.C.E.
Hole in One – Jim Rivers
Tales of Tomorrow – Dosem
How would you describe your sound?
“It’s a mix of many genres: techno, house with strong melodic content… I like to produce music that has a lot of energy but explain stories at the same time. With deep, atmospheric and futuristic sounds, like a sci-fi movie soundtrack.”
What will be the next release from your studio in 2012?
“I’m preparing remixes for Pig&Dan, Mark Broom and Jim Rivers. Also finishing EPs for Break New Soil, Tronic and Bedrock.”
What do you think have been the biggest changes in EDM since your career started?
“The scene has been democratized. The technology has become more accessible and now anyone with good ideas and a little technique can create professional productions. Moreover, the internet has connected both artists and listeners around the world and changed the way we communicate and share our passion. As a downside, there has been a glut of copies, refried replicas and formulas to get instant-satisfaction-hits, making it very difficult to find free artistic and original expressions.”
What is the greatest record you have ever played to a dancefloor?
“Incident” by Joris Voorn.”
What are your thoughts on Pete Tong’s IMS summit in Ibiza in May, will you be attending?
“I’m still planning my schedule and it will depend on my tour calendar. In any case, IMS summit is undoubtedly one of the most important events of the year in Europe, especially for the professional sector of electronic music. The creation of such conferences is very useful for interconnecting all people in the industry to create positive synergies… and each year it is growing. Pete and his team did a great job on it.”
And finally, what are the plans for DJing in Ibiza this summer?
“At the moment I have two shows confirmed for Space and Pacha. Ibiza is a wonderful and special place and I have many friends who established their residence there this summer, so it’s quite possible that you will find me there either playing some Balearic grooves or enjoying a big sweet Mojito!”
Bedrock-Underground Sound Of Miami – featuring Dosem – How Do You Do It – is released on Bedrock Records 19/03/12
LISTEN TO A SELECTION OF ALBUM TRACKS HERE:
http://soundcloud.com/bedrock_rec
+ JOHN DIGWEED MINI-MIX featuring tracks from the album here:
http://www.mixcloud.com/johndigweed/bedrock_underground-sound-of-miami/
Pre-Order Your Copy Here: http://bedrockmusic.bigcartel.com/product/underground-sound-of-miami-cd-pre-order-for-release-march-19th
