Vintage & Morelli and Arielle Maren

Vintage & Morelli (a.k.a., Marko Cubric) is a self-taught musician who has prevailed in the face of adversity. After surviving the Yugoslav Wars, he went on to earn a degree at the Faculty of Music in Belgrade. Shortly after, he met Arielle Maren through her widely-praised work with artists such as Estiva and Ørjan Nilsen, where their immediate connection prompted Arielle’s move from the U.S. to Serbia. Since then, the duo have completed two albums together and continue to champion Monstercat Silk’s signature sound. Vintage & Morelli and Arielle Maren have collaborated with and received international support from top touring DJs such as Above & Beyond, Armin van Buuren, Markus Schulz, Paul Oakenfold, and many more.  Following the release of fan-favourite singles “Valley of Hope,” “Away,” and “Dreamers” earlier this year, they now return with their beautiful album ‘The Light’, out now on Monstercat. Having firmly established themselves as tastemakers in the global electronic music scene, the dynamic duo continue to push boundaries as they breathe life into the next generation of trance. Featuring twelve original tracks accompanied by their respective extended mixes, ‘The Light’ is a testament to their artistic depth and creative prowess as it flows from upbeat dancefloor-driven records to introspective deep cuts. DMCWORLD grabs a world exclusive…

Hi guys! Thank you so much for taking the time to chat today and congrats on the album release. Now that it’s out and you’ve had some time to reflect, what was the most rewarding part of creating the album? What was the most challenging part?

First of all, a BIG thank you for having us! Definitely the most rewarding part of this album is having it come to fruition after years of dedication. The day of release marked another great milestone of achievement in our music careers! It was challenging to stay motivated during the pandemic lockdown. We really had to draw on each other to find inspiration, as human contact was minimal and all usual activity completely stopped. 
Arielle, you have an amazing voice that fits perfectly with these tracks. When you were writing and singing the lyrics, was there a song you felt the strongest connection to?
Thank you for the kind words! I would have to say the song that I felt the strongest connection to was “Other Side”.  As we were working on the album, my grandmother passed away as well as Marko’s father a few months later. By dedicating this song to them, we felt it was the best way to make peace with their passing. It’s our way of letting them know that no matter the time and space between us, they will forever be loved and remembered.
As things start to reopen and shows start to return, will we be able to see a live performance of the album? If so, when and where?

We certainly hope so! We’re grateful to be receiving some great opportunities despite these challenging times, so we are hopeful the stars will align and such a possibility will unfold. 

Marko, if you could produce one track from any genre other than progressive house or trance, which would you choose and why?

Being a very spiritually in-tuned person, ambient and chill-out music really speaks to me.  Definitely expect some future releases in this genre to come!

How would you each describe the dance music scene in Serbia? Do you feel like the community there ‘gets’ your music?

We don’t feel like our style of music is as well received here in Serbia as it is in other places. There’s not much opportunity here as it isn’t a popular sound at the moment, but we’re hopeful that this will change. 

In what ways do you believe the lockdown/quarantine affected your music? Do you think it helped or hindered your development as a musician?

As everything around us was shut-down, it made us look within ourselves to find inspiration. We both agree that it helped us focus on the album and develop it more intently, as there were less distractions. At the same time, it was difficult to be self-motivating when there weren’t any external sources we had to draw from. 

Now that you’ve wrapped up your album, what is next for the two of you? Do you have any upcoming projects that you are excited about?

We are both in need and deserving of a break. We’re off on holiday soon! Also, we’re always working on music. You can definitely expect more releases from us, both collaboratively and individually, in the near future!
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