The Belgian superstar let’s rip about the DJMag Top 100
Interview : Dan Prince
Hey Marco welcome back to DMCWORLD – where in the world are you right now?
“At the moment Dan I’m flying high in the sky above Arizona on the way from Philadelphia to Las Vegas where I will play tonight ! Thanks US Airways, your service sucks but your internet rocks!!”
You are no stranger to American shores as one of the most popular artists all over the country. Now that the dust has settled a little, how would you sum up EDM in the States at the moment – are they going in the right direction and what are your thoughts on South America, that place is flying…
“Yes there are a couple things I HATE, sorry…and of course lots I love over there. I love to see smiles on people’s faces when I play “my music” without being a jukebox or player of all the Top 10 records. I love to travel to South America too, I love Argentinian people, I love Peru, love Chile, love Brazil, love Colombia and all the people that have fire in their blood. This…I love so much!! Any also, I recently have discovered that I also LOVE THE USA…a lot !! Techno is getting strong again and this makes me smile. Oh and Asia is amazing too – especially playing in Japan!”
The DJMag 100 passed by us a few weeks ago – how important is this annual poll to Marco Bailey?
“I hate this STUPID RIDICULOUS ‘TOP 100 DJMag’ crap! The fact that they are not ashamed to publish a top 100 with DJs inside who paid for votes – and the worst of all can’t even mix 3 records together without making a mistake…well maybe it is possible for them when they use the shit sync buttons in Traktor or play just the bottom on the laptop of an Ableton session. What the F**k is this?? Almost the half of this shit top 100 are ‘EDM’ DJs who play easy cheesy almost kids music tunes. Horrible! I respect vocal music and I have a lot of respect for tracks from Guetta or even Tiesto because they have amazing artists behind them with great songs – honestly, even though it’s totally NOT my sound, I do respect it a lot! But there is other shit going on at the moment, DJs who cover complete songs or tracks from the 90’s that are totally sampled from second one to the end…get No. 1 in Beatport and are placed in the Top 10 in the Top 100??? Is this NORMAL??? Do they feel proud???? Guys at DJ Mag – are you not making a complete trashbag from our whole scene?? I know that popularity talks and I realize it’s the choice of the big public that supports this crap at the big festivals etc. – but I think people who are on the source like the big magazines such as DJ Mag and the big festival promotors should give the crowd something else instead of just feeding them time after time junk food. I would like to see media and promoters trying to RE-EDUCATE them with real and pure things! At the I love Techno festival in Belgium for example, it started with 1500 people and has grown to 38000 people – with ONLY underground pure sounds! That may that be a small example, but it has to start some place! They should do a REAL DJ TOP 100 : all DJs playing on TV in front of a real jury with records they have never seen before. One CD player, one turntable, another source – and PROOF you are a real DJ instead of this lie we have now that is just creating a big garbage dump in our scene!! Actually, do you know what I would love to come back onto the big stage? The DMC Championships that used to be held at Wembley Arena where the DJs had to prove themselves in front of all the TV cameras and millions of watching people what their “REAL” DJ skills were! That is fair! Not this bullshit what is going on now! ”
Well you have managed it again sir, another mammoth piece of dancefloor action with your ‘The Black Widow’ tune swinging our way on MB Elektronics. Talk us through the tune…
“This tune I made like many others which is without thinking beforehand how it should sound or come out. I start a track sometimes from a drum, sometimes from a loop or sometimes from a sequence or sound…and build all the other elements around it. It is all about creating in the moment!”
You have quite a New Year’s road trip coming up, tell our readers where they can catch you…
“Oh yes New Years is gonna be crazy! I’m really excited about it! At midnight I start in Montpellier in the south of France, then at 2am I take a private jet to Lisbon in Portugal where I play from 6-8am at Kremlin. Then in the afternoon we fly into Spain where I play on New Years Day during the night at the Passion club in Malaga. I am so looking forward to it!!”
What is the current top 10 you are spinning…
“This change almost every week most of the tracks are not released yet, but here is a bunch that are making the floor wild for me at the moment…
Luigi Madonna – Primo – Drumcode
Carlo Lio – Droid – Bedrock
Marco Bailey – Cash Uto (Karem Remix) – MB Elektronics
Redhead – Twilight Boy – MB Elektronics
Kane Roth – Ray Kajioka Remix – Waveform Recordings
Tom Hades – Because – MB Elektronics
Marco Bailey and Tom Hades – Ancient Persian – Abstrakt Records Germany
…and many more!
Okay let’s have a look back at 2013, a wonderful year for you. What has been…
Your tune of the year?
“Pig & Dan – On A Train (Universal Mix) on Elevate Records. Also Marco Bailey & John Digweed – Red Tape on Bedrock!”
Producer of the year?
“Pig & Dan and Mattew Jay.”
Best DJ show of 2013?
“Nature One festival in Germany and Tomorrowland festival Belgium.”
Festival of the year?
“Tomorrowland – Boom – Belgium!”
Remix of 2013?
“The Dominik Eulberg Remix of ‘Grolzham’ by Marco Bailey on MB Elektronics. Also the Gregor Tresher Remix of Depeche Mode’s ‘Soothe My Soul’.”
Vegas or Ibiza?
“Is this a joke?? Ibiza has so many cool clubs and still has an underground vibe…plus anything you have ever wanted for more than 20 years that is not based on $$ and EDM. Sorry guys, no comparison! YES IBIZA!! And that’s not to mention all those amazing beaches on the island!”
Your proudest moment of the year?
“At the Nature One festival where I killed it big time in front of lots of people including loads of friends and people I know from my country! It felt great!”
I loved this quote from you a few years ago…”You know what I would love: that every record comes out without a label name; just white. Let¹s see then what would get played…”. Did you have any fellow DJs comment on that to you?
“No nobody. Most of the guys only say things on networks to suck other people or to make a cool impression, not many talk honestly. They only do this at home, it’s so silly! Say and stand up for what you think please guys!!”
What ls the last studio gift you bought yourself?
“Push for Ableton, Ableton 9, but I also bought again the Juno 106 synth and Jupiter 8 cause I regretted so much giving it away 3 years ago to a good friend. Even if I don’t use these synths that much, they are magic to me!”
Away from dance music, who are some of the artists you are enjoying at the moment?
“Away from dance? I always was and always be a massive fan of U2 and Depeche Mode. And not forgetting Boards of Canada and Autechre!”
Your documentary made fascinating viewing Marco, congratulations! Would you do it all over again?
“Yes but longer and going deeper into things and trying to show the people much more!”
And finally, what is coming out next from you studio wise?
“New releases are coming soon on December 23rd, all tracks from my previous album remixed by great artists on my label MB Elektronics. Then a new one on Scotland based label Sleaze Records on February 10th – and many more!”