‘Why Don’t You’ – Quite simply, an anthem
Hi Marko, welcome to DMC. Well the forthcoming track ‘Why Don’t You’ was an absolute stonker in Ibiza last year. I remember dancing to it courtesy of DJ Sneak, Carl Cox and Roger Sanchez – and I know a lot of other major DJs slammed it out. A famous Peggy Lee sample, slabs of House, Funk and Swing – tell us about the track and why has it taken so long to see the light of day…?
“Firstly, thanks for chatting with me, its great pleasure to be in DMC company. As for the track I think it just happened. Can’t explain how, but it just did. The main reason for making it was my girlfriend Tamara, she was very much into the original track and she wanted me to make something out of it. For months I was telling her it’s impossible but one day she was so persistent I just started doing it, just to show her it was impossible. But, it went the other way…ha ha ha. After that I gave it to some of my friends and one of them was DJ Mes who released it on his label Guesthouse – and after that Positiva signed it. It took so much time to release it because of the sample clearance and that’s the reason for such a delay.”
You hail from Serbia – what is the clubbing scene like over there at the moment, we obviously know about your amazing ‘Exit’ Festival in July, but what about the clubs and DJs?
“If you want to party 24/7 you should come to Serbia. Everyone who comes here has a question: ‘Does anyone work here at all?’, because you can party in Belgrade every day and it always feels like its Saturday. However on the other side, our club scene went very commercial, there is only one truly underground club called ‘Tube’. But it’s kind of normal because a lot of House music today has become pop music. We have a lot of good festivals including ‘Exit’ and ‘Beerfest’ in Belgrade. Serbia is definitely a place to come and check! As for the DJs, we have some really good ones and also, I think that this part of world is just getting opened up, so expect to hear a lot from the Balkans area in the future…”
The new record has some great remixes from four different artists – how did the chance to hook up a DJ Sneak mix come about?
“DJ Mes is the one to blame for that. He introduced me to Sneak and asked me to do a remix of his classic ‘Can’t Hide From Your Bud’ and then asked Sneak to remix “Why Don’t You” because he was one of the biggest supporters of it from the beginning. I couldn’t believe that day what was happening to me. It was such an honour to remix and be remixed by Grandmaster Sneak!”
I can’t ever remember you spinning in Ibiza or New York – why? Which do you think you’d prefer?
“It’s a shame, but I have never been to Ibiza or NY, I have always had issue with visas. Don’t know why. But if I have to choose on blind, I would choose both. Ibiza for the party and NY for the huge cultural diversity and loads of small jazz clubs that I would love to check out.”
‘Why Don’t You’ has a glorious history along the years with such legends as Ella Fitzgerald, Sinead O’Connor and even Jessica Rabbit in ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ !!! What take (other than yours!) do you think has been the best?
“I’ve listened to all the versions, from the original by Joe McCoy to the new ones. I think that the Peggy Lee and Benny Goodman version that I used is definitely the best one and I also think that Peggy Lee is one of most underrated singers and songwriters in history. Her versions of this track (there are true, a few different ones) are the best, she sings it so easily but with such depth that I’m amazed every time I hear it.”
What is the best piece of advice anyone has ever given you?
“Do whatever you think and feel is the best. And patience, of course.”
What are your big 10 tunes you are playing out at the moment?
1. Ou est le swimming pool – ‘Dance the way I feel’ (Armand Van Helden remix) / Stiff
2. Kenton Slash Demon – ‘Brunn’ / Tartelet
3. Gramophonedzie – ‘Why Don’t You’ (Trevor Loveys rmx) / Positiva
4. Tommy Largo – ‘The Same Thing’ / Guesthouse
5. Romano Alfieri – ‘Moved Muff’ / Break New Soil
6. Mark Funk – ‘Reflections’ / DiskoZoo
7. Freaky Behaviour – ‘Keep It Up’ / promo
8. Brahms & Klement Bonelli – ‘Stop Everything’ / Analog
9. Ramon Tapia – ‘You Know’ / Great Stuff
10. Eats Everything – ‘Famaican’ / Freek records promo
What is your stance on drugs in clubland?
“I don’t have anything against people using drugs as long as they are coming out to party for music and not the drugs. Everyone decides for themselves.”
Best club you have ever played at?
“There are a lot of clubs I have liked, but for me it’s not the club, it’s the party that stays in my memory. If I have to name one then It would be the one that has closed for years called ‘Ghetto’ in Belgrade, it was place for only 80 people but had 200 in there always, don’t know how! My best memories are from there”.
You have played alongside some major DJs – Derrick Carter, Bob Sinclar, Basement Jaxx and David Morales to name but a few – which DJ you have spun with really blew you away?
“Derrick Carter definitely. That guy is sick! And Eric Morillo was one of my favorites also.”
Which one vocalist would you really like to make a track with in the studio?
“Amy Winehouse, because she is the only one today who has such depth and emotion in her voice like the old singers used to have (Ella, Nina or Peggy).”
Favourite holiday destination?
“Sharm-al-Sheik in Egypt, if you like to dive it’s probably one of the best places in the world”
Dead or alive, five famous people you would invite to your dinner party?
“When I make dinner, it’s always more than five, but for this time I’ll make a small dinner. Definitely Michael Jackson, Nikola Tesla, Quincy Jones, Kimi Raikkonen and Jessica Biel – hehehee”
Who were your favourite artists/bands as a ten-year-old kid before dance music sucked you in?
“Great question! New Kids On The Block, hahah, joke! I was a bit of a strange kid, I used to like Metallica, Ice-T, NWA, Body Count, Beastie Boys, U96 and Snap”
What is the best and worst thing about living in Serbia?
“The worst thing is that you need a Visa for every country that you could think of traveling to. Now things have changed a little, about a month ago the law changed and we can now travel free into EU countries. The best thing in Serbia are the people who are very open, friendly and party people 24/7”
What is the next thing coming from the Marko studio…?
“A lot of new things coming out. A remix for Mowgli and Tara McDonald, a remix for one of my favorite tracks Mange Le Funk ‘I Still Want You’, a remix for Young Punx and also there will be a new EP on Guesthouse plus some new tracks for some big labels – but I can’t say too much until it’s all signed.”
