Serbia taking us there…
Marko, welcome to the DMC world. You hail from Belgrade in Serbia and had an early start to your career starting to DJ at the age of 12. How did you get into music early on?
“Thanks for inviting me Dan, it’s a pleasure! Yes you’re right, DJing was one of my first obsessions and somehow it managed to stay around ever since. At that tender age I was aware I wouldn’t become a great sportsman or scientist, so I had to find something to impress the girls!! No, it was kind of a natural thing, it wasn’t an overnight decision. I just love music and DJing brought me to a new level of getting in touch with it. I think every DJ has a similar story about his beginnings – I am one of those who started with vinyl and that’s one of the reasons, in my opinion, why someone develops a special, non-explainable bond with this culture. I mean, if you suddenly start to dream about 1210’s then it’s a sure sign you’ve been hooked! At the beginning, I was into drum n’ bass, jungle and scratching – that kind of stuff. But as soon as I heard some proper house records I just began to develop myself into that direction, simply because I loved it from day one.”
What did your parents think of this sudden passion?
“For me, it’s been a real mind training act explaining to people around me what suddenly came over me. My parents knew I wanted to DJ but they thought it was just a passing phase. As I got serious about it spending nights mixing, disturbing my neighbourhood, organizing small parties with my friends and talking about it 24/7, everyone knew I’ve already chosen my destiny. To be honest, my mom was my first ‘manager’ – walking down the street in our area she noticed a new coffee bar with a turntable setup, got in and started talking with the DJ. I still don’t know what she’s been saying to him exactly, but a few days later I got the chance to play there!”
Ha ha great story! So who were your DJ heroes back then?
“DJ Hype and DJ Cam. Later on most of the guys from France with their interpretation of modern house based on cool, old funk samples – DJ Gregory, Bob Sinclair, Daft Punk, which lead me to the Chicago sound and legends like Derrick Carter, Mark Farina…”
You started to producer at a later age…was getting your hands on equipment a problem to begin with in Serbia?
“Yes, everything that had to do something with getting stuff from beyond the border in the nineties in Serbia was connected with some kind of issues. Just happy it’s all over and everything got back to normal! I guess this could be one of the main reasons I developed a real hunger for gettin’ in touch with the production side of the story. At the end of the nineties I’d sharpened my DJ skills enough (still working on it, but was fairly happy with it) as I began to notice that there must be more to it. Production was step two to me and as I’ve been chosen as one of the two chosen DJs from Serbia at the Red Bull Music Academy in 2000, I knew I was moving in the right direction. This just opened a new world and pushed me more in the direction of production. I knew that if you wanted to be listened to as a DJ, you had to have your own tracks and remixes, otherwise you would drown in the sea of bedroom DJs, because DJing was kind of trendy those days and everyone wanted to do it.”
What was your first big break in the music world?
“I have to repeat myself, but please don’t take it bad – it’s definitely the success of my track ‘Why Don’t You’! I’ve been doing music before that of course, but that just exploded and made my name known to a wider audience. I still remember the feeling that got me over as I saw videos with that track being played all over the world and people reacting to it! That was a very, very good push to me!”
How happy was your girlfriend when ‘Why Don’t You’ blew up? Tell DMC this famous story…
“She, Tamara, is the main factor behind the success of the whole story. Not just for helping me to struggle with the everyday stuff these days, because I can literally feel the last two years in every muscle and bone of my body, but for believing in me all the time – often more than I do myself. I don’t want to sound slushy, but if she hadn’t of insisted on that particular sample (which I wasn’t that happy with) and found the track cool, I wouldn’t have brought it to an end, it would have just been another track in the ‘’unfinished projects’’ folder on my computer. At one point of time she was disappointed with my decision not to finish the track, but because I ran out of excuses and childish answers, I had to prove to her I was able to finish it, although it wasn’t a favourite of mine. I can’t forget her smile the next day when she heard the completed track! One sleepless night and a disappointed girlfriend, or let’s rather say – almost disappointed girlfriend can bring unforeseeable events…I’m talking from my perspective, don’t take it literally, as a new rule, but it surely worked in this case!!!”
You admitted once that your love of music covers everything from grime to nujazz , but you were also interested to start looking for sounds outside of the dance world. What artists have you discovered in 2011?
“I’ve been into discovering my Balkan area because at this moment, for me, its full of undiscovered talent. Bands like ‘Dubioza Kolektiv’, Shazalakazoo and Sars were something very refreshing for me.”
What are the big 10 tunes you are spinning right now?
1. Amy Winehouse ‘Stronger Then Me 1200 Warriors – Milty Evans Remix promo/bootleg
2. Hyde & Sick ‘CD Vitamin’ Original mix Blacksoul Music
3. Yolanda Be Cool feat. Crystal Waters ‘Le Bump’ Original mix Sweat it out!
4. John Made ‘Play’ Original Mix Snatch!
5. Wise D & Kobe ‘Still The Same’ Original mix Blacksoul Music
6. Zombie Disco Squad ‘Piano Man’ Original mix Made to play
7. Ron Costa & Giuliano Tomass ‘Friday BRC’ Original mix
8. Die Haustiere ‘L’Isla Delle Conchiglie’ Original mix Keep On
9. Butch Drummers ‘Drama’ Original mix Rekids
10.Just Voja ‘Morning Light’ Mark Funk Remix Disko Zoo
What was your summer anthem?
“Supabeatz – ‘Pancho’ – Southern Fried”
A massive album coming out Nocturnal Grooves Vol 4. – talk us through this album, what are your highlights?
“It was challenge for me to mix this album as you are offered limited amount of tracks that you have to combine and mix to make something enjoyable. I was lucky though as all releases on NG this year were TOP. So I must say it was a pleasure too and really enjoyed it. I really hope that I managed to catch my excitement of doing it and translated it into this mix. The first track is my favorite Director’s Cut feat. Jamie Principle – ‘I’ll Take You There’, a very mild and emotional track. Then Something Good & Reza F – ‘You Told Me’ is a great track for transition from deep to something more lively and jackin. My next highlight is Miss Divine & Jon Kong – ‘No Grace’ as even though it’s a track from last year, it justifies it’s inclusion as this great tune is so timeless. Then I went with a few of my own, Yeahyeah’ and ‘Brazilian’ and in between is the beautiful Sonny Wharthon – ‘Where Is Joyce’ which I didn’t take out of my set the whole summer. I finished this mix with a classic from Frankie Knuckles – ‘Your Love’ but in my remix version. I also wanted to make this mix like I was mixing it in the club, starting from easy then going harder and finishing with classics. You know how it goes in the club at the end when everyone is drunk, with sore feet but really happy.”
What is your guilty pleasure song?
Michael Jackson – ‘Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough’.”
Dude. That’s not guilty in our house! We love a bit of Jacko. So, what is the craziest thing that has ever happened to you whilst DJing?
“Ooh so many crazy moments. One that comes to mind is during a party when the crowd was going crazy and we decided we should take what was an indoor party, outside. So we made an announcement what we were going to do and everyone ran outside whilst me and my friends carried the whole sound system outside as the record was playing. Only for the music to completely stop and everyone turn to look at us. We thought the power cable was a lot longer than that!”
You have a great bunch of remixes under your belt, what do you think has been your best re-work to date?
“There are a few that are not released as they are bootlegs like KrissKross – ‘Jump’ and ODB & Kelis – ‘Got Your Money’, but from released ones I must say that one I’m most proud of and always think to myself how the hell I did it this good (hahahaha) is Gene Farris – ‘Return of Disco’.”
You have a very eclectic musical taste. We come back to yours after the club, what 10 Back To Mine tunes do you spin us to carry on the groove…?
“Hmm. Ok I would start with some nice DJ Cam and his signature tune ‘Dieu Reconnaitra Les Siens”. The next one would be Towa Tei -‘Technova’, something more laidback Bebel Gilberto & Arto Lindsay – ‘Obrigado’, some Henry Mancini – ‘Lujon’, then something from Japan master Jazztronik – ‘Siesta’ and one of my favorutes Elis Regina – ‘Águas de Março’. Then let’s go back to Europe with Likke Ly – ‘I Follow Rivers’, also I love Noisettes – ‘The Count Of Monte Christo’ and now back to some Jazzmataz – ‘Lifesaver’. I don’t want you to fall asleep so I would keep playing something like DJ Spinna ft. Phonte of Littlebrother – ‘Intergalactic Soul’ and we would glide on this beat for hours…”
What is the scene like in Belgrade at the moment, who are the DJs and clubs leading the way?
“I think it has been more lively from the mid-nineties to 2003 or 2004. At one point of time Belgrade had this reputation as a place where you could have a good time no matter what day or night it was. You could party every day of the week and had the choice between different kinds of places, with different kinds of music and entertainment. Many foreign DJs are still asking me about some legendary places that don’t exist anymore. That’s sad to me. Nowadays, Belgrade’s nightlife isn’t that much oriented to quality dance music, which I think is not happening just here, I see the same change happening worldwide. It’s getting too commercial for me, so people that really like dance music and understand it are forced to look for smaller clubs and new venues. But on the other hand, this is the best way to keep the core of it, because commercialization won’t last forever, quality will find it’s own way to the right people. Speaking about the scene in Belgrade, you can’t miss the veterans of the techno scene – Marko Nastic, Dejan Milicevic, Marko Milosaljevic and some of the guys from Disko Zoo Records – Mark Funk, Manjane, WiseD & Kobe, Blacksoul, Hyde n’ Sick…”
What is your album of 2011?
“Funny but I don’t have a favourite album this year. You got me into some serious thinking how that could ever happen to me. It’s been all singles this year…”
Not many people know this, but Marko Milicevic is really good at…
“Cooking! I really enjoy it and every time I’m in the right mood I’ll grab my pan and start with my own creation. It’s not haute cuisine, but it works for me and some of my friends…or at least no one’s been complaining about it…so far…”
What producers around the world do you rate at the moment?
“RivaStarr, Scrubfish, Mark Funk, Bryan Jones, Richard Dinsdale, Round Table Knights, Manjane and many more.”
You have had an incredible year touring the world. What country do you love returning to and what is your favourite club on the planet right now?
“It’s always the people that make me want to return to a specific country, so I can’t really say which one is my favourite because I have been so lucky to see so many different corners of the world in the last two years. Maybe it’s the nature of my visit to these countries, because I’m supposed to bring my music and make them have some good time, that’s my mission. So when I succeed in it, my smile just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Japan was new to me and I was thrilled with everything there – the people, the landscape, the food,..it made an everlasting impact on me. I adore the AIR club in Tokyo. Brazil is fun to play too as the crowds is one of the best in the world. I had a phenomenal time in Cuiaba and Club Garage – out of all the clubs in Brasil that is probably the best one.”
What is the finest record you have ever played to a dancefloor?
“That is the one million dollar question Dan! Unfortunately I wont be a millionaire. There are so many. The ‘finest’ records are (and I have a philosophy here) that that every record can be the finest record if you play it at the right moment.”
Good answer! What are the big plans for 2012 musically…
“I want to focus on my new tune ‘Number One’ right now and I hope people will react to it as I have put a lot of energy into this track. I also hope people will enjoy my mix for Nocturnal Groove as I enjoyed making it so much. New remixes are ready and waiting to be published, also I’m expecting some of the above mentioned artists from this region to get noticed because something is cookin’ here. I guess that’s enough! I will inform you at the beginning of 2013 if anything of it happened! Thanks again for having me on board, it’s been a pleasure!!”
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