DJ Marky

In less than a year DJ Marky has risen from obscurity (outside of Brazil anyway) to become an international name. In the process he has secured a nomination for Best Newcomer at the Knowledge Drum & Bass Awards, DJed around the world on the Planet V tour and is now an international resident at Movement, the drum & bass scene's premier event. Bryan Gee, who unearthed Marky, describes him as 'one of the biggest talents for years.' Pretty rapid progress for someone who first played in the UK last December and whose home is still in Sao Paolo, Brazil...

Such a rapid rise to the status of drum & bass superstar might cause some people to become big headed. However, when I meet Marky rather than basking in the spotlight of fame, he seems slightly embarrassed by the attention. This is probably his most striking trait.

Marky's explosion onto the drum & bass scene can solely be attributed to his prodigious mixing ability. This extends beyond simple technical excellence. He has the uncanny knack of gauging what the dancefloor wants: "When I play, it is not to a set plan, sometimes I do some tricks or scratching, but I feed off the crowd. My way of playing is feeling the crowd. If they want it harder then I'll play harder. I don't play for myself."

His set at the "Planet V" album launch party in March has already entered the annals of drum & bass history. Marky could be seen bopping away behind the decks completely uninhibited as a combination of phenomenal scratching and breath-taking mixing resulted in meltdown on the dancefloor. In fact, in his hometown of Sao Paolo it is not unheard of for Marky, whilst DJing, to actually get down on the dancefloor to stir up the crowd.

At the age of 26, Marky is an emerging talent in the UK, but in Brazil he has been an established DJ for many years. He began plying his trade professionally in 1989, playing techno around the Sao Paolo club circuit. When Marky discovered early jungle and began playing it in clubs, promoters were not impressed at all. This was one of many obstacles Marky has had to overcome in order to get where his today. Another major problem was getting hold of the jungle records that he wanted: "I used to buy magazines and go into record shops and say 'buy these records'. They didn't really have a clue." This was compounded by the fact that a 12" would cost as much as £30 whilst the average monthly wage in Brazil is in the region of £60 per month.

Things began to happen for Marky around 1994-1995 as jungle/drum & bass suddenly caught the imagination of Brazil's huge club-going population. This precipitated a residency at the legendary 5000 capacity Toca Club, which in turn led to his own radio show. Marky proceeded to deservedly claim the coveted title of Brazil's DJ of the Year for two years in succession, 1995 and 1996. At around this time Marky had his first real contact with the UK scene when he released a compilation on Suburban Bass Records. Soon a residency at Sao Paolo's Lov.e Club followed, which was where the co-founder of V Recordings, Bryan Gee, was lucky enough to catch one of his sets last year. The rest is history...

Perhaps Marky's most impressive accomplishment is his pivotal role in the establishment of a solid drum & bass scene in Brazil. Prior to the unexpected rise in the popularity of drum & bass, Marky was literally the lone soldier championing its cause: "Now the scene is really strong. There are about seven or eight really good DJs and now Sao Paolo is the focal point, a bit like London, it [drum & bass] goes to other big towns in Brazil from there." Marky feels that it is only a matter of time before some of his compatriots also break onto the international stage. He cites a producer, Scrn, and a DJ, Patife, as the two names to look out for in the future. Importantly, Trama Records (a Brazilian imprint) is releasing the material of Brazilian producers.

Marky realises the necessity of unity in achieving these goals: "We are all people that work together, we know that we have to work together to get somewhere." Again, accessibility of production equipment is proving a hindrance to the cause but the situation is improving.

Bryan Gee's chance discovery of Marky has potentially uncovered huge hidden audiences and an immeasurable pool of talent. Drum & bass is firmly installed in Brazil, a country that constitutes half of a continent in terms of population and landmass. From this platform the gospel of drum & bass is gradually filtering through to other South American countries - both Argentina and Chile are showing an interest in the music. The possibilities for development in this region of the world are limitless.

DJ Marky's sensational arrival into the world of drum & bass has provided the scene with a much-needed fillip. His exuberant, selfless DJing is a breath of fresh air. Equally so is his modesty. Marky is well aware of the ephemeral nature of fame, so for the moment he is just enjoying the realisation of a dream. "For me right now, I am having the time of my life," he admits.

Unsurprisingly, for someone who has overcome insurmountable odds to get where he is today, Marky realises his work is not yet done, it is merely the beginning. This becomes apparent when I ask him about whether he thinks live drum & bass is a good thing: "Drum & bass is music without any real boundaries. It's important that there are different styles of DJs. Drum & bass will only survive if it attracts different sort of people. Live drum & bass is a positive movement. Even more than that, there are different styles that can develop. I've got my own ambitions on that front which aren't realistically going to happen for a while." Meanwhile drum & bass headz, in South America and Europe alike, wait with baited breath.

Der Beitrag wurde von yak bearbeitet: 16 Mar 2006, 10:53