I first heard Memory9 in what has to be the best setting in which to experience an artist for the first time: on a beach, at the height of summer in Croatia. It was the perfect environment to discover new music. Heavy bass, jazz and techno may sound like a concoction that wouldn’t work, but Memory9 blended them, and other such disparate styles, in an effortlessly natural way.
Having braved the blazing heat, glorious beaches and low cost of beer, I was able to take in four whole days of music (I missed the first night in my flying metal coffin/plane) at this year’s Soundwave in Tisno, Croatia. In between the delightful tunes and famously ace burgers I managed to get a couple of minutes to chat to Om Unit, who earlier in the festival provided one of its highlights – no mean feat at a festival which included two sets from DJ Yoda and DJ Kentaro, De La Soul, Ghostpoet, Teebs and Plaid.
Chris Widman runs the frankly outstanding Abstract Science radio show (airing on WLUW-Chicago) which has been one of Chicago’s finest radio shows for the last 15 years. His knowledge and passion for local and international music has made him one of the city’s finest exports, so naturally it’s an honour to be able to premier his latest mixtape as part of our podcast series.
Photo by Luk Vanderplaeste
For this next volume of the podcast, former DAT Politics member Vincent “Marklion” Thierion takes some time out of his absolutely rammed schedule to give us a quick interview and some heavy beats and bass to listen to. Thierion gives us his views on digital music, independent labels, the internet and respecting one’s neighbours. Download the mix at the bottom underneath the interview and tracklist.
Posted in Interviews, mixtape
Tagged Cosmic Control, DAT Politics, Marklion, Upcode
What’s your musical background? How did you get started?
Both of us started playing music around the age of 7. Zach started out taking drum and percussion lessons while Will began learning piano before he picked up the guitar at age 10. We grew up listening to all kinds of genres, and we were always very open to everything and enjoyed a lot of different styles music. As far as playing goes, we both grew up playing in a hand full of your classic high school rock bands, and school jazz ensembles, as well as spent a lot of time experimenting with electronic music production. We continued our musical education and passion at University of Miami’s School of Music.
Your roots are grounded in the breakcore/experimental side of things. Does that inform your approach to Dubstep and Bass music?
Knowing those people and doing those sort of shows – even though I’m not wholly breakcore – if you hang around with those guys, they never took what they did that seriously. So I just got used to existing on the very fringes of things. It opens you to doing different things. I couldn’t exist in a scene where you can suddenly make a track one day and people be like “what the hell are you doing?!” That’s not how I function at all. It’s just fun messing around. It’s what being creative is supposed to be. I like starting with a blank slate and making something from there, rather than if you’re working wholly within a genre, you’re constrained before you start, whereas if it’s drum & bass you know within 5bpm what the tempo’s going to be and what sort of frequency you’re gonna have the snares. A tune starts writing itself before you’ve actually comitted anything down. And that’s limiting. That’s not how I enjoy working at all.
What’s your musical background? How did you get started?
My Musical background was quite similar to everyone else’s. Listened to different types of music, enjoyed going out raving. I wasn’t into producing music or DJing until I was about 19. I was at college one day with my friend and our lesson got cancelled. He said he was going home to have a mix. I thought, “Let me come try and have a go”. He showed me a few basics and once I touched the decks and mixer I was hooked. I remember putting on a record and hearing it in the club the week before. I think I was on his decks for 9 hours before he kicked me off.
I messed about with producing a little bit while I was DJing but nothing serious. I got into it seriously in about 2002/2003 after I left Roll Deep.
Continue reading
First of all, thanks for agreeing to speak with us.
No problem.
How did you get started? What’s your musical background?
I used to be in bands as a bass player. My mum and dad were music heads in the 60s but not hippie dropout types. So I always grew up around nice, good music. Basically, I moved to London with a band when I was 18 and lived there for 8 years. That was one side of my musical upbringing. After that I was just a music fan really, going to gigs and clubs and, y’know, being taken to my first rave in ’92 with my best friend and never looking back really. Continue reading
What’s your musical background? How did you get started?
My musical background stems from old acid house and old reggae dub / soul / rare groove, I grew up with my parents who were very musical. My Mum would sing and my Dad had an analogue studio. They make tune and stuff and I’d think I’m an engineer when I was about 3 or 4!
What sort of equipment/software do you use?
I use Mac PRO / Logic / Protools / Ableton / And have controllers and Akai stuff, etc.
Continue reading
Firstly, how you doing Barrett?
I’m doing great, thanks for asking. Things have been hectic but that’s just how I like it. Life is exciting!
What’s your musical background? How did you get started?
I fell in love with music at a very young age. I didn’t necessarily grow up in a musical family either. But when I was around 4 or 5 years old I was hearing stuff like Herbie Hancock, Zapp & Roger, Run DMC and other good classic hip hop and it just completely overwhelmed me. I grew up randomly bashing away at a small toy piano and a drum set, but it wasn’t until I was like 12 that I got my first guitar and started taking songwriting more seriously. Quickly began building a studio with synthesizers and haven’t looked back since. I taught myself everything. I lived in a small town and none of my friends really shared the same interest. I guess I’ve always had a knack for just doing my own thing. Continue reading
