DJ Marky: Injecting Brazilian spirit into drum’n'bass

One of Brazil’s most well-known drum’n'bass exponents is DJ Marky, whose talent for infusing sounds such as samba into drum’n'bass has seen him become a global star. Discovered by d’n'b veteran Bryan G, his label Innergrounds is now approaching its 50th release, so DJ Marky discusses his inspirations and explains why Brazil is the place to party.

So Marky, where did you grow up and what were your main sources of music? (TV, radio clubs…)

I grew up in Sao Paulo and I love the city – no matter how much I travel it is always great to come home. The majority of my musical influences growing up came via my parents and their musical tastes. My father was a big fan of Motown, so when I was growing up it was all Stevie Wonder and people like that playing on our stereo. There was also a lot of Brazilian music going on from Jorge Ben, Bebeto and Elis Regina. My father definitely influenced me and I am still devoted to those kind of records now by collecting a lot of old tracks and trying to use them in alternative sets wherever I can.

Which musicians were popular when you were a kid and who were your main inspirations?

The motown and soul music greats: Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Roy Ayers and I remember having a special love for The Dude by Quincy Jones as a kid. In terms of DJing there was a video on TV in 1982 I think of Malcolm McLaren, and it was the first time I had ever seen turntables. I used to listen to the radio and the tracks would be mixed and I really wanted to understand how they were doing it. So I got a friend to bring his stereo separates round and I would try and work out which tracks had the same BPM and play them from two separate sound systems over each other.

So, how old would you have been when you when you decided to become a DJ and how did you go about getting the equipment to become a DJ?

I was just a teenager when someone in my neighbourhood got some turntables and as soon as I saw him using them I had to have a go. I was absolutely hooked from the first time I played on them – my mother was the one who bought me my first set of turntables. I was so happy I can’t even tell you! Up until then I had been playing in clubs using reel to reel tapes as the clubs didn’t have turntables so the tracks would come in through various means and get copied onto tapes so we could play them in the clubs.

What kind of music were you playing when you first started?

When I first started I was playing boogie and hip hop and progressed from there on to acid house and techno, and from there it was the UK sounds like hardcore, jungle and then d’n'b so I’ve always had quite a varied interest in music. When I first heard Sugar Hill Gang I tried to get more of the same kind of stuff – like Kurtis Blow and Whodini, and played more hip hop. The first records I can remember actually buying were Michael Jackson – Off The Wall, Earth Wind & Fire – Let’s Groove and Skyy – Here’s To You.

When did you think when you first heard drum’n'bass?

In 1987 everyone was talking about house, but I didn’t like it too much. DJs were all playing the same stuff back then but I wanted to play something different and got into the UK sounds like Altern8, The Shamen… In 93/94 music started getting faster which was strange but very interesting. Then everyone started to play this UK style of music so when I heard about Jungle I started to experiment with it. The first track I remember hearing was Dark Stranger, then I ordered some records from the UK from Reinforced Records, Moving Shadow and labels like that – around 50 records. People’s first reaction to the music wasn’t great when I played them out but after a couple of weeks people started to go crazy for it.

Who were your favourite drum n bass producers in those early days?

I was really into Omni Trio, I thought they were fantastic. Also D’Cruze, Wax Doctor, DJ Krome and Mr Time, House Crew as well as DJ Hype, Origin Unknown and DJ Crystl. Seems like so long ago now but they were true pioneers.

How did it feel to be embraced by the V Records crew and the ravers when you came to the UK?

It was all very surreal to be honest with you. I hadn’t really left South America up until that point and couldn’t really speak English very well, and suddenly I was going to all these massive parties with people I had been admiring from afar for a long time and playing to some crazy crowds. The crowds at the clubs in Brazil weren’t anything like as intense as they were in the UK so it was a bit of a shock. But it was amazing. I don’t think anyone was expecting what I was bringing to the party to be honest and I wasn’t expecting to have so many people enjoy what I was doing. I’ll never forget those first few shows in the UK.

What other kinds of electronic/dance music are popular in Brazil? And which DJs are really famous there?

A lot of pop artists are famous now and not DJs so much. Techno and House have always been really strong in Brazil, but D’n'B is starting to come back more and more. There is some great talent out there and the young guys like Level2 and DJ Chap are definitely leading the way for the D’n'B crew.

A lot of people say there’s no better place on planet earth to party than Brazil, what makes the parties and clubs there so special?

I think it is a combination of things in Brazil. Of course you have the weather and the atmosphere in Brazil is fantastic when you go out clubbing. For me as well I feel that it’s good to introduce people to new styles and types of music and the Brazilian crowds are so open for a new experience now – they love the music I play and the radio/TV doesn’t tend to play it that much so it creates a good vibe.

Outside of the clubs, where else would you recommend a newcomer to Sau Paulo to check out?

Sao Paulo has some really cool museums and restaurants like Mestiço, one of my favourites, which is a mix of Thai and Brazilian food. The Liberdade neighbourhood has a restaurant called Sushi Yassu which is traditional Japanese cuisine and genuinely feels like being in Japan with a lot of people speaking Japanese, and a place called Suri is Peruvian seafood-type dishes. Also there are some fantastic parks worth checking out in Sao Paulo like Parque do Ibirapuera and Parque Villa-Lobos…

How do you think your life would be now if Bryan G had never discovered you?

It’s hard to say really because I was already heavily involved in the music scene and making music with other DJs and producers. I would say it was a catalyst for sure but it is impossible to say how things would be different if we hadn’t met.

Now you’re heading for your 50th release, how does it feel to have come so far with your music career?

It feels really good and I feel very privileged to be where I am and doing what I do. I believe in what I do and keep the dream alive and work hard for all the people who have supported me and my fans.

What do your family and friends think about your career?

It wasn’t my father’s favourite thing, he wanted me to have a ‘proper’ job like in the police force or something, but I think when kids get that feeling for music they can’t let it go. My family are really pleased for me and very supportive of my career. Friends think I am a millionaire – I wish I was! My real friends know how hard I work to be successful, but generally the people I am close to are happy for me.

What do you have planned for the future?

More of the same really. I love my job and plan to continue to keep working hard and give my son and parents a good life and give back everything they have given to me over the years.

For more information visit www.djmarky.com.br OR soundcloud.com/dj-marky

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