Date

March 13 2015

Written By

CHRISTOPHER KENTISH

Mark E

Written By CHRISTOPHER KENTISH - March 13 2015

This week on the Blog one of our favourite DJ's (& not cause he's a Brummie!) Mark E.

"The Wolverhampton-reared, Birmingham-based DJ/producer has had a slow, steady ascension to his status as one of the genre’s most natural talents.

Mark E’s love affair with electronic dance music began began early, as an adolescent, when Manchester was Madchester and the irreverent attitude of rave culture swept through England. His first record? Bizarre Inc’s exuberant, piano-loaded “Playing With Knives,”

a fortuitous introduction to the hypnotizing powers of house. As Mark got older, he dove headfirst into the surprisingly fertile Wolverhampton scene, tasting house at the hands of legends like John Kelly and Frankie Knuckles before a move to Birmingham for University also installed him in a larger club scene.

Mark’s first forays into production were, naturally, edits—warm, understated, and interestingly mellow, with tempos hovering somewhere between 105 and 115 BPM. (Or thereabouts.) Once “Scared,” a ten-minute rework of Womack & Womack’s “Baby ( & our favourite of his edits ) I’m Scared Of You,” found the ears of 

influential selector (and, more importantly, BBC radio DJ) Giles Peterson, it was on, and a solid string of memorable, vinyl-only releases introduced the world at large to this humble, devoted househead.  Mark went beyond edits and into original production, starting his own label, MERC

honing a sound that was uniquely blue collar and utilitarian—classic, almost industrial house, with a tinge of disco warmth."

His most recent E-Versions edit is an excellent rework of the Level 42 track.

We asked Mark our prying acid house questions ...

1. What was your first acid house moment?
Seeing John Kelly at Picassos night club in Wolverhampton, I was about 16 so must be around 92'.
2. Favourite club/night ever?
Venus at Ricoh's in Wolverhampton, it was towards the end of the 90's and was the night that cemented my love for deep house. Guests like Charles Webster, Digs & Woosh, I remember Ben Davis from paper records playing a memorable set.
3. Best acid house debacherous moment?
Was probably in Los Angeles a few year ago. The club I was supposed to play at caught fire just as i was about to play so everyone evacuated and we ended up at a huge house in the Hollywood Hills where I played till the sun came up, I remember girls dancing on the dining table but not much else.
4. Guilty pleasure always in your box?
I have this mash up 12 from years ago called cluedo, it has missy elliot over Trancesetters' Roaches and I just love it, but I played it at Trouw in Amsterdam a few years ago and it just didnt work, they never asked me back. :)
5. Guilty pleasure not in the box!?
Def mix of D:Ream your'e the best thing, I just don't know if i could play it in a club, but the piano just kills.
6. Give us one of your favourite and hard to find records in your collection?
It has to be " I am going to love him " by Sanctuary on Montage, big one from the Birmingham Jigsaw boys.
7. Biggest DJ fail / clear the dance floor moment?
see question 4.
8. Favourite labels?
Sound Signature, Sistrum, FXHE, Sandwell District, Strictly Jazz Unit, ESP, Futureboogie, MERC:)
9. Favourite producer / producers?
Scott Grooves, Linkwood, Theo, KDJ Cottam, GU. Mark Seven.
10. Who to watch from the new school?
I got sent an amazing EP by Juno6? not sure if he is new or not, but check it.
11 Current favourite track?
Glenn Underground - the isms
12. Can u dance?
Of course, i call it the Black Country sway. 
Marks up and coming dates include Wobble's 23rd anniversary  where I'll have the pleasure to be playing along side him.

28th March 2015
Escena, The Paper Club, Gran Canaria (Spain)

29th March 2015
Pygmalion, Dublin (Ireland)

5th April 2015
Wobble, Birmingham (UK)

10th April 2015
Le Djoon, Paris (France)

18th April 2015
This is Not, Castiglione Olona (Italy)

2nd May 2015
Smart Bar, Chicago (USA)

18th May 2015
Lord Clifton, Birmingham (UK)

23rd May 2015
Chill Out Festival, Istanbul (Turkey)

3rd July 2015
The Garden Festival, Tisno (Croatia)

12th July 2015
Electric Elephant, Tisno (Croatia)

5th September 2015

Festival Number 6, Portmeirion (UK)

Follow him on Twitter here

Soundcloud here

Get a MERC t-shirts from the MERC section on the NoWayBack site

http://www.nowaybackstore.co.uk/products/merc-label-t-shirt-vintage-black

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