DJ Marky: Drum'n'bass made in Brazil

He is reference of the eletronic scene in Brazil. His beats energized tons of people in different electronic festivals such as Skol Beats, MegAvonts, and others. DJ Marky also is reference outside Brazil as one of the most creative D'n'B DJ. But who is DJ Marky? Here is a short sumary of his story...

Marco Antonio Silva left the violent Eastern side of São Paulo to take over the dance floors in England. Regarded as a drum’n’bass innovator under the name Marky Mark and then just DJ Marky, he was discovered by English DJ Brian D, who saw Marky playing in a club in São Paulo in 1998. Amazed by Marky’s scratch skills, he invited the DJ to play in London. Marky got started in drum’n’bass in 1992, choosing a more hardcore edge, but the small audiences nearly caused him to give up. At the time, he was told that that kind of music was for only a few.

In 1997, he went to London and met DJs Hype and Goldie (one of the promoters of the drum’n’bass boom in England). The meeting with Brian D was definitive for Marky’s conquering of England. He currently goes to London once a month to perform at the Bar Rumba (Piccadilly Circus area) and on a local radio show. In 1999, he was awarded "Best New DJ" by the British critics. His album "Working the Mix" features 15 drum’n’bass tracks remixed by Marky along with E.Z. Rollers and DJ Swift, among others. The recording sessions happened in his house, with two pick ups, one mixer and vinyl albums. When it was ready, he showed it to moguls at Paradoxx and got lucky. Soon after the release, he went on a tour that included countries like Canada, Holland, Ireland and, of course, England. He shared a gig with Prodigy in 1999.

In 2000 DJ Marky went national in the UK by presenting the One World show on Radio 1.

He quickly followed this by being nominated as Best New DJ at the Ericsson Muzik awards and was added to 2001s Top 10 DJ List for Ministry magazine alongside such luminaries as Danny Tenaglia, Timo Mass, EZ, and Paul Oakenfold.

In February 2001 DJ Marky won Best International DJ at the Knowledge Magazine Awards in London beating off stiff competition. Shortly after this came The Brasil EP on V Recordings in March 2001 where DJ Marky lined up on vinyl alongside his two Brasilian counterparts, DJ Patife and XRS.

Meanwhile over in Brasil a compilation album Audio Architecture (Trama Records, Brasil) was released, selling over 25,000 copies in it’s first month. This was followed by another compilation entitled The Brazilian Job, which went on to sell 30,000 copies globally.

At this time DJ Marky was also granted his own MTV Brasil show and started making waves in radio by gaining his own show on Energia 97FM (www.97fm.com.br) on Saturday nights (19.00 - 21.00 local time), which he still hosts today.

The Brazilian Job was followed by a tour taking in Australia amongst other places.

In 2002, DJ Marky was publicly voted into 52nd place in the prestigious DJ Magazine TOP 100 DJs IN THE WORLD poll. DJ Marky was again nominated at the MUZIK MAGAZINE awards for BEST BREAKTHROUGH DJ as well as appearing in the HOT 100 poll in URB magazine.

DJ Marky has also begun to make a concerted move into production, both by himself and with long-term collaborator, XRS. In fact, it was their very-recent UK Top 20 single LK (produced alongside Stamina MC) which really propelled DJ Marky into the bright lights.

With remixes of US3, Bebel Gilberto and Everything But The Girl and a collaboration with Brazilian legend Gilberto Gil already under his belt, DJ Marky has a busy 2003 in front of him. All this alongside an album (with XRS) being produced in Brazil this summer.


Career albums

AUDIO ARCHITECTURE 2 - 2001

AUDIO ARCHITECTURE - 2000

WORKIN' THE MIX - 1999

posted by nscafuro @ 9:47 AM