Mark Greene is a talented producer quickly rising through the ranks of electronic music. He has already racked a back catalogue of tracks and remixes on labels including Spektre’s Respekt, Steve Mulder’s Orange, Oscar Aguilera’s HE-ART, A.Paul’s Naked Lunch and Hollen’s Prospect.
Picking up regular DJ support from many a great number of DJ’s, Mark’s take on techno has led to fans such as Carl Cox who also recently signed an EP to his label Intec. We caught up with Mark Greene to chat about his latest release and ask what’s lined up for the coming months…
> For the people reading this who haven’t heard your music before, how would you describe your style and the key elements that define it?
I always try to make tracks that I would like listening to in a club or festival. The kick drum is very important to me… I like having that thump in my tracks. Recently I have been experimenting with more and more sounds so it is always developing I suppose.
> Your most recent release is on Carl Cox’s label Intec, is there a story behind how the release came to fruition?
Yeah, so obviously Intec is a massive label and was always a goal of mine. I actually made the tracks last year and sent them directly to Jon Rundell. Carl had played a good few of my tracks at that stage, and even in his BBC R1 essential mix, so I thought I might as well give it a shot to see what happens. Like most big labels they receive loads of demos each week, so I knew it would probably be a lengthy wait to find out, but I said I would be patient. When I finally got the green light I was delighted… definitely worth the wait!
> Could you talk us through the creative process of putting a track together, and list any specific equipment used to bring your sound to life?
My process is very simple but effective. At the moment all my tracks are made on my laptop using Logic Pro 9. I have very little to no outboard gear and the only piece of hardware I use is my Native Instruments, Maschine Mikro. In regards to VST’s, at the moment I’m loving Serum and Diva, and most of my new tracks are made using these synths. In regards to FX I use either the Oxford Reverb or the Valhalla Plate reverb as I am a huge fan of them. I am also a massive fan of the SoundToys stuff, you can make some really cool stuff with their FX too. Every day I make different patches for each synth or effect, and if it doesn’t fit the track I am working on at the time then I save it, because it might fit the next track I am working on. This also speeds up the process of making a track and in my opinion keeps the creative juices flowing.
> I understand you are based in Ireland and are an active part of the countries techno scene. How does the local scene compare to the one in the UK, and could you recommend a couple of clubs?
Yes I live a little bit outside Dublin in the next county, Meath. Dublin has seen a massive increase in quality nights over the last five years. However, similar to stories in London etc, clubs are actually closing or making way for hotels at a ridiculous rate. Some of the top clubs in Dublin would be District 8, The Button Factory and up until recently Hangar (which is now gone sadly). You would hope that when one club closes that another suitable site can be found, but in the last few years this hasn’t really been the case.
> Do you get many bookings to play in other parts of the world, and what’s your most memorable DJ’ing experience?
I have played in a few cool places in Europe… mainly Germany and the Netherlands. Like any producer, I want to get as many gigs as possible and see first-hand the reaction to my previously unheard music. I signed with BPA last year who now handle my bookings, and with this new Intec release things are going in the right direction for more international bookings.
My most memorable DJ experience to-date would definitely be when I played at a festival called Techworks in Ireland this year. The line-up included Enrico Sangiuliano, Huxley, Green Velvet and Johannes Heil. I was playing on the second stage and the atmosphere was brilliant, and that set felt like a bit of a breakthrough one for me.
> What’s lined up after your release on Intec, do you have any festival gigs or big releases in the pipeline?
I just released a four track EP on American label Funk’n Deep that came out in August and featured remixes from Industrialyzer and Gary Burrows and that did well. After the Intec release I have an original track on a relatively new label run by French artist The Reactivitz called Immersion, and the track is called ‘Magnetic’. In addition to that I have done a remix for Italian artist T78 that I am very excited about. I have been playing a lot of his music along with tracks from his Autektone label… he is killing it lately. In terms of gigs I am back at ADE this year, which I cannot wait for!
> Could you give some advice or words of wisdom to any aspiring producers who might look to your music for inspiration?
Work hard and when you think you worked hard enough then work harder. I never considered myself a good producer, but I do consider myself an extremely hard worker. If I hear a sound that I like I will sit down and I will try figure out how to make it, and I won’t stop until I have nailed it. Also stick to the sound you want to make, and don’t make tracks to suit labels or to impress anyone else. If you make the sounds you want to make then I believe the tracks turn out better, and have more of a natural vibe to them.
> We like to finish our interviews with a couple of questions that are a little bit light hearted… without getting to personal, could you tell us something many don’t know about you?
Besides being a techno producer and DJ, I am also a beef and sheep farmer… proper underground!
> You don’t need to mention names, but what’s the most “outrageous” thing you have ever seen happen in a club… was it something outrageously brilliant, like a blindfolded DJ mixing seamlessly and scratching with his elbows, or something outrageously cringe-worthy, like some embarrassing drunk person urinating on the dancefloor?
The most ‘’outrageous’’ thing I have ever seen was when I was playing a gig in Germany a few years ago and a young couple were showing their love for each other beside the DJ booth. It got so bad that at one point I was mixing in and the couple fell into the DJ booth nearly knocking me and the equipment over. All love though. I hope they are still together.
> Thanks for taking the time to speak with us, is there anything extra you want to add before we wrap up the conversation?
The pleasure is all mine, and thanks for having me! Just a big shout to everyone for the support over the last year. This has been my biggest year to-date, and it’s really appreciated!
> You can pick up a copy of Mark Greene’s new release from …HERE…
