Marvin Balrak,
my 2 Artist Names:
- ELECTRONIC ACTIVITY - (Experimental/Acid/Ambient/ Dub/FunkyElectro/House/Techno)
- XERMON - (Acid+Tekno)
Influences
My parents;
-UK-alternative-: Cabaret Voltaire, Meat Beat Manifesto, Mark Stewart & The Maffia, Gary Clail, On-U-Sound, Basement 5, Tricky, The Aloof, Shriekback, The Police, The Specials, The Selecter, Bad Manners, The Beat, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Sinead O'Connor, Fad Gadget, Sex Pistols, PIL, Sham 69, Jah Wobble, Oi!, Bauhaus, Echo And The Bunnymen, The Cure, The Cult, The Mission, Sisters of Mercy, Art of Noise, Depeche Mode, Renegade Soundwave, The Fall, The Style Council, The Wedding Present, Happy Mondays, Stone Roses, The Charlatans, Flowered Up, My Jealous God, Inspiral Carpets, Soup Dragons, Two Lone Swordsmen, Andrew Weatherall, Nicolette, Björk, John Peel, Massive Attack, The Clash, Big Audio Dynamite, Galliano, Acid-Jazz, Totaly Wired, Bass-O-Matic-William Orbit), Kiss AMC, Rebel MC, Coldcut, Lamb
-REGGAE-DUB-: Yellowman (in his early days), Toyan, Nickodemus, The Scientist, Mad Professor, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Eek-A-Mouse, Rob Shakespeare + Sly Dunbar, Black Uhuru, Jah Woosh, Sis Bee, Pablo Gad, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Massive Dread, Beenie Man, Trojan, Greensleeves, Studio-One Sir Coxsone Dodd, King Tubby-Channel One, Communication (Rotterdam), Barrington Levy, Sugar Minot, I-Roy, U-Roy, Sister Nancy, Nigger Kojak and Lisa, UB40(early years), Fast-style-UK
-OTHER-worldwide-: Kraftwerk, Front 242, Björk, Aftrekkertjes, Zwit,
-Aad Groeneveld, Sander + Ewald Kerstin, Edwin+Mark Rouwenhorst-: thanks for introducing me to the Punk-scene (+/-1980), JMR, Urban Dance Squad, Debiele Eenheid, Dead Kennnedys Yello Biafra, Black Flag Henry Rollins, Einstürzende Neubauten, MC 900FT Jesus, De La Soul, Public Enemy, EPMD, Eric B. and Rakim, Beastie Boys, Roxanne Shante, Nirvana, NIN, Biosphere, Liasons Dangereuses, CJ Bolland, DHR, Atari Teenage Riot, Ec8or, Frank de Wulff, R&S Records, Music Man records, Ken Ishi, Starfish Pool,
Rock Against Racism,
De Vlerk, Waterfront, Worm, Centrale Discotheek Rotterdam (biggest collection of Europe), Naomi Klein, Roland tb 303
-OF COURSE-: Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King
-USA-FUNK-: James Brown (as musician), The JB's, Maceo Parker, Cymande, The Fatback Band, The Meters, Roy Ayers, Eddie Harris, The Blackbyrds
-HOUSE/TECHNO/ELECTRO-USA-: The House Sound of Chicago,
D.J. International Records,
D-Mob (Aciiieeed), DJ Pierre('s Fanatasy Club), Fast-Eddie, Tyree Cooper, Todd Terry, Mr. Lee, Phuture, Armando, Mr. Fingers-Larry Heard, Adonis, Bam Bam, Mike Dunn, Acid Trax, Kevin Saunderson, Derrick May, Jeff Mills, Underground Resistance, Suburban Knight-James Pennington, Sterling Void, Carl Graig, Juan Atkins, Blake Baxter, Richie Hawtin-Plastikman, Robert Armani, Joey Beltram, Steve Pointdexter, Lil'Louis, Felix Da Housecat, Woody McBride (DJ ESP), Green Velvet
-HOUSE/TECHNO/ELECTRO-UK-: Baby Ford, 808-State, A Guy Called Gerald, LFO, Orbital, Black Dog, The Orb, Eat Static, Christian Vogel,
Michael Wells r.i.p.(GTO), Tricky Disco, Humanoid, Adamski, Aphex Twin, Nightmares On Wax, The Shamen, Higher Intelligence Agency, Longsy D., Underworld, The Aloof, Bandulu, Neil Landstrumm,
System-7 Steve Hillage, Boards of Canada, Leftfield, Autechre, Warp
-HOUSE/TECHNO/ELECTRO-GERMANY-: Air Liquide, 303-Nation, Jammin' Unit, Delirium, Force Inc., Tresor, Frankfurt Trax, Acid Wars, Acid Tracks, Rob Acid, Victims of Lobotomie, Alec Empire, Mike Ink, Richard Bartz, Dr. Motte, DJ Hell, Westbam, Paul van Dyk, Emmanuel Top, Ellen Allien, Anthony Rother, Sun Electric, Hardfloor, Myk van Dyk, Thomas P. Heckmann, Basic Channel
-HOUSE/TECHNO/ELECTRO-NETHERLANDS-: Jochem Paap (Speedy J), Maurits Paardekooper (where is he?), Like-A-Tim, Random XS, Acid Junkies, Unit Moebius, Duracel, Beverly Hills 808303, I-F, Rude 66, Bunker records, Clone records, Human Beings, Acid Planet, Marcel Niehoff + Ted Langenbach (MTC), Miss Djax, Eddie De Clercq, Dimitri, Joost van Bellen, D-Shake, Dano, Lady Aida, Gert van Veen-Quazar, Fierce Ruling Diva, Psychick Warriors Ov Gaia, Soho Connection, Orlando Voorn, Sensurreal, Eboman, Secret Cinema
-TEKNO-NETHERLANDS-: Heartcore Peace Generation (HPG), Mononom,
Spiral Tribe, 69db, Matika, TDK, Michael Jozias-Lost Communication, Industrial Funk-Nocturnal State, Z-Bomb, Fre2k, Nichiban, Plexat, AA, 070-freetekno, Zodiak Commune, Eat Concrete, De Oorzaak, my UTRO-connection: Utrecht-Rotterdam posse Chris + nephews: Michael, Irvine, my brother Celio, we were the first black alternatives then and we still are.
ELECTRONIC ACTIVITY - FORCE BREEZE 12" OUT NOW !!!!
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Marvin from Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Music addict since...I remember...a long way back.
I started playing music when I was a kid, I joined the RMS (Rotterdam Music School) and played there several instruments. My first real instrument (after recorder-flute) was an organ, which I played at my parental home. It was a Cosmovox with two claviers and a lot of sounds, besides the organic tones and accords stuff, I really start experimenting with the percussion/drum sounds of the organ and tried to get out the strangest combinations as possible. From then on of course got more interested in synthesizers.
Starting to collect an listen to Reggae, lots of Jamaican stuff on the labels like Greensleeves, Studio-One, I really liked the underground sound of the Jamaican toasters like Yellowman (in his early days), Toyan, Nickodemus, Beenie Man, Eek-A-Mouse and other groups and artists like Rob Shakespeare + Sly Dunbar, Black Uhuru, Jah Woosh, Pablo Gad, Massive Dread but also more experimental dub like The Scientist, Mad Professor, and the English Punky-Reggae like Linton Kwesi Johnson, On-U-Sound, Mark Stewart & The Maffia, Gary Clail etc.
I also listened to Punk, and later ska, The Specials, The Selecter, The Bad Manners, was involved by the ska-movement in Rotterdam round 1982 and was one of the few black skinheads in The Netherlands, supported the Rotterdam ska band Zwit (nowadays they are JMR a well-known event-organisation) and hang around the squat movement in Rotterdam. Besides ska I also got hooked by electro en breakdancing: The Jonzun Crew, Soul Sonic Force, Mantronix, Scorpio etc. I danced electric boogie and we had a break-dance group. I did some dancegigs in Parkzicht +/- 1984 and other clubs in Rotterdam,like Club Vibes at the Hofplein we were kind of part of the entertainment. Out of the electro stuff hip-hop developed but I found hip-hop soon narrowminded and boring, but I followed of course Public Enemy more as a movement than as hip-hop band, I find them too broad for that and they were not understood by a lot of the black community, they misused there name for black racism purpose, which once I witnessed when Public Enemy played in Amsterdam I guess 1989, along with English band Pop Will Eat Itself, when a lot of narrowminded black youths start beating the white fans, so wrong that even the security of Public Enemy were fighting against the black youths and P.E. made excuses to their white fans and explained that they had nothing to do with those assholes. Of course I also listened to De La Soul (strange samples...brilliant), EPMD, Eric B. and Rakim (the voice of Rakim...so funky), Ice-T, Roxanne Shante. The other stuff in electro where I was interested in were those synthesizer tunes and the funk, which led me too more English Experimental and Avant-Garde Funky Electro Wave like Cabaret Voltaire,
Basement 5(those marvellous black electronic punks), Clock DVA,
Meat Beat Manifesto, Test Dept., Art of Noise, Shriekback, but also the Belgium Front 242, besides listening to American funk like Cymande, The Meters, Eddi Harries.
-1988-: House stroke/captured The Netherlands, I was immediately token by Acid until nowadays (lots of Chicago, DJ Pierre, Fast-Eddie, Mr. Lee, Phuture etc.)
All the music-styles which I had listened to till then became together in this House music.
Went to a lot of parties since then, but my residence was club Nighttown Rotterdam.
I saw a lot of nice gigs there e.g. Westbam, Mr. Lee, early Orbital, Black Dog.
Besides Rotterdam I visit a lot of parties in Utrecht (Vrije Vloer, Ekko, Vismarkt, ) en Den Haag (Blauwe Aanslag, Iets Vrijers, Acid Planet etc.) AND OF COURSE the illegal freeparties.
Jochem Paap (Speedy J) brought some nice Techno with his tracks on the +8 label, in fact he kind of introduced Techno into The Netherlands.
I went to a lot of gigs of him (I still really have the gig in my mind together with Maurits Paardekooper in Parkzicht +/- 1992...smashing)
We talked always a lot about music and still nowadays when he has time.
He inspired me to start making music again, on an Ambient night at The Melkweg in Amsterdam 1994, where Aphex Twin played, while talking to each other Jochem just asked me why I didn't make music myself, that has motivated me, so after those words I bought a Yamaha synhtesizer (and still now and then played the organ who was still at my parents place, now they have a synth too)
Beside House the Manchester scene ('Madchester') was rising too with bands like Happy Mondays, Stone Roses, The Charlatans, Flowered Up, My Jealous God, Inspiral Carpets (saw them live in Nighttown, lots of basses I am still turning), got lots of inspiration from those groups.
At about 1993 House became too commercial for me, when Madonna's Vogue frequently was played in Nighttown, I decided not to accept this kind of "trash" anymore as being called House, and besides that looks and clothes became more important than the music.
The consequence was that Tekno (Techno with a "K") was developing, so for me that meant back to the squats (just like in my punk-period) and outdoor freeparties with their DIY mentality.
Teknivals (festivals of Tekno-music) were given all over Europe.
Clubs like The Vlerk in Rotterdam took over the alternative role in stead of Nighttown and they played more and more electronic stuff, besides the gothic, punk, wave and EBM music, and good for them because they were pushed out the squat which later became Nighttown.
I also played in The Vlerk (1996-1997), together with Speedy J on the Electric Sunset nights, we did DJ sets, that was nice.
Later the Tekno organisation Matika throw there parties there too.
What really pisses me off is that people at parties start talking about hip-hop to me just because I am black, well I hope they read my story and leave me alone or if they don't understand it :
I am black but I don't like hip hop.
And certainly not the attitude of black hiphoppers in Rotterdam.
Another thing that pisses me off is: sometimes when I am enjoying music at a party, people also ask me if I sell pills or if I know who sells pills, to those prejudiced guys or girls I say: I am black but I don't do drugs so f*k off
This prejudice stuff happens also to my brother and nephews and it happens at different parties also freeparties, just the parties where we don't expect such nonsense.
Electronic Activity: because to put some activism in the music.
Peace,
Marvin
Pending the new release "Melotonine" (release date coming soon), i decided to offer you a part of my best recent works in a free EP, "Cupboard Replacement", downloadable in all numeric formats with special graphic art works by Flint on Music AutOmatiK's Website :
We can stay in contact on facebook now... Thanks for your support !
Monkee Platez next offering is the 'Fulltilt EP' from Glasgow outfit Mr Hajika. Streetdate 14th November 4 slabs of groove driven tech house...
Fulltilt original is a chugging, bass heavy track with a subtle musicality that develops throughout. Dr. Bergers remix is a stripped down deeper edit, with an infectious flow that maintains the essence of the original. Similarly to Dr. Berger, Alex Fiction strips back the layers to uncover an electronic soul which builds into an intelligently emotive interpretation, if slightly twisted. Completing the package is 'Nitemoves' which shares the big sound of Fulltilt, but with a more progressive, melodic vibe."
How's things? If you haven't already got your's, this is your last chance as they are almost sold out.
Cheers
(X_X)
Ground shattering 1st release on Doppelganger Records by Galaxian. 7 tracks of sublime electro inspiration. Dark atmospherics, menacing basslines and creeping grooves combine to surely make this a future classic.
Limited edition CD 100 copies. Only £5 inc shipping worldwide
Our NEW release - Verzerrungcode EP is OUT NOW on Alan Fitzpatrick's label 8 SIDED DICE RECORDINGS @ Beatport
Support from Chris Liebing, Laurent Garnier, The Advent, Joey Beltram, Marco Bailey, Technasia, Spektre, James Talk, Alan Fitzpatrick, Misstress Barbara, Nihil Young, Marcantonio, Sharam, DJ Hell, Tattoo Detectives, Gennaro Le Fosse and many more
1) Miniminds - The Muffler (Alex Tepper Remix) 2) Catz N Dogz - Sunset In The East (Guillaume & the Coutu Dumonts Remix) 3) MRI - Sleep Somehow 4) Topcats - Underwunder (Einmusik Remix) 5) Iskan - Quiet Atmosphere 6) Kolombo - Je Taime (Carlo Lio Mix) 7) Miniminds - Junk Dancer 8) Mark Broom & Brothers Vibe - Mind Feeling (youANDme Hirsch Edit) 9) Blind Minded - Tekatek 10) Butch - Dark Fader (Heckmann Rework) 11) Rino Cerrone and Flavio Diaz - Lucrino 12) Sebastien Gazaille - Fame (D-Unity Fancy Footwork Dub Remix) 13) Presslaboys - Opako (Miniminds Remix) 14) Rhythm Code - The Prophet M3NT 15) D-Deck & Iena Saw - Do It 16) AnGy KoRe - In The Back 17) Nick and Danny Chatelain - Y Que Mas (Mastiksoul Remix) 18) Spektre - Vertigo (Autistic Remix) 19) Matador - Rumode 20) AnGy KoRe - Can You Do This 21) Miniminds - Verzerrungcode 1.0 22) Nikitin y Semikashew - Hit y Run 23) Twinbeat - Amore
