Add to My Profile | More VideosReview by Penni Gould - Truncated in PHILADELPHIA CITYPAPER -........................New Age Electronic Rock, Jazz Didgeridoo? Those of you who understand “didgeridoo” will question how this ancient aboriginal instrument could possibly be converted into an electronic New Age Rock revelation. Just ask “mark d”(Mark Difilippo) an innovative didgeridoo-playing prodigy who has been reinventing the instrument for many years.
I first experienced this festival of sight and sound in the Red Room at the Society Hill Playhouse on 8th Street in Center City Philadelphia where mark d (all lower case, please!) had been commissioned to exhibit his “didgeridooing” genius as an opening act for a new musical being presented at the theater. As he began, my companions and I were awestruck. All conversation ceased…our attention transfixed on mark’s digital, oral, and physical dexterity as he infused himself into the complexities of his technique (“circular breathing”- in through the nose, out through the mouth)...stacking layer upon “multi-harmonal” layer onto his alienesque equipment…engineering a musical construct of intricately woven percussion and primal chant using only his lips, teeth, mouth, vocal chords, tongue and homemade didgeridoo.
One creation flawlessly transitioned into a new one as mark eclipsed and illuminated one perfectly coordinated concerto after another. The ear candy that resulted was at once both exquisitely rich and intoxicatingly spicy, elevating us into a world of haunting harmonic rhythms and jungle jazz coordinations. We were reborn on mark d’s planet where 50,000-year tradition meets woodwind/nouveau tech fusion.
After his performance sadly ended, we stayed and watched the musical to which we had originally been attracted (it was quite good, by the way). But as we attempted to immerse ourselves in the show, we realized we could never be fully extricated from the all-encompassing memory of mark d and his astonishing didgeridoo.
You’ll love this guy!
You’ll adore his sound!!
You’ll revel in his uniqueness!!!
GO SEE HIM!!!!
Influences
Graham Wiggins aka "Dr. Didj",
Xavier Rudd,
Keller Williams,
the Grateful Dead,
Phish,
Thich Nhat Hanh,
His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama of Tibet,
the Buddha Shakyamuni
Hi, I'm markd. I am a primarily self taught didjeridu and percussion player whose created a didj style unlike anything heard elsewhere in the world. I'm a musical alchemist experimenting with the old and the new, the primitive and the modern, the primal and the technological. I merge primordial soundscapes and beats from the didjeridu and various ethnocentric percussion instruments with live sampling, digital processors, haunting vocal harmonies, and transcendent lyrics. The meat of my performances are completely improvisational and off the cuff - layer upon layer of my musical birthday cake being created as you listen. That being said . . . .
I hit the Philadelphia music scene some three years ago to a very warm welcome and massive support. In my first 6 months in Philly, I played with the likes of Jersey's own BOHEMIAN SUNRISE at the North Star Bar, Philly's World Music Masters ANIMUS at Plush, and KATIE BARBATO at the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Since then, I have graced the WORLD CAFE LIVE main stage numerous times as well as the stage upstairs. Most recently, being a finalist in CREAM! The Best of Philly Rising Annual Competition. I have joined Dialects, Yellowbrain, the Bruce Torres Band, Fusion Riots, The Fantastic Nothing, the Jug Band, and a vast number of notorious Philly music geniuses at venues such as Abilene, the Pontiac Grille, Lickety Split's, Fergies Pub, the AquaLounge, the Fringe Festival late night Caberet, and many other music friendly venues. Most recently, I have played solo and joined friends at the Ab n' Jax Festival and the Endless Summer Jam in New Joizy and the Dancing Wu Li Festival in Moorestown, PA. I recently recorded with the amazing DAVE CAHILL and appear on his most recent record "The Huddled Masses"
My purpose is as follows:
I want to share positivity, love, and enlightening lyrics in conjunction with experimental, forward thinking, envelope pushing beats, sounds, and music with the masses. I want to make your booty shake, your heart break, and your soul quake! I want people who hear my music to dance in unimaginable ecstacy while their souls take off on a journey of beautiful, awakened joy! Is that too much to ask?
In the end, I hope my music will make you smile and maybe think a little bit about the state of your existence.
thanks
metta
markd
yo dude, never got to tell you how good you sounded @ maria's a couple weeks ago. you gotta come out and jam more often. check out the dates and see when you can make it. peace
hey mark, malachi is wonderful, bright and beautiful as always. i hope you and grace are well....it was wonderful to see you both.
you must let us know what festivites you will be playing at over the summer, i would love for the lil' man to have the opportunity to see/hear you. so much love to you and yours....blessings
Damn how did I miss your show last night? I was free and lookin for something to do too....maybe next time. I'll have to check your page more frequently.
Hey there, markd. Good to hear from you! We're doing well...influenced as ever by TNH. We haven't found a sangha that's home yet, and so have drifted a bit from practice. I'm thinking of heading up to Blue Cliff for a week or so for some recentering. How bout you? How's life? How's the practice? Thanks for writing!
alll good at MBN. Putting the fest together, lots of events and shows. I'm spending less time there though trying to get my projects together. So far so good. Hope to see you soon. Peace
Open Mic Night is TONIGHT and every Tuesday. Sign-ups at 7:30pm, music til ? Bring your good vibes, your guitar, your hand drums, your keyboard, and BYOB, too! Recommended $5 donation (so we can keep the lights on) Tonight’s Open Mic featured artist is Johnny Miles. Check out Johnny tonight at Studio LuLoo, and pick up his new CD “Sign of the Times”. (Click pic below to visit his MySpace page ..
