DJ Marky, XRS and Stamina MC
Beat the winter chill with a bit of drum'n'bass style Brazilian sunshine, courtesy of three of the scene's top players.
Perhaps more than any single track the Brazilian duo, Marky and XRS' LK (the first track that streams on
www.innergroundrecords.com) can be said to have played a major role
in the recent resurgence of drum'n'bass back in the country of its birth and it's spread worldwide.
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LK was like a breath of fresh air or a ray of sunshine perhaps hitting a scene that was still
dominated by dark and uncompromisingly urban tunes. Described as a a perfect fusion between Brazilian musical
traditions and the urban d'n'b sound of
the 21st century megalopolis Sao Paolo,
LK was a crossover smash. Released in the UK in July 2002 on the independent V label,
it went straight into the UK top 20 and went on to sell 100,000 copies worldwide. |
DJ Marky and XRS |
2004 saw the release of their debut artist album In Rotation. Acclaimed for its musicality,
the album represents a wonderful mesh of d'n'b beats
with the samba, jazz and soul Marky and XRS grew up with.
There is also a Jorge Ben sample on LK, and there are guest appearances from vocalists Vikter Duplaix,
Uncut's Jenna G,
and Cleveland Watkiss. Dia De Sol is a collaboration with one of the most influential musicians in Brazil,
Gilberto Gil.
The former Tropicalista and now Minister of Culture turned up at DJ Marky and XRS' studio with his guitar and
inimitable voice.
It was not only the Brazilian sound that put the cat among London's pigeons. When V proprietor Bryan Gee brought
over DJ Marky for a residency at his
London club, Movement, there were a few of the scene's main players who expressed concern that these guys were just
too good! Known for his
excellent mixing and scratching, Marky is one of drum'n'bass' most exciting DJs. He plays with an eye firmly on the
dancefloor, keeping his
sets rolling with plenty of variety and lashings of soul. Drum'n'bass has come a long way in Hiroshima in the last
couple of years, but it is becoming increasingly
dominated by the formulaic grime sound that may hinder the growth of the local scene. Hopefully this party will show
the ravers the breadth
of the genre can still have them screaming for rewinds. Stamina MC, who provided the vocals on the chart friendly
version of LK, is coming along too. An
MC with a great vocal range of his own will no doubt help hype up the party atmosphere and keep things rolling.
DJ Marky, XRS and Stamin MC play at VOLT at Chinatoiwn on December 5. Click here for more details.
November 2004
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