As far as house music legends go, it’s safe to say Marc Kinchen sits pretty near the top of the house music tree. It all started way back in the 90s for MK, where he produced a number of house music corkers. ‘Always’ and ‘Burning’ became modern day belters, but little do most people know that these tracks came about in the 90s, at a time where house music was fully beginning to find its feet.
It was 2013 that proved a pivotal point in Marc’s career, when his remix of Storm Queen’s ‘Look right through’ shot straight to number one in the UK. We’re not surprised it landed at the top spot. Anyone that’s familiar with Marc’s productions – aka nearly everyone – will know that his tunes revolve around infectiously good vocals, soft house dubs and summery piano stabs. All of these elements come together to form tracks that not only sound great, but also have the ability to be appreciated by music lovers from a range of genres, something that few artists can attest to.
With all that in mind, we thought it would be rude not to give our readers an insight into what the house music honcho has been up to. So we caught up with him ahead of his Area 10 Dublin appearance, check it out below.
WWD: First things first Marc, it’s a pleasure to have a chat with you!
MK: Thank you!
WWD: So to start off, where are you right now?
MK: I think I’m still in Croatia for Hideout day two… I don’t think I’ve slept since Saturday.
WWD: Well you’re doing a pretty good job of staying up! And what have you been up to recently?
MK: Up until a few weeks ago, I was working non-stop on music. In the last few months, I’ve done remixes for Rihanna, ‘Sex with Me’ and ‘Desperado’, Clean Bandit, Solardo, London Grammar, Lee Foss and Dua Lipa. And I am super excited to tell you that my new single, “17”, is coming out. I’ve been playing it out and I like the way it sounds, and the response has been good too.
WWD: Nice one we’ll keep our ears out for the release! Now in terms of future parties, you’ve got an upcoming Area 10 gig in Dublin on the 1st of July! We’ve seen the production levels at some of the previous ones – they look like they’re on par with festivals! – so what was the idea behind the Area 10 brand?
MK: That’s a good question! I’m super proud of the Area10 parties, I look at them as a great place and platform to present some of the best new upcoming talent, alongside some of the more established names. It’s just great to mix it up and put friends together on the same bill. Area10 was the name of my first label when I first started making records, and it was named after the section ‘Area10’ in the parking garage I worked at after school. It was the garage for the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. It was my only real non music job, and I promised myself it would stay that way.
WWD: And you kept your promise so hats off to you!
MK: [laughs] Thanks man.
WWD: Then on top of the Area 10 parties, you’ve got a number of appearances coming up at Amnesia Ibiza this summer. You’re no stranger to the club, so how does it stack up compared to other venues you’ve played at?
MK: Yes, I am playing Amnesia throughout the summer and also making some appearances at Pacha as well. Amnesia is a great club it’s very real, and it seems to me that people are really there for the music, not posing. I always have a great time there.
WWD: Yeah the crowd at a venue makes such a difference to how the place feels.
MK: Exactly.
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WWD: Now, rewinding the clocks a little, you’ve been a part of the house music scene for over 30 years now, releasing your remix of Nightcrawlers ‘Push the feeling on’ all the way back in the 90s! As such an established figure we’d like to ask: Has the scene changed over the years you’ve been a part of it?
MK: I gotta be totally honest, I never left the studio in the 90’s except to visit friends and go to dinner. I was really heavily into production at that time, and I didn’t DJ. I mean I DJ’d once or twice, but it wasn’t for me then. I can’t even imagine what it must have been like for a big DJ to get to a gig, and the airline tells him or her, “oh we lost your record case…” Oh my God I can’t imagine that kind of stress! I was so happy in the studio making music then. But yes, I do think it has changed.
WWD: Sure that really is the nightmare scenario! You mentioned that the scene has changed, in what way do you feel it has?
MK: Well it’s gone from a club business, to a massive festival business. And it’s so much more fun not having to drag all that vinyl around! [Laughs]
WWD: We can imagine! Rewinding the clocks again, back in the 90s, you were mentored by Kevin Saunderson, one of techno’s biggest pioneers. Would you say he had a significant influence on you and your music?
MK: Oh definitely. Kevin really helped me learn how to use the gear to get the sounds I wanted to create, and he let me use his studio whenever he wasn’t at the desk, so it was a great education.
WWD: Well it’s definitely safe to say you learnt from the best then! Right we’ve got a tricky one coming up for you now: where do you see the house music scene headed in the future?
MK: That’s a tough question! I think that one’s more suited for a psychic. How about I see it moving forward… or I take the Fifth [Laughs].
WWD: [Laughs] That’s fair enough! Final question we’ve got for you today Marc: If you were us, what question would you ask yourself? And what would your answer be?
MK: Oooo I would ask, “Is it true that you are doing seven shows in four days” and I would answer, “Are you sure?”. Or I would ask “Hey Marc, when is the new single “17”coming out?” And I would say, “Very soon.”
WWD: Nice one Marc really appreciate you sitting down for a chat with us!
MK: No problem man!
Catch MK playing at Dublin’s Mortum Stadium on July 1st.