Artist Spotlight: Mxrky Vybz
By Paolo Dalla-Costa (@paolo_dalla_costa)
Mxrky Vybz (Marky), producer and DJ, was born in Southampton, raised in Essex, and has been a South London resident for the past ten years. He became particularly interested in music during his early years of secondary school: “I was a big fan of rock and metal music as a younger kid in school. I met a boy called Joe who was really sick at guitar and he could play other instruments; in fact his whole family were really musical. We became really good friends and he taught me how to play guitar. I took up bass and we joined a band together”.
It wasn’t until the age of seventeen, the end of secondary school and the start of college that Mxrky’s love for both listening to and creating electronic music began. It was Drum & Bass that originally caught his attention, which would soon lead to the wider world of electronic music: “I moved into college and Dubstep started becoming a thing and I got really into that…I got into music production at college and from there you hear about other genres and try making tunes”.
In terms of Mxrky’s influences there were many, predominantly from the Dubstep world. He uses the term “techy” to describe artists such as Noisia and KOAN sound who “seemed to be a cut above the rest” in their ability to create “techy, bass sounds”.
After college Mxrky took a year out of education and continued honing his craft as a producer. Knowing that he wanted to follow a career in music he then decided to pack his bags and move to London in classic fortune seeking style: “I initially moved to Woolwich and started my (music production) course at UEL (University of East London). Then I moved to Brockley and around the South East area: that’s pretty much where I’ve stayed the whole time. It’s what feels like home to me in London.”
Although he has moved to a stone’s throw away from the Thames, he still remains on the ‘right’ side of the river in Tower Bridge (SE1). Although Essex may not be that far removed from London geographically, there is no doubt that moving to the capital and such a cultural hub has had a huge effect on the producer creatively: “You get music filtered down to you (in Essex) and a lot of people are into commercial music and the stuff clubs play…there are less niche clubs. When I moved to London I’d never really heard Dancehall or Bashment or Afrobeats before. I remember discovering all of that in my first year; going to these Afrobeat nights with some Nigerian mates and thinking ‘what is this? It’s so catchy; I love it.”
“When I moved to London I’d never really heard Dancehall or Bashment or Afrobeats before. I remember discovering all of that in my first year; going to these Afrobeat nights with some Nigerian mates and thinking ‘what is this? It’s so catchy; I love it.””
The journey from Essex to SE (London) and the musical transition from the British institutions of Drum & Bass and Dubstep to a plethora of new and exciting sounds all played a part in influencing Mxrky’s production style and DJ sets. He mentions other genres like Garage and Funky House as further influences: “I went to a more dance music style…2-Step Garage…Back in Essex I was all ‘Dubstep basslines! House music’s shit! The whole Kurupt FM manifesto (he laughs), but I literally thought like that as well. Being in London and being around House music…I warmed to it…it’s hard to say exactly because it’s impacted my sound over such a long period of time now…but definitely the 28-year-old Mark (Mxrky) now, I’d definitely say I’m more dynamic and I can appreciate a section of everything.”
Mxrky’s style to date is undoubtedly dynamic. He mentions that he even took a lot of influence from being around his mother, who loved pop anthems and “catchy, melodic vocals”, which you will often hear in his songs, even if they’re accompanied by “gritty basslines”. He admits that most of his productions are “bass heavy” and that he “loves R&B…songs that really evoke feeling in you… they (his productions) are more intricate but contain the catchy elements of Pop.”
Mxrky’s recent additions to his personal playlists include artists such as Jhené Aiko, Summer Walker, Anderson Paak and Kaytranada. He also mentions online platforms like Colors and Tiny Desk as always offering consistent listening options: “People who have got that soul and melody as a strong part of their music.”
In regards to long-term goals Mxrky has a clear vision, one that most up-and-coming artists can without a doubt relate to: “I want music to be sustainable for me…money in the bank…using my time in studio sessions…not having to work whatever hours a week to support the music…having releases on labels I’m a fan of; Kiwi Records being one of them. I’d like to get a bigger release, play bigger shows than I have before and keep progressing.
Lately Mxrky has been working with female vocalists, the most recent being Chiara and Rosie Holloway: “We’re shooting a video this week for the song I’ve made with Rosie. It’s called Self-Made. That should be finished soon and then we’ll put the song on Spotify. Obviously with this whole Corona situation I haven’t got much to look forward to with gigs but I’m hyped to release the video…it’ll be my first so it’s exciting stuff”.
Look out for updates on releases from Mxrky Vybz on Instagram, Spotify, Soundcloud and Mixcloud.