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Last Updated:
Mar 19th, 2008 - 07:43:02 |
Make It Chunky
Mark Farina vs. Chuck Daniels
Too often, Chicago and New York get all the credit for “inventing” house music. What, they think we were over here just sitting around? Or too busy taking techno global? Right … It was a collaboration in the best sense of the word — they borrowed from us, we borrowed from them, we worked together a bunch and then we split off to each do our own thing.
Chicago leaned cleaner and deeper, its house keeping toward the tidier, more academic sort. The basslines got bigger, more direct and more polished. Soul came in, eventually, and then jazz.
Chicago house mainstay DJ Mark Farina grew up with the genre, coming up in the Windy City’s thriving late-’80s scene. His well-groomed, chunky house mixes certainly stand up on the dance floor, while Farina’s downtempo Mushroom Jazz releases have long hit with the “sit, drink & chill” set. But with his last couple of releases, this year’s House of Om and this month’s Live In Tokyo included, it seems Farina (who has lived in San Francisco for many years now) is staying true to his origins. House of Om is uptempo and jazz-heavy, with an emphasis on smooth grooves and real funk. He’ll surely go back to the ‘shrooms eventually, but this is the Farina the clubs first learned to love.
While the Windy City was going through all that, Motown was taking house in a — you guessed it — even deeper direction. DJ Chuck Daniels was among Detroit’s late-‘80s DJs who went from playing strip clubs to warehouse after-hours parties — that meant they didn’t usually play highbrow, jazz-infused house where you dance a little and talk about groove depths — these tracks were meant to shake your ass. But the sister-city love has long been there, and Daniels’ sound shows serious Chicago connections — with a heavy Detroit accent, of course.
Daniels’ ’06 mix, Night Moves, pushed the Detroit house heavyweight to greater international prominence with its techno-, dub- and latin-spiked party-all-night playlist. It, too, was a sort of return to roots for the DJ who has spent the last decade-plus branching out to production and remix work, along with his collaboration with Jason Hodges, Border Patrol.
Here, the two dedicated househeads run through life on the decks. Daniels is on the Q's, Farina the A's.
It has been a couple years since you have played in Detroit; can you tell me your most memorable experience here in The D?
Hanging out on the Transmat/Metroplex/KMS Block in ‘88-‘89, wandering between the studios. Also, going to The Music Institute to hear Derrick May, Juan Atkins and Chez Damier.
These days it seems difficult to succeed as a DJ if you are not producing your own music. As an artist who has mostly concentrated on performing as a DJ, can you tell me one thing that you believe has kept you on top as a DJ?
Trying to keep my DJ stuff first, such as listening and collecting new tunes, and, of course, making sure the mixing skills never diminish.
Your DJ career has taken you to numerous places in and out of the U.S. — what’s one of your favorite places to play and why?
There are so many great places. Japan is great, wonderful people and culture. Ireland and Scotland and England have their own nuances. Brazil lately is really getting into electronica. New Zealand is another beautiful place where there are many house heads, too.
I’m sure traveling keeps you out of town most of the time and definitely puts a damper on your home and family life. How hard is to be on the road and still maintain a balance between your career and your friends and family?
Sometimes it’s a difficult balance. I have been doing this for so long, it’s almost normal. I am lucky that I have been able to find a balance because it can get crazy. Each DJ has to pace his- or herself to their own needs.
What are some of the things you look for in selecting a track to use in your DJ set?
Quirky, fun, different, chunky.
Who are some of your favorite producers at the moment?
Leon Louder, 1200 Warriors, Uneaq, Jamanta Crew.
House music has definitely changed over the past ten years, and numerous DJs have taken their styles in different directions musically. Have you adjusted or changed your style to blend with the times?
Yes and no. I’ve tried to keep the house “principles” I learned early on the same. But that has always meant doing new things. I feel like Chicago/Detroit “house” has almost all the sub-genres we hear today. Music is always changing, so I’m always adding bits that change with time.
As an aspiring DJ, I know it is tough to gain popularity given the never-ending stream of new DJs and producers. What can up-and-coming DJs do to spark their careers?
Make mix CDs, tracks, etc. and give mixes to lots of people. | RDW
House of Om CD Release w/ Mark Farina & Border Patrol • October 5 • Bleu Room Experience
Influential Mark Farina Records
by Chuck Daniels
Landscape E.P.
(Panhandle Records, 2001)
This E.P. was the last release on the legendary west coast label Panhandle, which was well-known for its groundbreaking funky house music. It was no surprise that it ended on an extremely good note with this album, which I think set the tone for many of Mark’s future releases. It's definitely one of my favorites.
Air Farina L.P.
(Om Records, 2003)
Air Farina was Mark’s first full-length album of original tracks. This record says it all and is a perfect example of his truly unique style in making not only house music, but downtempo tracks as well. I had this CD in my ride for quite a while and it is still a great CD to hang out to. I think this album truly shows Mark's versatility as a producer.
Time To Jack
(Music For Freaks, 2003)
The title of this huge single says it all — “Time to Jack.” For me, this joint was great to mix under other records. It has an underlining vocal that says, “Time to Jack,” which for me really kept the groove going, and blending it just right made for a nice mix on the dance floor.
Be’s Entertainment E.P.
(Great Lakes Audio, 2006)
This tune was in my bag for quite a while and it delivers that unique, quirky sound that Mark is well-known for. It has a sampled voice saying, "Chicago," which reminds me of where Mark made his start. This was also his first release on his own label, Great Lakes Audio.
Back To house E.P.
(Om Records, 2007)
This is one of Farina’s latest productions, and from the very first note there is no mistake who made it. Mark’s production always seems to have that quirky little funk that just makes me want to nod my head from side to side. | RDW
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