Dutch born (yet distinctively not Dutch influenced) Marius has been my background music for over a month. Hinting at a psychedelic tone typically mastered by rock n’ rollers and not electronic musicians, Marius has seamlessly found a balance between hard-hitting beats and smooth vocal layerings. To inappropriately utilize a Dutch influenced pun – I can imagine myself running through the tulips as Marius’ music follows my every stride.
His music – influenced by the likes of James Bond and Kill Bill – invokes images of cult classics. And his record label? Non Records, the imprint known for taking listeners on a “radical voyage of making music without purpose.”
Might I suggest turning off that iPhone, taking that much needed hit, and easing into the Marius sound…
Your music is often described as “cinematic.” What movie scores are you currently sourcing inspiration from? If you could score the soundtrack to any genre of movie, what genre would it be and why?
I don’t think I literally source inspiration from other music, it’s mostly stills of the movie that you remember and in some way use because they are stuck in your head. Yesterday I watched John Carpenter’s Escape From New York: great soundtrack and cinematography and scenes (despite the poor storyline haha).
I would have liked to have produced soundtracks for early ’90’s TV series. The idea that random people are watching it in a domestic environment every week, working with a theme and the qualities of that time.
Does your latest release “Rounds” follow a narrative? What would the movie of “Rounds” look like?
Well, I think there will always develop some kind of a narrative in a track while producing. But it’s never on purpose. For instance, the title came after the track was mastered. In this case there is a strong theme that develops during the song, gaining different shapes based on the same base. So I think the movie would be kind of repetitive – a simple story that gets better by repeating the same event over and over again, but of course it will fail to reach perfection, which is good.
Word on the street is that you once lived in a houseboat. Does your Dutch lifestyle influence your writing process? Do you think there is a distinctive Dutch sound?
True, socially it was two great months at the Amstel (main cannel of Amsterdam). I think the Dutch lifestyle doesn’t influence me, or at least I try not to be influenced. It’s all internet. There is a true, distinctive Dutch sound but the interesting ones lay in the past. There is a Dutch undercurrent which is interesting though but I don’t see it as typically Dutch.
I think the Dutch lifestyle doesn’t influence me, or at least I try not to be influenced. It’s all internet.
Do you have a dream venue that you would like to one day perform at?
I can’t name a specific location but it’s more of an atmosphere that has to be right. In my experience it are the locations that are crappy and not too big and pretentious that somehow have a great atmosphere to be at. Too many people in a small room is instant fun, I guess.
People in America are constantly talking about that one European artist they are craving to see but has yet to schedule a US tour. Conversely, is there any one American artist you have yet to see that you hope makes it to Amsterdam in the coming year?
The good thing is that American artists can travel a lot easier to Europe than vice versa. So that discussion is not really a deal here. Thats why I don’t have an artist I can name right now. If he/she/they come to Europe, Amsterdam is always included.
Walk me through a recent and perfect music night. Where did you go? Who did you see perform? What made it so perfect?
A few years ago I went to a Rephlex label night at the Melkweg (Ceephax Acid Crew and DMX Krex a.o.). It wasn’t perfect and I don’t think things have to be perfect, it lies in other aspects. The good thing about it was that I saw an artist lined up that influenced my youth and all in one genre so there was a consistency that was great. But I had this kind of night a few times earlier in Belgium, different line-up but same parameters.
For more information on Marius and upcoming tour dates please visit http://nonrecords.net/artists/marius/
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