Mark Greene is an electronic music producer and qualified sound engineer based in Ireland. After completing his training in the Sound Training Centre in Dublin under Will Kinsella (Hybrasil), Mark began signing some early tracks to various labels in Europe. Quite soon Mark was releasing tracks on well established labels like Bush Records, Naked Lunch, Elektrax and Carl Cox’ longstanding imprint Intec. A string of popular releases allowed Mark to play all over Europe with regular trips to Amsterdam in particular for the annual ADE each Autumn.
An avid drummer as a child, Mark has always had an affinity for heavy kickdrums in his tracks. As the years have gone by his productions have gained some bpms and Mark’s music is now finding its way into the hands of DJs at the forefront of the industrial techno scene. Rebekah, I Hate Models, Theo Nasa, Chris Liebing, D.A.V.E. The Drummer and more are supporting his productions of late, particularly his recent tracks on his new label DORCHA Records – meaning ‘dark’ in the Irish language.
Mark launched DORCHA Records in 2020 to circumnavigate the typical months-long wait to release on other labels. The label is a place for Mark to release tracks on his own schedule and experiment with various different styles and creative approaches. The aim of the label is to identify new artists and build a small roster to carry the DORCHA flag.
Each month you can tune into Mark’s Progress Radio show for one hour of unreleased music from himself and some of the best producers in techno. Broadcasting on several stations around the world, the show will reach the 100 episode milestone in 2022.
Mark Greene is up and coming name on the scene and the latest in line for our interview series. We hope you enjoy the read. For more of his music just head to this link.
How does your creative process start?
I try my absolute best to be in my studio every day. I work a full time job so it can be difficult to get going in the evenings, but usually I will just flick through some tunes on Bandcamp or dig out a good mix from some of my favourite artists, usually from the late 90’s/early 2000’s. Usually that will spark some ideas and then down the rabbit hole I go chopping, changing and experimenting with sounds. My studio is out in the middle of nowhere so it can be easy to spend hours and hours locked away.
You just released your new 5 track EP Jargon on your own label DORCHA. Could you reveal something more about this release? What can we expect to hear?
Yeah, it’s been out since early May and has done well. I’ve been aiming to have 5 tracks on each release for the label so I can include some more experimental tracks or different structures. ‘False Narrative’ has a staggered kick drum for example, which is something I have not really done before. All of the tracks are fairly high tempo but with a decent bit of variety which I’m happy with.
‘Ritual’ is the track that’s topping Best New Hard Techno charts, so how are you satisfied with the feedback so far?
Yeah it’s done well. It’s by far the hardest track on the release but so many people are listening and playing to 140 bpm stuff now. It received some nice comments when we sent the promo out and it was nice to see people like Rebekah and Theo Nasa playing it in recent mixes. I have some new tracks on the way that are along the same lines
What’s your opinion on the current livestreaming trend among Djs?
My honest opinion is that live streams were a brilliant substitute at the start of this pandemic but now they just seem a little boring…just like Zoom quizzes. They actually kind of act as a reminder to me we are still in some sort of lockdown. Obviously nothing will beat the real thing when it returns
What is underground to you?
Underground to me is unlimited creativity and no constraints. You can make any music you want, look how you want, dress how you want.
Which artists or labels would you say affected your music and style over the years?
Too many to mention really but I’ve always loved The Advent and Industrialyzer. When they were making tunes together and playing around Europe, they were unbeatable to me. People like Dax J, Rebekah, Marco Bailey, D.A.V.E. The Drummer I really admire. In terms of labels I’ve always listened to Intec Digital, Respekt, Klockworks, MB Elektronics and Soma.
How would you describe current situation on global electronic scene?
In terms of the music being made and released, things are great at the moment, all things considered. The best producers in the world have been locked away for the last year and a half, creating amazing tracks. I’m looking forward to hearing all of the unreleased gems when clubs and festivals are back up and running.
What are your plans for your label DORCHA?
I’m really keen to sign new artists and build a small roster for the label. I’m actively scouring Bandcamp, SoundCloud to try to find people with only a few releases so far and try to give them a hand. I’m only releasing tracks digitally at the moment, but if the label grows to a certain level I’d like to start releasing some vinyl also.
Can you name top 5 tracks released by your label that you would like our readers to hear?
Three of the four releases on the label so far have been from myself so I would say check out Jovan Vehn’s 5-tracker ‘Rebirth of the Phoenix’. My favourite track of mine on the label is Freight from the first release. It’s heavy!
Are you planning some new music and projects soon?
Absolutely! Like many artists, over the last year I have produced so much music that hasn’t even seen the light of day yet so you can expect new music pretty much every month or two from me for the foreseeable future.
