MUSIC: Marcus Holder Opens Account In Cracking Fashion
Melbourne ex-pat release debut EP with Berlin’s Dirt Crew Recordings….
Melbourne is renowned for many things, but we are probably best known for AFL, Revolver, an unyielding love for Berlin - and a place where people write articles like 'Do Melburnians really wear a lot of black? We asked an expert'. One of those who did just that is Marcus Holder. No, he didn't write about Melbourne's penchant for black clothes, but he did pack his best schwartz outfit to leave the country indefinitely to go stand in line for hours to enter Berghain. That’s where the familiar old story ends 'cause he actually got in. After 12 months of being locked down inside Berghain, the sheen wore off, and he finally had his weekends back to prepare himself for the next chapter: locked down inside his house to weather a global contagion.
However, he turned those pandemic lemons into some house-filled lemonade, using the enforced lockdown to hone those skills: 'It did wonders for my music production as it helped me focus with fewer outside distractions.' Indeed, advancing music production might be one of COVID's less well-known side-effects - but it happens. It was during the lockdown that he made significant production leaps. 'I worked on my mixdown skills and developed confidence in my tracks, and developed a sound that combines classic sounds with a modern twist.'
And that modern twist is evident on his debut EP After signed to Berlin's Dirt Crew Recordings. Via disorientating piano stabs, almost-talking basslines, and a general vibe of a two-day bender, the EP just feels right. All four cuts are fun(ky) explorations of a familiar sound that never feels derivative - with just enough balance between organic and electronic to keep everyone engaged.: ‘I like to play most of the instruments to give it a looser, more live kind of feel. A more human element.’ The ex-pat is proof that the Melbourne to Berlin story doesn't need to end with you overstaying your visa so you can get deported back home because you’re bankrupt. It might just end with you releasing a four-track EP on uber-cool labels. Now fly away little birdies and make your dreams come real.
Check the previews below and stay tight for the full release on 3rd September.