U:Move

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Mark Farina’s musical legacy dates back to ‘88, when he befriended Derrick Carter while digging in the crates of a Chicago record store.  His trademark style, Mushroom Jazz started as a San Francisco club night in the early 90’s.  The popular club night spawned a series of mix CDs that influenced a generation of DJs. Touring the globe, His house sets combine chunky-funky rhythms, deep underground house and jazzy grooves that has been an attraction to over a million club goers each year. Mark has recently released a 6 Track EP on Great Lakes Audio titled Geo Graffiti. It features new productions by this creative and inspiring DJ/Producer.

On assignment for u:move, Michael Campbell met up with Mark for a Q&A session before his most recent gig in Kansas City. Listen to the interview live on u:move’s Rotation Podcast 006.

Michael:  What worked for you when you were starting up your career as a DJ?

Mark: For me i’d say, you find a club that you want to play at and you get in there.  I would go to a place that plays the kind of music that I liked and find people who are into the music you are into.  You have to find out who has that crowd, be it a club or a promoter, or if you have to get the crowd together yourself then so be it.  For example if you see a DJ rocking a crowd you might say, “Hey I think this crowd would really get into my set.“and then you focus your energy on them.  If you like a record label and the parties they are throwing, try to get in with them.

When you first started with OM Records you were pushing the acid jazz sound.  What’s it like pushing a sound that was so different and alternative, and seeing it catch on?

Well, its a good thing.  There was a big acid jazz scene in San Francisco at the time which doesn’t really exist anymore. There was also a really happening club scene going on.  We took that element and said, “Well if its working here, it should work everywhere else.”.  OM records took that idea and brought it to other places.  The sound eventually became popular.

The first CD I ever bought of yours was a live recording with Derrick Carter, whats been your involvement with Derrick and how did you meet?

Derrick and I are old buddies, I met him when I was a freshmen at college in Chicago.  He was working at a record store by the university.  He was one of the buyers which meant he supplies the record wall with all of the latest cuts.  I just kind of went in and it turns out that I liked his selections.  Back then each worker of the record store got their own section of wall, and that section would have their picks on it.  I just started talking to him because i really like his tracks.  From there we got our first apartment away from our parents together.  It was me Derrick Carter, Chris Nazuka who is a keyboard player on Classic Records,  and a hip hop guy named G Most.  We called the space “Red Nail”.  Our phone number spelled out ‘red nail’.  From there we worked at Gramophone records while Derrick was working at Casual. 

Whats the transition like from being strictly a DJ to a producer?

Well I’ve always dabbled in tracks from the start.  I just never made tracks as a way to get gigs.  It can be a good route for new DJs to bust out by making a lot of tracks, but I didn’t get too prolific in it.  I sort of stuck on the DJ tip for a long time.  I still love making records, I just never put out as many records as say Derrick.

Were DJs more respected in the past or are they more respected now?

Well some places its more and other places its less.  You know a lot of things have changed since the days of just playing vinyl and that sort of medium.  Now I’d say its a little more abstract with Djs performing with computers.  A lot of people cant tell weather someone is spinning with their computer program or performing with a program say like Ableton Live.  The lines are a little more blurred between when someone is djing, or using technology to play their own tunes or even cheating.  Now you might see a laptop or you might not. Same thing with turntables or you may not, and all of this can potentially lead to more or less respect for the DJ.  Some people might say “Oh play a record.” or “Oh they aren’t playing records, its wack!”, but that’s kind subsided a bit. You know they might be like “Whats he doing, he’s been looking at his computer for two hours, is he checking his email?”  They don’t know if your mixing, but on the same point a DJ can put on a whole show and a computer can really enhance that live performance.  I also think its genre specific, some genres hold the DJ to a higher standard than others.  A lot of its geographic too depending on what your local DJ’s are doing, what they are playing and how they are playing it.  The older club heads have a lot of love and respect for mixing, so its about teaching the younger kids about what its all about.  I think its still a performance, but a lot of its just rocking the party.

What gear are you using to DJ these days? Are you still using the crowd pleasing visual aspect of the turntables, the performance enhancing aspect of a computer, or CD decks?  Whats your favorite thing to use?

I still like to use the Pioneer CDJs.  The vinyl thing is fun.  I did that for 15 years.  Its just the science of vinyl and parties doesn’t always go together.  I hate skips, and vibrating decks.  The mechanical workings of the turntable and parties sometimes don’t work well together.  People would be surprised how hard is to set up turntables properly.  For me I feel that the CDJ can handle the adverse conditions of a party better.  Generally as long as you take care of your CDs, everything works.  Computers aren’t really my cup of tea, but a lot of people like them.

How do you feel about the relationship between musicians and DJs?  Is there a level of disrespect there?

No I don’t think so.  I think they work kind of hand in hand.  Well if you are like a classical musician you probably don’t care what I’m doing, but if you are into electronica then yeah there is a kind of relationship there.  Production is easier than it was 10 years ago.  You used to have to rent out a whole studio. Now people can produce their own stuff at home.  It’s great for self promotion, especially with CD technology.  It used to take a lot longer to get people to listen to your demos, having to burn acetate records and all that.  Now there is a close relationship between up and coming artist and DJs.  If you are making dance music of some sort, you want the DJ to play them so there will be that kind of deep connection between the two.

What do you have coming up? Big projects DJing etc..?

I have a new release coming out on my label Great Lakes audio called Geograffiti. Its like geography and graffiti together.  I have a six track EP coming out on that, some remixes and other things like that.  Mushroom Jazz 7 is in the works for spring and touring all up until December.