Interview: 5 minutes with Mark Reeve

Image by Zydre Venckus

Mark Reeve is the sort of techno legend who has quietly made a name for himself over the course of his career. Having moved to Germany from England fifteen years ago, Reeve sought out the scene that would embrace and develop his particular sound. That sound is uncompromising, beat driven melodic techno and it would lead to Reeve being discovered by German icon Sven Vath. Following a slew of critically acclaimed singles and releases, Reeve has just released his latest record, Breathe on Adam Beyer’s Drumcode Records. The eight track mini-album is Reeve’s most musically diverse on the label, seeing him explore his craft in unexpected new ways. On Breathe, Reeve embraces ambient tonalities and breakbeat inspired percussion, exploring the range of techno’s palette from the ethereal on tracks like Ebullience and Silent Whisper to the darker, trippier underworld of Irregular Choice, Take You Back and Theme. 

Download Breathe by Mark Reeve here 

In many ways, Breathe is a career defining moment for Reeve. It’s a display of his creative abilities beyond the scope of the sort of transcendent techno that made him a household name within the genre. We caught up with Reeve to discuss his inspiration behind the new record, and what we can expect from him next. 

Set the tone for us. Why the arts? 

Because it’s banging 🙂

Which comes first when you’re producing – the sound or the idea? 

The idea has to be just as good as the sound ! I have to go with both.

Does your material feature any collaborations? 

Sometimes it does, yes. I’ve teamed up with some great producers like Adam Beyer and Pig & Dan in my time.

What’s on your current playlist? 

Well mainly stuff from my new mini album on Drumcode. Best two are Irregular Choice and Take you Back

Tell us about the chemistry you have with your fans on stage. 

I just like dancing around, looking at people to get them in the mood. When it happens and that big drop smashes in [wow] I love it !

Take us through a day in the recording studio.

Well first an idea comes to my mind. Then I rush to the studio to try and get everything down so I don’t forget it again. Then, I generally just jam around until the arrangement is the way I like it.

Was there a specific moment in your life where you thought, “this is what I want to do”? 

When I was 12 and listened to the first Prodigy album ! 

Any emerging artists on your radar?

Just signed a great guy called Andre Keller on my label SubVision. Really like the way he produces.

What gets your creative juices flowing? 

Bad-ass rhythms and amazing grooves.

Take us through your collection of gear, tech or software that accompanies your creative expression. 

Ableton Live or Logic. Hardware; Sub 37, Dave Smith Prophet. Plugins; Serum, Sylenth, Massive and more.

Any side projects you’re working on? 

I’m currently working on a remix for Pig & Dan at the moment. It sounds really cool already.

How have you refined your craft since you entered the industry? 

I think I’ve had to modernize my sound over time and really concentrate on improving the sound design and quality.

Breakdown the news for us: what can we expect from you this year? 

Well, the biggest thing right now is my mini album on Drumcode called Breathe. I put so much time and energy into it and I hope you will all like it ! This project is very special to me and I cannot wait to try out these tracks on the dancefloors again.

Famous last words?

Just dance.

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