Category: Releases

Märked 3 years of existence is celebrated in a former center for dentistry in Amsterdam’s Radion on November 24th (event). The club venue will see the likes of Tim Tama and Falhaber as Countershades for the first time in Holland, along with Binny, SDB, Rosh, Sensive and Torgue – who will play his new live show. Furthermore Märked’s tenth release is marked by a gathering of contemporary techno talents: a 6-track EP signed by Pier starring JoeFarr, Corroid and SDB.

Pier blasts a fresh wind in the saturated French scene and is joined by veteran JoeFarr and artists of the moment Corroid and SDB. Divided Attention could be an ode to realization that life happens when one is busy making other plans. To be able to be more efficient in our day-to-day lives, divided attention allows us to process and carry out multiple tasks at a time. In music however, different sounds – which can be seen as stimuli – are often organized in a rhythm and are subconsciously heard as one piece, the composition.

Kicking things off with Genesis Reading by evoking all kinds of dreamy imagery only to be fully straightened by a hard kick and punishing percussion. The harmony of sounds – of which the sneaky eagle-like sounding stab – makes you reminisce about dusty older times with hints to eurodance.

SDB brings to the table an engine driving on short synth notes, arpeggiated and amp’ed. Also here the track benefits from the vocals delivered by Pier: they add a sense of nostalgia. Moreover SDB’s signature touch is greatly heard in the continuation of the track, pushing the track forward with effectively tuned overdriven synth hits.

What directly catches attention of title track Divided Attention is the alarm synth hook that you can hear throughout the track. It’s one of those kicks and groove combinations that make you want to destroy something, but the feather light pad action makes you recall that.

JoeFarr throws things over a different angle with less haste, but more funk is brought to the remix palate. Lead forward by a masculine sound of accelerator-pressing of motor engines together with putting more heat on the stove by introducing metal pipes being incised.

Innocent but also cautionary of what’s to come in Reign Over Fury. The atmosphere breathes as if you are in the waiting room of a medieval console game, when suddenly intergalactic sounds take over the groove to turn it into a full-blown 5 AM weapon – only to be used with caution.

Also new to the label is Corroid, who’s recently caught attention of many by his vinyl release on User Experience and several Grounded singles. Percussive and synthesizer-groove based techno where the initial atmosphere is slightly altered in an obscure way and impregnated with a Corroid sauce.

Tracklist:
1. Genesis Reading
2. Genesis Reading (SDB Remix)
3. Divided Attention
4. Divided Attention (JoeFarr Remix)
5. Reign Over Fury
6. Reign Over Fury (Corroid’s Widerstand)

Artwork: Anton Abrahamsson
Mastering: JoeFarr
Format: CD + digital
Release: 05-12-2018

Three storylines make a whole. The foundation of Barong EP was born in Indonesia, where Torgue travelled and fell in love with the land and her culture. Being an admirer of mythology, he there decided to let three tracks interact with each other, through name and meaning. The battle between good and evil – Barong and Rangda – is expressed in The Holy Dance to represent the eternal battle between good and evil.

It’s no Torgue track if there’s no big thumping kick in there. In Barong the stereo field is filled with metal squeaking and grinding, gradually working the tension upwards through a sinister string. Pressure is released when all molts together with a tribalesque pad, unfolding true beauty of obscurity.
Second is the soundtrack of Indonesian martial arts practitioners fighting off Rangda’s black magic. As it progresses, slowly but surely the big arena pad and organ’s emotions will open up and reveal a sense of triumph.
The Holy Dance kicks things into gear for a proper midnight rinse out. Hells bells and tingles to send any warehouse into orbit.
A furious Balinese god on steroids is a result of Torgue’s samples in Ayarcana his hands. The track’s character builds on an overdriven and warped voice-like scream and works its way through like an apocalyptic locomotive only Ayarcana can do.
Brussels-based Incident Prism presses his crisp and clean signature on Barong. Stealthy and meaty remix drenched in a vat full of dark energy.

Tracklist:
1. Barong
2. Rangda
3. The Holy Dance
4. Barong (Ayarcana Remix)
5. Barong (Incident Prism Remix)

Release: 29-10-2018
Artwork: Anton Abrahamsson
Mastering: MA Spaventi

After a long time of silence Sicilian duo N.A.A.F.I. strikes back on Märked with two exclusive originals. They had only appeared on our label once previously, and on Concrete Records from Rome with their debut EP (both in 2016).

For the EP we let them team up with Ike Dusk and Rezystor, who are both based in Germany. We have seen Ike Dusk and Rezystor make good use of flinty and explosive sounds before and decided to place the tracks in their perspective.

Start off with Antie; two rounds of destruction and build-ups, close to both utopian and innocent synthesizer-play followed by a smashing drop with thundering drums and shuddering basses. This track will set any dance floor on fire when they least expect it.

Surrounded by pistachio and lemon trees, this piece embodies the raw vulcanic energy from Etna’s vault. Soutpilaar will get you warm with hot Mediterranean drums while the vocal reminds of 2000 euro dance music in a good nostalgic way, back when everything was better (haha).

Ike Dusk turns the original track upside-down and puts more heat on the stove whilst keeping a lot of the original sound intact. The forward-driving groove gets really interesting when the pad adds that vital bit of melancholy for the track to really stand out.

Rezystor brings a functional and striped-down perspective to Soutpilaar. In line with music that once came from the haydays of Birmingham, this remix is designed to take a plateau to a new dimension for peak-time destruction.

Tracklist:
1. Antie
2. Soutpilaar
3. Soutpilaar (Ike Dusk Remix)
4. Soutpilaar (Rezystor Remix)

Release: 17-09-2018
Artwork: Josh Faux
Mastering: Black Monolith Studio

https://soundcloud.com/markedamsterdam/mrkd008-no-ambition-and-fuck-all-interest-antie-soutpilaar-ep-ft-ike-dusk-rezystor

Berlin-born-and-raised Lars Huismann debuts on Märked alongside Tim Tama and Chêne, who – as well as Lars – have been gaining pace at a progressive rate. After having debuted on labels like Animal Farm and Binary Cells, Lars is one of West-Europeans artists that people should keep an eye out for. With support by Dax J, Slam, Tommy Four Seven, Amotik and Norman Nodge, Lars gets deserved recognition for his music that could be described as both clean and complex, heavy and hypnotic.

No Exit EP: of which the EP title track could refer to a world of information overload and uncontrolled chaos with the slightest hope and impression of stabilization (in the tracks case), or the artwork that hints to an ever so busy metropolis where nights are blooming and all possible kind of traffic seems eternal. So are the forward-driving and aggressive synths in ‘No Exit’, accompanied by apocalyptic doomsday violin-play – which will also have a more mild feature in the first track of this EP.

We start off the EP with a nineties themed composition with a futuristic touch. ‘Spartian Disco’ runs on a crispy retro acid engine enhanced with notes of a modernized violin for extra adherence.

Big kicks, rattling percussion and cleverly organized sounds of vinyl-scratching in ‘Voices In The Head’. This track is characterized by a nasty scrape of metal that supports its obscure hypnotic shape. A distorted trombone from the deepest of lairs will blast you away from the second part on.

Holland’s up-and-coming Tim Tama favours immediacy over depth this time in his remix of Spartian Disco. A muscular techno track should either have a hard kick, piercing well-crafted percussion, a vigorous vocal or all of that is mentioned. Which in that case Tim Tama has hit the perfect spot.

Yoeri from Noneoftheabove as Chêne is giving his remix of Voices In The Head a taste of the forceful and bold side of NOTA, which was also previously heard in their Grounded debut track A1. A haunting stomper injected with thunderous horns and rolling machinery.

Early support by Speedy J, Marcel Dettmann, Perc, Len Faki, Dax J, Bas Mooy, Johannes Volk, Industrialyzer, Flug, Endlec, Remco Beekwilder, Rommek, Takaaki Itoh, MTD, Milton Bradley amongst many others.

Tracklist:
1. Spartian Disco
2. Voices In The Head
3. Spartian Disco (Tim Tama Remix)
4. Voices In The Head (Chêne Remix)
5. No Exit

Release: 10-04-2018
Artwork: June
Mastering: Black Monolith Studio

Sixth installment on Märked signed by Torgue; 5 club-oriented pieces with each track representing a different kind of energy. Torgue opens the EP with Imperium jumping straight on a solid 4×4, introducing new pressure-building elements at high pace. A vocalised synth slab outlines a masculine vibe for tough techno while it’s soothing pad creates a serene balance between hard kicks and straight-forward percussion. EP title track A Night At The Opera lets loose feelings of trance with a nostalgic touch. Backboned by a thumping kick and obscure elements on the grid, the dashing piano play controls the dance. Then Hell Await’s haunting synths will want to make you feel weird and uncomfortable as you will be guided through a battlefield of unidentifiable voices and screeches. Fourth are Perc Trax signees Ghost In The Machine in for the kill in their take on ANATO. Powerhouses GITM execute techno for big venues very well as the track rolls as smooth as a former-raw diamond being polished on the way through the break, before seamlessly continuing its path of intimidating controlled pressure. Last is Schuw introducing a breakbeat where the pad synth smoothly blends in and guides us towards a small break before a high powered turn slaps the listener in the face – strong and complex rhythm not for the weak-hearted.

Tracklist:
1. Imperium
2. A Night At The Opera
3. Hell Awaits
4. A Night At The Opera (Ghost In The Machine Remix)
5. A Night At The Opera (Schuw Remix)

Release: 25-01-2018
Artwork: AVHK
Track 1, 2, 3 and 5 mastered by Kolkoz Mastering
Track 4 mastered by Ghost In The Machine

Next project landing on Märked is Ben Techy soundtracking the onslaught of bloodshed. His take on aggressor techno in his latest EP covers angry dance floor material at its finest. Overdriven basses, persistent percussion rhythms and a voice-like detail set on the groove makes opening track Skull Damage a walk in the park haunted experience. Title track Onslaught Bloodshed further builds upon the pressure in a serious bass-driven assault and unexpectedly develops into more a sinister outspoken environment. After that Psychotic Motion’s unreserved kick and percussion clash through moments of uplifting synth action into the depths of what could be called an anti-climax in the second part. Then Dep Affect’s take on Ben’s last track where he explores a breakbeat composition driven by angst that gently raises your heart rate. On the other hand Dentis’ remix will leave Dutchies surprised with a vocal that will cause serious confusion on the dance floor – accompanied by rude kicks and earsplitting percussion rattles this track is a match for peak-time selectors.

Tracklist:
1. Skull Damage
2. Onslaught Bloodshed
3. Psychotic Motion
4. Psychotic Motion (Dep Affect Remix)
5. Psychotic Motion (Dentis Remix)

Release: 01-06-2017
Artwork: Josh Faux
Mastering: Black Monolith Studio

Sensive sheds light on 3 new pieces and brings 2 new artists to the family who go by the name of Ayarcana and Keepsakes. Märked welcomes you to Vacuum:void.

Soothing and unpredictable as Rogues Shine commences and works towards a balance between the unknowable straight into the drowning pool of self-complacency. Up-front aggressive kicks and subtle percussion work their way through moments of haunted melancholy and bits of dry pounding action. We continue with EP titletrack Vacuum:void – a journey to total peace and emptiness. Featherweight soulful pad action backboned by rhythmic drums. The breakdown shows a strong contrast to when the actual kick drops and continues its journey to an elevated state of majesticness. Third on track is a techno work-out at high pace. Synthetic Jazz Exercise is an odyssey to structured confusion through arpeggiated and syncopated distorted synth storms. Then Ayarcana keeps the braintrain at full speed in his take on S.J.E. delivering an onslaught of fast-paced distortion injections. It seems the apocalypse has initiated when a metal factory turns into a panic room full of macabre bass action. Last but not least is Keepsakes’ remix where he strips down the original to an effective warehouse weapon. His signature kicks are locked on a clever groove where the elements sound like heavily processed and overdriven vocals.

Tracklist:
1. Rogues Shine
2. Vacuum:void
3. Synthetic Jazz Exercise
4. Synthetic Jazz Exercise (Ayarcana Remix)
5. Synthetic Jazz Exercise (Keepsakes Remix)

Release: 02-05-2017
Artwork: Gino Gagliardi
Mastering: Black Monolith Studio

Returning with an unusual blend of 5 powerhouse cuts composed by contemporary techno’s up-and-coming INTERFERON, N.A.A.F.I., Hidden Rooms, Anthro and Falhaber.

Märked welcomes INTERFERON – undoubtedly underrated wizard from the States bringing that effective well executed techno driving an ominous sinister vibe. Its tight groove directed by several crunchy scrapes alternated with cleverly forward-driving placed hits retain pressure throughout this crystal clear cut. Second on track is newly formed Sicillian techno outfit N.A.A.F.I. contributing the percussive goods showcasing their cultural heritage through characteristic accents of distorted drums. On the contrary whereas ‘Lekker’ has that powerful hypnotic tribe feel, Hidden Rooms packs an angry acid freight train pursuing a dark intrigue through accelerating industrial undertones. Followed by a percussive drum work-out, Anthro continues to build his strong signature sound. Clear cut techno accompanied by an old school Thunderdome vocal where the experimental-oriented progress of the plot will further on develop into something more unusual. Finishing off with a vocal guided silence before the storm as Falhaber builds his break into a crisis environment of pulverizing electronic stereo information.

Tracklist:
A1. INTERFERON – A Mirage
A2. N.A.A.F.I. – Lekker
A3. Hidden Rooms – Destructive Forces
B1. Anthro – To The Bone
B2. Falhaber – Industry

Release: 17-11-2016
Artwork: Josh Faux
Mastering: Black Monolith Studio

5-tracker EP made of diverse sharp-edged techno building up to intense industrial depth.

Another Alias serves the warm-up with a soothing yet disturbing synth that drags you into what sounds like a rock in a washing machine kind of situation, while bright percussion and heavy kickdrums keep balance not to get too lost. Sixth sense exploring at a high pace with AIROD. Old school closing material brought to new life, presenting a dirty dusty vibe, metal and acid-tinged fireworks plus a characteristic vocal. Thyatira; percussion-driven floor whiper by french determined duo MOTH. Unusual dark groove accompanied by loaded harmonies. Sensive’s Deus Ex Machina, of which the track title seems to refer to a musical plot twist from the break on. Industrial techno stomper lead to higher spheres by guidance of a resonating alarm. Last but not least newcomer LNA’s Elemijn; relentless mechanical breakbeat work-out, bad man rhythm from hell’s oven.

Tracklist:
A1. Another Alias – Six Metre Spine
A2. AIROD – The Ganzfeld Procedure
B1. MOTH – Thyatira
B2. Sensive – Deus Ex Machina
B3. LNA – Elemijn

Release: 15-08-2016
Artwork: Gino Gagliardi

14anger opens with a full-on rave cut where kicks smash through an intriguing all-absorbing synth storm backed up by hasty and fierce percussion. Second on track is Dep Affect’s take on Suprok where he manages to retain plenty of the original mixture. Crunchy high-end elements and fast synth stabs alternate each other in an hypnotic blend. Third version of Suprok by Kris Goad is characterized by a metal scrape on overdrive. The simplicity within the context makes for an effective 5AM-surprise. The closing by Danilo Incorvaia; steamroll acid-toned exercise in for the kill, no compromises.

Tracklist:
A1. Sensive – Suprok (14anger Remix)
A2. Sensive – Suprok (Dep Affect Remix)
B1. Sensive – Suprok (Kris Goad Remix)
B2. Sensive – Grauwe Aura (Danilo Incorvaia Remix)