Baltimore's Finest: Mark Brown

Baltimore's Mark Brown was kind enough to give DBJ an interview & a new mix to warm us up for his Hurrah appearance tonight at Medusa Lounge:

Mark Brown - Infinite Whave

1) Ttwance Cop - Infinite Rave
2) Double 99 - Rip Groove
3) Richard Dolby - The Anonymous Track
4) Adele - Cold Shoulder (Rusko Rremix)
5) The Prodigy - Out of Space (Celestial Bodies Mix)
6) Snap! - The Power (Kanji Kinetic Remix)
7) Wedlock - Didgeridoo (Pyramoods Nigerian Hair Edit)
8) Kromestar - Quicktime

When and how did you come up with the idea to start AREWENOTMEN?!? Can you describe what you consider the night to be all about, and how that's evolved over the course of its existence? Is it true that the last one ever in Baltimore was on June 1? If so, what was the reason for stopping?

AWNM!? got started in December of 2005 when my friends Taylor Fimbrez, Michelle Nolan and I got the idea to start a queer dance party in Baltimore without the "gay bar" vibe. The party eventually evolved into more of a dance party with bands, hosting The Deathset, Dan Deacon, Girl Talk, The Ed Schrader Show, Ed Schrader, Twance Cop, Shams, Butt Stomach, etc.

Taylor and Michelle moved to Seattle after about a year into the parties lifespan resulting in taking on a lot more stress of organizing and promoting the party than I had anticipated. I've recently shifted my focus towards art making, live performances, and working with more of the underground warehouse / basement spots in Baltimore like SCarey Studios & The Comfort Dome. AWNM?! is definitely over @ The Depot, but the spirit will live on in future endeavors and projects.

Do you currently play out anywhere else on a regular basis? Do you have any plans to curate another night in Baltimore?

Mostly warehouse parties, sometimes @ The Ottobar for Emily Rabbit's world famous Tensday, TaxLo, etc. My friend Adam (DJ Gonzo) and I are working out the details right now of a new monthly at a new spot called the Wind Up Space that's slated to take off in August. I'm also working with Wham City to get a new venue off the ground and will hopefully be doing some form of party / art oriented events there starting this fall.

In an interview with the Baltimore City Paper, you talked about your fondness for the tight-knit music scene in Baltimore, and how that sense of immediacy really drives the people within it to do some pretty creative things...has the scene continued to flourish in that regard? Is there at all a sense (like I get from Philly) that there's an oversaturation of DJ nights (guilty as charged, here), or do you feel that it's basically at an equilibrium?

It seems like Baltimore's been overwhelmed recently with new venues and spaces putting on shows / parties, yet I still feel the scene is just as tight, if not tighter. More people seem to be branching out, crossing over, and working together than before.

You are (or were, not sure if you've graduated) an art student at MICA; what is/was your focus there? Do you see a correlation between your interests and goals as an artist and those as a musician?

I graduated from the Interactive Media department at MICA May of 2007 with a concentration in Video. Definitely a correlation. MICA has quite a strong influence on the music scene in Baltimore, possibly stronger than the influence on the local art scene.

When did you first start DJing, and how did you get into it? What's your personal DJ setup?

The first party I DJd was a house party with my friend Alex Dondero, there were about 60 kids crammed into this tiny living room going insane, I was pretty much hooked from there on. I played mostly warehouse parties until AWNM?! started to take off. I currently use M-Audio's Torq with a mid controller, sometimes using Live. I also do live visuals with early 90s video mixers and a projector while I play.

Have you ever tried your hand at any production? If so, what techniques did you use and what were the results?

I've been making these ambient mixes (BONE TRANCE) using Ableton live which has lead me to producing remixes and a few original tracks. You can check em out on my website, http://www.mcbrown.info

Where is your favorite place to dig for records (that you're willing to reveal)? Do you do a lot of shoping at digital stores (i.e. Beatport, Traxsource, etc)?

Jason Urick (WZT Hearts) used to have a store in Baltimore called Once.Twice.Sound where you could find the most amazing records. When I can afford to buy them, I generally go to Own Guru or True Vine, both excellent shops in Baltimore. I do a lot of blog surfing and will sometimes hit up turntable lab when I find something truly critical.

What are some of your favorite contemporary producers and labels at the moment? Of all time?

I've been getting really into the current bassline scene and have been loving the output of Egyptrixx from Tornonto. There's this guy Etan from Boston who's been killing it recently, be sure to check out his recent Death Set remix. I've always loved the output from Cock Rock Disco, Jason Forrest melts my brain in the best way.

What's the best dollar bin jam you've ever scored?

I recently found two Prodigy singles from 1992 in a box left in the lobby of the space where I live.

-Interview By Dave Tat