For anyone who's ever been to some of the more underground events in the UK and around the world, Mark EG is seen as a legend and a god to some people. Usually outspoken but truthful in his opinions, he gives [i:Vibes] an insight into his life and other random aspects here....

For anyone who's ever been to some of the more underground events in the UK and around the world, Mark EG is seen as a legend and a god to some people. A Master of many styles, his mixing and antics always entertain the crowds and he has a repuation for doing mad things on stage. He is a veteran of many events including Helter Skelter, Slammin Vinyl, North and Dreamscape. Usually outspoken but truthful in his opinions, he gives [i:Vibes] an insight his world, and thoughts on other matters.

1- When was 'Mark EG' Born as in the concept of a DJ who entertains as
well, instead of sitting like a lemon behind the decks, gives the crowd
value for money ?

Well thanks very much about the entertaining part. When I used to be on the
other side of the decks every weekend it was simply a case of 'I'm never
gonna keep still if I ever get to do that for a living!'. So when I started
getting some serious booking in the 90's I found that it helped the crowd
reaction if you looked like you were enjoying yourself. Then I started to do
things like smash up stuff on stage to try to be different and get the music
noticed.

2- What got you into music, and were there times when you thought you'd
never make it ?

I got into dance music through the early breakdance/electro movement of the
early 80's. Then house and techno came along and I was completely hooked. I
always knew that this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life but
didn't realise until I left school that it was possible. It was never in my
mind that I had to 'make it', I just did what I wanted to do and suddenly
could afford to pay the rent from it.

3- What is the maddest thing you've ever done at an event ?

I've done some pretty crazy stuff, including breaking several bones in my
body, but the thing that's recently stuck in my mind was when we had live
chainsaws on stage when I recently played in Chicago. Two guys were sawing
an old hammond organ in half behind me whilst I was playing the hardest,
darkest techno you can imagine. Woodchips were flying everywhere (even onto
the records!!!). The sound of the chainsaws was so amazing, so I turned the
music down so you could just hear it whilst I turned around and kicked the
center of the organ - not realising that one of the chainsaws was cutting
through the center of the organ at the same time. It nearly had my whole
foot off!

4- What do you think about Newcomers to the Hard Trance scene, for example
Ben Eye, Akira UK & Absyss ?

Full respect to them. I know these guys well and I know they live for their
music. That's what it takes to make something of yourself in this game.
You've got to devote your whole life to it and you'll break through. I think
you've also gotta play something very unique and at the minute these guys
are at the beginning of their DJ life. I can't wait to see how they develop
and where they take their sound.

5- The Mark EG & M-Zone b2b sets were some of the best ever, how did you
decide what to play, or did you just agree to play your own things and
improvise as you went along ?

I think as a concept these B2B sets worked very well. Especially as hard
trance was totally unrecognised at that time. Now I look back at that period
with pride for what it was. I know the mixing was often really dodgy because
of the DJ set ups at alot of the bigger raves, but the sets worked and
that's what mattered. We just turned up and improvised. It just so happened
that we'd been DJing in the same type of clubs for years before, so we knew
each other's taste and style.

6- What is it like to have 2000+ Fans shouting Mark EG, Mark EG as you
play, could you feel any better ?

Pretty mad.. It is a superb feeling to know you're doing something right! I
actually really miss it when I go abroad cause people only really do it in
the UK.

7- How do you decide what style you will play each event, does it depend
on which event it is, or do you just wake up & think Techno or Trance ?

I'll always play techno if I think I can get away with it. For me that's the
hardest style of music to play and I get the most enjoyment from getting
other people into it. But the sad fact is that it's a style of music that
you either love or hate and if you hate it - you really hate it. So that's
where trance comes in. For me the really hard trance is a happy medium
between music that I love and music that most people want to hear. Don't get
me wrong - I soooo love and believe in hard trance. But everyone has a style
that makes them wet themselves and techno just happens to be that style for
me.

8- Would you ever like to break into the commercial scene or would you
rather not 'sell out' ?

'Selling out' used to be a word that I myself applied to certain DJ's who
had broken through into the mainstream. But the longer you stay in this
industry and the more people you meet who've actually made it big time, the
more you realise that it's not as clear cut as 'selling out' if you break
into the mainstream. I don't belive anyone from the true underground ever
makes a 'decision' to move to the commercial scene. It just happens. You
make a track that appeals to alot more people than usual and 'boom' - you're
being interviewed on Radio 1 and major labels are knocking on your door. If
that ever happened to me then I really can't see myself saying 'up yours',
but I would be very concious about the fact you've got to be careful and I'd
stick only to what I believed in. Most of the big guns promise you the earth
and then turn you into a fad. My roots in music are too deep to let myself
fall into that trap so you're definitely not going to find me banging a load
of girlie signing over the top of a trance track to make loads of money!

9- Who influenced you the most when growing up and starting out in the
trance scene ?

When I first heard trance after nealry 10 years of progressing through
electro/house/techno/acid I though it was rubbish. I remember talking to
Dave Clarke, laughing about the stupid snare rolls and predictability of it
all. But then I started to get alot of work at more rave style events in the
early 90's. Techno went completely over people's heads. And of course, I had
to do something about it because I really wanted to get people into techno.
So when I put a few of the more techno orientated trance releases from
labels like Bonzai and Harthouse into my set - and it worked - I just found
myself going down that route more and more. It's always been labels that
have been my biggest influence, not DJ's. The only DJ who came close to
doing the same thing at the beginning of my trance life was M-Zone. But then
of course, you know that!

10- Do you think you've ever played a 'perfect' set where you wouldn't
change a single thing in your performance?

All the time. Every club I play is different and every set is different. As
long as I walk out of that club knowing that I've mixed to the best of my
ability on the tools available with at least one person converted into that
sound, then I wouldn't change anything about my performance. If that's what
you want to call a 'perfect' set then so be it, I've played thousands!
Hahaha.

11- Would we ever see a 'Mark EG' club ?

Over my dead body! It's all way too much work running a club. Besides, I'm
too much into studio production to have the time to book DJ's and all that
rubbish. I sometimes think I'd like to get more involved in certain clubs I
play at, but I could never actually go the whole hog and sort everything out
from start to finish.

12- what would you do if you wasn't a DJ, and what will you do if you ever
decide to give it up ?

Give up? No way. I'm beyond the point of no return. My whole life evolves
around this stupid electronic nonsense for god's sake! I think my life may
evolve into something slightly different, but for the time being I'm happy
DJing at a weekend, being in the studio during the week and writing the odd
few thousand words for various magazines. Could you really see yourself
giving up if you were doing what I do? I think not...

Many Thanks to Mark EG for taking the time to do the interview for us.

If you'd like to send him an email do so by mailing m_eg@hotmail.com and check out his homepage, http://freespace.virgin.net/markeg for news on dates and monthly techno/trance reviews