DJ Marfox
DJ Marfox (born Marlon Silva in June 1988) is a Portuguese DJ. He is best known for pioneering a new music genre that emerged from the Portuguese capital's housing estates, referred to as "ghetto sound of Lisbon",[1] batida or batucada,[2] which incorporates African-influenced dance music such as kuduro, kizomba, funaná and tarraxinha[3] with house and techno.[3][4]
DJ Marfox | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Marlon Silva |
Born | June 1988 (age 35) Lisbon, Portugal |
Genres |
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Occupation(s) | DJ |
Years active | 2002–present |
Labels |
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Website | www |
His stage name combines the first syllable of Marlon with the name of the character featured in the Nintendo game Star Fox he used to play as a teenager.[5]
Career
Silva was born in Lisbon, Portugal to parents from São Tomé e Príncipe.[6] He started deejaying as DJ Marfox in 2002.[7]
In 2005, together with DJ Pausas and DJ Fofuxo, he founded DJs do Guetto[8] and a year later they released DJs do Ghetto Vol. I, a digital compilation made up of 37 tracks, onto eMule.[3] This compilation, which has since been re-issued as a free download by Príncipe Discos,[3] has been viewed as the foundational release of the ghetto sound of Lisbon.[4][7]
His first solo album, Eu sei quem Eu Sou ("I know who I am"), released by Príncipe Discos in early 2011,[5] was described by Philip Sherburne as “an atomic field of taut drums, hiccupping yelps, zapping synths and pinprick details."[9]
In 2014, DJ Marfox released an EP called Lucky Punch on Lit City Trax[10][11] and performed on the Red Bull Music Academy in New York,[12] as well as in the Warm Up—the live music concerts curated by MoMA PS1.[13][14] According to Cedar Pasori, DJ Marfox's participation in MoMA PS1's highly acclaimed experimental electronic music series, which took place on 30 August 2014, "reinforced the accelerating spread of Afro-Portuguese dance music around the world."[11] The album Lucky Punch was listed as one of DAZED's top ten albums for August 2014.[15] In between the aforementioned performances, the Rolling Stone magazine included him in their list of "10 New Artists You Need to Know".[16]
One of the first international collaborations of the Portuguese DJ and producer was a rework of tUnE-yArDs' song "Water Fountain" featuring Brazilian band Pearls Negras.[17][18]
On 13 March 2015 the British independent record label WARP announced the release on 7 April of a new EP called Cargaa 1 featuring DJ Marfox as the central figure of what MR P describes as the "cream-of-the-crop purveyors of Lisbon's thrilling electronic dance scene".[19]
A compilation of songs crafted in the artist's bedroom from 2005 to 2008 was launched as a CD as well as free download under the name Revolução 2005–2008 on March 16, 2015.[20]
DJ Marfox released an EP in April 2016 titled Chapa Quente, featuring such songs as Tarraxo Everyday.
Discography
Albums & EPs
- Eu sei quem Eu sou (Príncipe, 2011) – reviewed by Philip Sherburne/Resident Advisor[6]
- Artist Unknown (Pollinaire, 2012) – reviewed by Philip Sherburne/SPIN[21]
- Subliminar (Enchufada, 2013)
- Lucky Punch (Lit City Trax, 2014) – reviewed by Philip Sherburne/SPIN[22] as well as Joe Muggs & Seb Wheeler/MixMag[23]
- Revolução 2005–2008 (NOS, 2015)
- Chapa Cuente (Principe, 2015)
Songs featured in compilations:
- "Funk em Kuduro" – DJs do Guetto Vol. 1 first released in 2006; re-release in 2013 by Príncipe Discos.
References
- Keeling, Ryan. 'Features: The Ghetto Sound of Lisbon'. Resident Advisor. 10.03.2014.
- Pinto, Jorge. 'A música africana reinventa-se nos guetos de Lisboa'. Rede Angola. 12.02.2015.
- Barry, Robert '“This is our grime”: DJ Marfox, DJ Nigga Fox, Principe Records and the Sound of the Lisbon Ghettos'. FactMag. 18 October 2013.
- 'RA.406 DJ Marfox'. Resident Advisor. Podcast 406. 10.03.2013.
- Beta, Andy 'Lisbon's Batida Revolution'. Pitchfork. 29.08.2014.
- Sherburne, Philip. 'Review: Eu Sei Quem Sou'. Resident Advisor. 27.01.2012.
- Dolding, Sian. 'Introducing DJ Marfox'. Dazed. April 2014.
- Jones, Charlie Robin. 'Meet the Lisbon ghetto kids setting the bairros on fire'. Dazed. May 2014.
- Sherburne, Philip. 'DJ Marfox Hypnotic Hard Assed Dance Mix'. Spin. 05.07.2012.
- Friedlander, Emilie. 'Stream: DJ Marfox, Terra Batida'. Fadrer. 18.04.2014.
- Cedar, Young. 'DJ Marfox Talks' Do Androids Dance. 20.06.2014.
- Cedar, Young. 'Lit City Trax Makes History at Wesway for RBMA NYC 2014' Do Androids Dance. 31.05.2014
- Khal. 'MoMA PS1 has announced their Warm Up Lineup' Do Androids Dance. 28.05.2014
- 'DJ Marfox Continues MoMA PS1 Warm Up Mix Series'. Pitchfork. 29.08.2014.
- Olbrich, Suze. 'Top Ten Album of the Month'. Dazed. August 2014.
- '10 New Artists You Need to Know'. Rolling Stone. June 2014.
- Minisher, Evan. 'tUnE-yArDs Perform "Water Fountain" on "Conan", Launch Water Charity'. Pitchfork. 10.12.2014.
- Brodsky, Rachel. 'tUnE-yArDs Loop and Drum Their Way to the Water Fountain on Conan'. Spin. 10.12.2014.
- MR P. 'Warp Records to release EP featuring exciting Lisbon producers DJ Marfox, DJ Nigga Fox, and more'. Wrap. 13.03.2015.
- NOS DISCOS. 13.03.2015.
- Sherburne, Philip. 'Control Voltage's Friday Five: Damaged Beats from Blawan and Theo Parrish'. Spin 21.09.2012.
- Sherburne, Philip. 'Dance Tracks of the Week: DJ Marfox Throws a 'Lucky Punch' for Lit City Trax'. Spin. 02.05.2014.
- Muggs, Joe & Seb Wheeler. 'Bass: August' Archived 2015-02-18 at the Wayback Machine. MixMag. 18.08.2014.