Fast forward though and he says that 2013 has been full on. “It’s been a pretty hectic year, actually,” chimes the man. “I’ve been broadening my horizons and have started working on a PhD in Electroacousitc Composition which I’m very excited about. I’m also doing a bit of part-time lecturing on top of all the usual Banco and label stuff, so I haven’t had much free time lately. As for Banco, we have some exciting news coming for next year and of course a load of shows shaping up including the trip to Australia, which I am really looking forward to.”
Originally, the Banco outfit was a collaboration between Marks and Andy Guthrie – a close friend from university. “I was living in Scotland trying to be a jazz guitarist around 1988/89,” he says. “Andy was playing keyboards in a reggae band and doing a little bit of programming and sequencing for Island Records at the time. I was going back for a visit to Leamington Spa, where Andy and I met and where he still lived – and he had a gig lined up. I turned up with a guitar synth and a drum machine and Andy had this really basic sequencer and a couple of synths and we knocked together something resembling acid-house, or how we understood it at the time!”
Indeed, Banco was always about combining music from all over the world with what he considered contemporary western electronic music – a key part of the concept and the heart of what Banco is about. “What exactly I use musically, tends to depend on what is to hand though,” he claims. “If I’ve been traveling and recording somewhere interesting, or come across a new and exciting sample library perhaps, the kind of material I incorporate is pretty random and not part of some master plan. I’m always looking for new sounds though and one reason I like using ‘ethnic’ sources is that to my western ears, they can sound very unfamiliar, which sparks all sorts of creative ideas I wouldn’t have otherwise. I guess that’s why I got drawn to electroacoustic music and sound art in general, it’s a whole new alien language for me to explore.”
Describing his sound then, is something that isn’t going to happen without some difficulty. “I‘ve always used so many varied elements in my music, that after 25 years I still can’t sum it up in one or two words. How about global-ambient-techno-dub-jazz-folk-fusion?” he says in jest. “Basically, it’s a mix of post-acid house electronic dance music in various forms, a bit of techno, a bit of breaks, a bit of dub, a bit of house, mixed with other music and sounds from all over the globe and the occasional jazz, rock or classical twist. I think of myself as a human jukebox these days. I have over 20 years of Banco tunes to choose from too, so I tailor the sets on the fly depending on the vibe, where and when I’m playing and what the crowd is responding to. I also like to use video whenever I can and have a variety of material to choose from depending on my mood as well.”
Summing up, he tell us that this is his third trip to Australia. “I was last there for the Eclipse Festival in Queensland last year, which was amazing. This time around I’ll be playing at Rainbow Serpent and I’ll be doing an uptempo, party kind of set as well as a chill-out set; expect everything from my most banging remix territory to some really mellow, gentle textures. I’m also playing at the Northcote Social Club in Melbourne and I am thinking of doing a more mid-tempo set there, danceable but a bit dubbier and melodic. But who knows? I make it up as I go along each time!”
BY RK
