Experienced music selector and DJ producer Marc Stan (Marko Stanišić) has been building a career on the global electronic scene for years. After spending many years abroad, he has performed in renowned clubs around the world, always remaining true to the analog sound. His sets are dynamic, unpredictable and driven by the current atmosphere - never the same, because he does not believe in pre-prepared mixes or relying on artificial intelligence.
His latest EP Acid Generation achieved significant success, breaking into the Beatport Top 100 chart, where it remained for a full 20 days, and even being in the top ten for three days. With this release, Marc Stan once again confirms his goal - to bring fresh, innovative soundscapes to the audience, relying solely on authentic artistic expression, and today he talks about his current project and production work for "Vijesti"...
Marko, you started your career in Montenegro, but you quickly decided to move on. You lived in Paris, you had the opportunity to play music in New York. In both France and the USA, electronic music is much more appreciated than in the Balkans, which is why the competition is much greater than if you had started in the Balkans. What is it that set you apart from the crowd of DJs?
My beginnings in DJing were very challenging, due to the time when there was only analog equipment (cassettes, records and CDs) on which you had to have the skill and ear for mixing, unlike today where you can literally become a “DJ” in a few days of technical training. And that required constant practice and improvement from me, both the skill of beat matching by ear and the skill and improvement of mixing two tracks, or more precisely the transitions from one to the other. This is exactly what separated me from other DJs, that skill that I mastered over time in the transitions from one track to the other. My transitions can never be the same, they always depend on the vibe of the audience in front of me and are never planned, I create them in the moment by following the audience in front of me.
Your current EP “Acid Generation” has been a success. Namely, it made it onto the Beatport Top 100 chart, spending 20 days in the Top 100, and three days in the Top 10. Nowadays, when it’s almost hard to invent hot water, what do you think made this EP stand out from the crowd of electronic music that’s on the airwaves every day? How important is the Beatport chart to you as a DJ and producer?
To be honest, I was surprised when I entered the top 100 Beatport charts for Techno (Peak. Time/Driving) releases. I didn't expect it because at the same time as my EP was released, several other very good tracks were released by DJs who have been at the top of DJing for several years. I would like to mention that with me in the Top 10 were Charlotte De Vitte, Amelie Lens, Adam Beyer, No Name Left.. And that is a great success for me personally, to be in the Top 10 with all those names of the world scene and to stay in the Top 25 for 100 days. Today I am in 645th place on the world DJ ranking list. Mostly thanks to the days I stayed in the lists, because that is how we get points and that is how we rank on the official lists.
It's well known that there is hyperproduction in pop, rock and other genres, but it seems to me that when it comes to electronic music, it's even more pronounced. Is it possible to fight against it or do DJs simply have to keep up and release tracks frequently to always stay current?
You're right, hyperproduction is really big today. I talked about it in my answer to the first question, which is that everything is available today to be both DJs and producers for a short period of time, and that's why we have hyperproduction. Personally, I struggle with trying to bring some "notes" to my productions that will set them apart from the sea of others that come out every day. And it's also very important to release tracks in some continuity in order to stay relevant, because if you don't release tracks, new releases and new names will simply overtake you and you'll disappear from that market very quickly.
You say that when you're on stage in front of an audience, you establish a connection with them and try to recognize what they want to hear. However, sometimes a DJ is also expected to impose the tempo and rhythm himself. How difficult is it sometimes to balance between what you would like to hear in your sets and what you estimate the audience wants to hear? How much does experience help you to assess what they want to hear because sometimes other people's assessments don't go so well for us?
Yes, the DJ is the one who must always have control over the audience. But I keep that control when I assess the audience, that's one of the most important things, assessing the audience and making a connection with them and at that moment I control both the tempo and the rhythm, or as you said "impose". In my sets, I always play what the audience needs, I never balance between what I would like to play and what I think the audience wants. On the set, the DJ is the creator, and the main task is to create an atmosphere for the audience. The assessments are different. In clubs, it is always more demanding to assess and make a connection with people than at festivals. At festivals, you usually know in advance what kind of music is going to be played and it is much easier there, while in clubs, the audience is diverse and it is much more difficult to make that connection. But that is acquired over time through performances. I have had the opportunity to perform in many large and small clubs, as well as at festivals around the world and I have a lot of experience, but I am still learning to this day, and I am improving every day.
I also find it interesting that a lot of DJs come with a ready-made set list. You plug a USB into the mixer and the party starts. As someone who likes to do live sets and mix songs, do you feel more pressure when performing in front of an audience because of that, and what are the advantages and disadvantages of having that ready-made mix at your shows?
I've never come with a ready-made set, and I'm not a fan of that. A DJ is an artist and he needs to create that vibe during his performance, and that's not possible with a ready-made set. And the audience, for the most part, recognizes the energy in a DJ, and they can see if he's creating or faking, as I would call it.
Music in general has long since become a lucrative business. Everything is tracked through the number of views, likes. How difficult is it because of that to balance creativity and the commercial side of the industry?
It's especially hard today, all the big bookers are looking at social media, likes, views, etc. It wasn't like that before, the creativity that a DJ created with the audience was appreciated. I can't say that it doesn't exist today, but I think the former is more prevalent. I had a personal interaction with a booker who told me that he was delighted with my work, but that the problem was that I wasn't very active on social media and that this should be improved. I asked him if he was looking for a DJ or a model who would stand on the counter and act as a DJ? He didn't give me an answer.
In recent years, and even decades, DJs have been relying heavily on music from the 70s, 80s, 90s... They no longer make remixes, but use certain clips and, let's say, give new life to old and forgotten hits. How do you view recycling music, is it a lack of your own ideas and creativity and a safe haven, or can it be a double-edged sword?
Quite a few covers have been released recently, more precisely in the past few years, but mostly for the funky house genre. Personally, I like to hear those old hits, and I use them in my performances in clubs where the audience is looking for that direction. And among those new covers, you can find both very good and bad ones. It's good to find the right moment to play one of those tracks and combine it with current house music releases, because there are many good ones and connect that older sound with the new one, and that is always well received by the audience at my performances. I say again, with a rigorous selection of those covers.
Considering that you have worked and lived abroad, what do you think of the Balkan electronic scene? There is progress, but when you compare what our producers are doing with the world scene - where are we?
We have a lot of good producers, but I think they simply can't come to the fore in our scene in what they do best, but are forced to go in a more commercial direction, which is where a lot of them get lost. That's exactly why I left our area, because I couldn't find understanding for what I was doing, and what I'm doing today. DJing requires a lot of sacrifice, and a lot of money. It's not as easy as many people think. It takes a lot of effort, time and work to get results after a certain amount of time. Here in our country, I think we still don't have enough understanding for true electronic music.
Technology is advancing day by day, however, many authors today are fighting against artificial intelligence, although there are also those who have accepted it and are using it. What is your opinion and how dangerous it can be, especially when people get used to it and become lazy, will it kill creativity? Do you use it?
No, I don't use it. I'm not a fan of artificial intelligence. Music is art, and we artists should be creating it, not some AI or whatever.
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