Marc Spence “Nasty”

Anyone who has been keeping up with the latest batch of buzzing labels has heard of This Ain’t Bristol. The German-based imprint is quickly solidifying itself as an authority on proper house cuts that don’t play by the rules. For their ninth release, TAB has tagged Marc Spence to kick out his debut outing on the label.

Based out of Birmingham, UK, he’s a name that’s fast on the come-up, having sharpened his sound through a tireless output, raking in respectable bookings and teaching music production/DJ classes at the DJ Gym in the Custard Factory. All his hard work is paying off, which you can quickly distinguish after one listen of his double A-sided EP. Lead cut “Nasty” is up for premiere on Insomniac today, with a buff, slinky bassline and steamy break that’ll make you sweat more than back-to-back hot yoga sessions.

Available Nov 6 via This Ain’t Bristol.

If you were to describe this track as a scent—a signature fragrance, as it were—what would it be called, and what would its tagline be?
I’d call it “Hooked,” as from the moment I dropped down the drums and bass, I was hooked until the arrangement was complete! The caption would read “Stand alone and be yourself,” as at the time I had not heard anything come out recently like it, and it was me just fully buzzin’ off my own love for music.

Were you impulsive on this track, or did you have a sketch in mind before you started?
No, it was completely impulsive. I never really plan production, unless I am planning to do a mashup or bootleg of a track. I believe music to be an artistic channel of inner emotions and feelings, so I always just go with the flow and let the music and my feelings toward it take it wherever it wants to go.

Do you think advances in computer technology and gear have affected your creativity?
I think how easy and fast it is to get ideas down is great, as tools like Ableton and Maschine make it so easy to get creativity down. But I am also a massive fan of old, analog equipment and sound. For instance, I bought an MPC2000XL earlier this year and believe it is the best £450 I have ever spent! I just love the way my drums punch through it, especially when running it through my Alesis 3630 compressor! Those two together are a match made in heaven for me.

Who is the ideal person to remix this track?
A dream for me would be for Dave Taylor, aka Switch, to remix anything of mine. His production has been a massive, massive influence on my whole DJ and production career. When I first started DJing 10 years ago, I played D&B and breaks right up until the day I walked into 3 Shades Records in Birmingham and heard the music of Dubsided, Switch’s label. The jackin’, fidgety sound caught me instantly, and with the crew of Switch, Sinden, Jesse Rose, Herve, Trevor Loveys, Duke Dumont and Solid Groove, I never looked back.

What’s the takeaway here? Is there a message or vibe you hope to get across to listeners?
Lose any arrogance you might have, enjoy what you do, and spread as much good vibes as humanly possible. And never, ever, ever take too much notice of an individual’s opinions, yet always have faith in your own.

How does this production reflect your personality/ethos?
It’s quite funny you should ask that, as my good pal Will Power just the other day said, “Mate, ‘Nasty’ is so you all over. If there was ever a track that would describe you, that is it.” So, I would definitely say it reflects my personality and ethos of having as much fun as possible in the world of music, never stick to boundaries, and spread as much positive vibes as possible.

How do you measure the “success” (whatever that means to you) of a track?
I think if you can reach out to even one person with your music and make them have a better day or cheer them up when they’re down, then that is the greatest gift in life you can give. In my eyes, that’s the greatest success you can achieve. People search their whole life for happiness, and being able to give that, even for a short time, is a great gift.

Creatively, how did the work on this track stack up to previous studio sessions? Was this more challenging to complete than others, and why?
Originally, the track’s arrangement came together really fast and was complete within two days. But then I ended up spending nearly seven months mixing it down until I was fully happy with it. There were many occasions I nearly gave up on it, but then my dad’s saying kept popping into my head: “Never give up on something you believe in.” And this was a track I did believe in, so I would leave it for a couple weeks and come back to it until it was done. Tbh, there is still a few tweaks I would like to do to the track, but there comes a point when you have to say enough is enough and just let it go and move on to the next. I am glad I spent the time, though, as I did learn a lot of things that I can avoid in the future and save going through that amount of time again.

What’s your favorite sound/synth/effect/etc. used here, and why?
Got to be the “fence break” sample just before the drop! I will always try to fit in any crazy sample anywhere in my tracks, but that one just fit so well.

Choose one feeling that sums up this release, and describe it to us.
Fully buzzin’ my tits off! lol, I have searched for labels in the past to find homes for my crazy productions, and feel blessed to be working with such a great team like the one at This Ain’t Bristol. Massive shout to the lads!

If this song were a color, what would it be?
Neon Green!!

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