Marc Houle grew up in Windsor, Canada with computer games on the brain, New Wave music in his ears, and Detroit as his back yard. Influenced early on by the synthesized sounds of Depeche Mode and Kraftwerk, his love for technology-tinted music was then supplemented in the early 90's warehouses and clubs of Detroit with a first-class weekly education in Techno from the founders of the genre. In 1997 he began a residency at Richie Hawtin's club '13 Below' where he hosted a New Wave night accompanied by classic video game consoles for the crowd. It was there that he met Minimal Techno's first lady, Magda, who then became his lodger and studio companion. It was during their years living together that she would insist to be given edits of his synth-laden productions to suit her own more minimal Techno tastes. Eventually Hawtin himself heard the stripped-down versions of Marc's work and asked him to join the legendary Minus label. Marc, apart from having the most recognizably retro sound on the label, may also be the most prolific of the crew, having produced thousands of songs in his career. This is also what makes Marc's live sets so truly unique, with approximately half of all the music he plays being his own unreleased repertoire; no two sets could ever be the same, except in their ability to impress the crowd.
Be on the look out for more of Marc's diverse musical roots showing through in productions from his own label Items & Things, plus more to come on Minus.
Tracks on "Drift (Video Edition)"
This Album is featured in Update #037:
Apparat, John Roberts, Darkstar
Gems aplenty in this edition of our monthly newsletter, from Apparat's stunning DJ-KiCKS, to John Robert's excellent album debut for Dial, and Darkstar's likewise stunning first on Hyperdub. The Modeselektor boys release the extended vinyl edits of their more...
Top 1 in Download Charts of Week #43
Top 5 in Download Charts of Week #42
Drift (Full Album Video)
(Bonus Video on this Album)
Top 4 in Best Rated Releases of Week #41
This Album is featured in Update #035:
Marc Houle, Jacob Korn, Lee Jones
Combining the tempo of house with the sonic palette of techno and modern production techniques, music that falls under the versatile genre tag of techno house has become so ubiquitous on worldwide dance floors, it is now almost synonymous with club music more...
Top 5 in Download Charts of Week #41
Drift (Full Album Video)
(Bonus Video on this Album)
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Drift (Full Album Video)
(Bonus Video on this Album)
Inside
(Track 01 on this Album)
Marc Houle cites the harsh Berlin winter as the major inspiration for his fourth studio album, 'Drift'. And indeed the veteran Minus producer has cooled down his variant of minimal techno considerably, while at the same time introducing a more organic feel to it.
This is not necessarily a contradiction in itself - cold, industrial soundscapes and endless echoes are complemented by strung guitars and hushed voices, which add a human touch to the album and distinguish its nine tracks from the artificial sterility so often encountered in minimal techno productions.
Marc Houle is a master of classic Minus-style basslines, which carry tracks like the 'Inside', 'Drift', and 'Melting'. In other moments, such as on 'Sweet' or 'Hammering', Houle relies on looser elements, such as plucked string sounds to create eerie and melancholic moods.
The album comes as a Video Edition exclusive to zero", including a 46-minute film by Polish visual artist Barbara Klein, which perfectly complements Marc Houle's organic minimalism with dreamlike, mystical images of shadowy figures and lone dark forests.
This is not necessarily a contradiction in itself - cold, industrial soundscapes and endless echoes are complemented by strung guitars and hushed voices, which add a human touch to the album and distinguish its nine tracks from the artificial sterility so often encountered in minimal techno productions.
Marc Houle is a master of classic Minus-style basslines, which carry tracks like the 'Inside', 'Drift', and 'Melting'. In other moments, such as on 'Sweet' or 'Hammering', Houle relies on looser elements, such as plucked string sounds to create eerie and melancholic moods.
The album comes as a Video Edition exclusive to zero", including a 46-minute film by Polish visual artist Barbara Klein, which perfectly complements Marc Houle's organic minimalism with dreamlike, mystical images of shadowy figures and lone dark forests.
Drift (Full Album Video)
(Bonus Video on this Album)