Marasco – no politics of sound

Marasco is the Italian producer who’s been shacked up in Hawaii for the best part of the last few decades, and it’s a way of life that, while being kind to him, also shines through in his music. His latest EP on Frole Record typifies the fact, as he summons up a series of tracks that encapsulate the industrial madness of his hometown, Naples, as well as the summery vibe of Hawaii. A neat proposition we’re sure you’ll agree, and with this in mind we called him up recently to find out more…

How’s life as Marasco this weather? All good?

Life is great, can’t complain!

What keeps you occupied aside from music? What do you do to take your mind off everyday things?

The ocean; I’m an ocean lover and as long I’m close to it I feel good. If I spend 2-3 days without going to the beach, I get really anxious.

Does your personal life play out in the music you make? Is it indicative of your personality at all?

Always depends on the situation I’m in.

And how long have you been producing? What do you like about making music? 

15 years more or less…. I love the studio environment. It detaches me from the outside life I usually live. Then working on different sounds is always my favorite thing to do. I get really creative and try to search for the perfect sounds. Well….. I don’t make it happen all the time!

Do you generally produce on your own or alongside others?

Usually on my own, but I had a project called HawaBiza with Tuccillo with 2 nice releases that was really fun. Hopefully we will have time to do some more. I love working with such talents. Then I did lots of different tunes with Gretchen Rhodes, and Halo from H-Foundation.

Who or what inspired the Frole release then?

House Music and “My Home”.At the beginning of the year I was in a very house music old school vibe.  I called it My Home since I’m originally from Naples, Italy but Ive been in Hawaii for 25 years. Frole is a new rising label from my home town and when they decided to sign my records, the title was inevitable. They released records with Moodymanc, Chez Damier, Todd Terry, Desos,Rio Padice, Julien Sandre,  Ekkohaus, James Barnsley, Volta Cab and more. They are doing a great work.

How do you know the guys at Frole? They’re from Italy, too, right?

Yes, from my same town. We met….believe it or not….through the net!!…yeah…it’s 2014 man…you don’t go out and meet people..you are chatting or skyping with someone…weird!…;-)

Do you miss the Italian scene when you’re living in Hawaii at all? Or are you glad that the two places are very different?

I do not miss it at all. I like it when I’m there, but I like where I am. The places are very different, one is a full speed city, and here it is pretty much a bubble in the middle of the Pacific ocean where creativity comes out.

What are the fundamental differences in your life then? I guess life’s a lot slower in Hawaii, right?

Hmmmm…. it depends on you. I’m not slower, I’m constantly on the move. Either in the water, or traveling or in the studio, family, etc.etc. Before it was slower for sure, but then responsibilities come along…

It seems that the release is quite typical of your productions. How do you personally feel your style has progressed over the years? Do you feel you’re always improving?

I try….! Not easy I can tell you that! I’m really into house and techno and I try to not be repetitive. It’s a mission, in a good way I hope.

Do you ever suffer from being uninspired in the studio? If so, what do you do to counteract it?

YES! The key for me is to shut it down and come back later or the next day. I don’t force it. Every time I did it, it was a disaster. I learned my lesson.

Can you tell us a bit about your studio? Or do you mainly produce on laptops?

I have a good set-up with some analog machines, other synths. I’m always improving and  trying to buy new hardware. I like it. Even if today, if you really know how to use certain VST you can really make it sound good. But I believe you still need some pre-amps or other gear to pump the sound.

Did you start out on hardware then? Are there any old pieces of kit you still go back to?

Yes, it’s fun. my Moog!  I create a bassline first with some groove and then I develop the all track. I use it most of the time.

Is it hard to pick up such pieces in Hawaii? Is there much going on music wise in your hometown?

Not really where I live but the scene in Honolulu is pretty good. Asylum Afterhours is the place to be and the guys there are super! They have been carrying the scene for 6 – 7 years I think, and so many artists have come to play there. Willis Haltom and Darren Zane are running the show together with all the resident Djs doing a great work. They also just started a label called Asylum Confidential. Some sick releases already, and they are focus on putting Hawaii on the music map.

What kind of software or hardware do you tend to use a lot?

I come from Logic, but now use Ableton. I run it through the amps and try to make it sound the best as possible. As hardwares, I have some Dave Smith synths, moog, some drum machines.

Do you generally go into the studio and jam and see what happens or did you produce the EP with the label in mind?

I go in the studio and jam. I want to be out of the politics of sound. I make music first for me, and if I’m not happy I will stop.

So did you produce this EP with Frole in mind? Do you generally work it like that?

No. I did it for me, I wanted to create some tracks with an old school vibe and then I thought about Frole when I went to visit my family this summer.  I listened to lots of their past releases and they have some serious guys on it, f I felt… well maybe I should send it to them, Naples is MY HOME.

And who were the big influences with the EP? Is it fair to say that you like atmospheric techno especially?

I have many influences in my music and I think they all come together every time I’m in the studio. I like Techno a lot, I was born in a techno city. So many artists have come from there… Naples’ sound is surely one of my influences.

Any plans to do an album or a live show in the future? Or maybe one day start your own label?

I’m working on a live show for my new project called Embassy of Joy. It Is a more of Electronica adventure I’m doing with Gretchen Rhodes and we have our first release coming out on ENDLESS WORLDWIDE (Luca Bacchetti’s label) on January 15^{th 2015}. I hope we can be ready soon! It’s very time consuming work.

If you were stuck on a desert island, what 3 things would you bring?

Well, a Ukulele, my family and my surfboard. It’s an island, sooner or later some waves will show up!

Ok, we’ll also allow for 5 albums of your choosing too! What would they be?

Cobblestone Jazz – 23seconds

Genesis – Abacab

Beastie Boys – III Communication

Sly and the Family Stone –Stand!

Tricky – Maxinquaye

Dunnow about the 5^th…

Who’d play you in a movie of your life?

Al Pacino?….lol…

Can you tell us a joke?

I know many in Neapolitan dialect, I don’t know if it will be appropriate to translate it…!

And what else is on the agenda for you over the next 12 months?

Embassy of Joy will be my main thing this 2015, but I will keep making my own Marasco sound and EP’s. I’m working on a new EP for SURFACE ( H-Foundation label). Hopefully out by March 2015…we’ll see, challenging, but I will do my best.