INTERVIEW: Mark Weatherley
Mark Weatherley is an electronic music producer, originally from London, UK, and now based in Budapest. He's known rich, deep, layered soundscapes, nuanced, intricate sound design and kaleidoscopic track structures — all aimed at creating a special atmosphere you can't convey by other means.
All of the above is present on Mark's new single Petrichor (“the pleasant earthy scent that fills the air after rain falls on dry soil”). The track is so layered that you almost feel disoriented on the first listen. But what makes you come back to it and get comfortable with its intricacy and complicated structure and eventually turns you into a fan is the track's emotion and atmosphere.
How do you convey the rainy scent of the soil and the awakening nature? By combining crisp drums (think Four Tet's first album or even classic Moby stuff like Play and 18), chopped up speech and vocal samples, psychedelic synth textures and an ever-changing rhythm that glues it all together.
We asked Mark a few questions about the creative process behind the track.
All of the above is present on Mark's new single Petrichor (“the pleasant earthy scent that fills the air after rain falls on dry soil”). The track is so layered that you almost feel disoriented on the first listen. But what makes you come back to it and get comfortable with its intricacy and complicated structure and eventually turns you into a fan is the track's emotion and atmosphere.
How do you convey the rainy scent of the soil and the awakening nature? By combining crisp drums (think Four Tet's first album or even classic Moby stuff like Play and 18), chopped up speech and vocal samples, psychedelic synth textures and an ever-changing rhythm that glues it all together.
We asked Mark a few questions about the creative process behind the track.
— What was the first spark of inspiration behind the track? Was it an idea, a sound or something else?
— The initial idea actually came from a guitar loop I recorded, originally intended to be a short interlude piece. It was in that state for months put aside with all my other works in progress but It never felt fully complete, I felt there was something else to explore inside like it was constantly calling me so I said "ok ok no rules no plans...just see where it goes" the song wrote itself from that point on. It took a lot of experimenting and time but I enjoyed the journey it took me on.
— How did the lyrics come about? Are they important for the song's message?
— The song’s message is more about the title “Petrichor” than the lyrics. Petrichor means “the pleasant earthy scent that fills the air after rain falls on dry soil” which really appealed to me. I love the rain it reminds me of England and its unique atmosphere. The lyrics and vocals are sampled from a variety of sources, dusty 50’s/60’s vinyl, modern R&B/Pop and my own voice heavily manipulated into something fresh and new…there are even birds singing which also worked well with some of the ethnic instrumentation like the flutes and hand percussion etc. Creating cohesion was a challenge between all these genres and eras but it all fell into place naturally in the end.
— If you were to place this track on today's musical map, where would you put it in terms of genre? It doesn't have to belong to a single category — it could easily sit at the intersection of several different styles. And which artists would you place on that map in relation to it?
They don't necessarily have to be right next to this track. They might occupy very different parts of the musical landscape, yet still be connected to it through a shared lineage, influence, or aesthetic — like two bodies of water linked by the same river system.
They don't necessarily have to be right next to this track. They might occupy very different parts of the musical landscape, yet still be connected to it through a shared lineage, influence, or aesthetic — like two bodies of water linked by the same river system.
— If I had to put “Petrichor” into a specific genre it would be difficult because it swims between quite a few like electronica, ambient, trip hop, downtempo, leftfield etc. The same way artists which inspire me have no real genre like Oneohtrix Point Never, Actress, Madlib, Four Tet, Djrum, Skee Mask to name just a few they all tread in such vastly different territories that all I can say is they are “electronic based” but that doesn’t really do their description justice. I wouldn’t say my music sounds anything like any of those artists particularly, I just use their influence to create my own path. I get just as much inspiration from non musical experiences too, I’m big on nature it feeds my soul a lot, forest walks, hiking and staying open to the simple balance of my surroundings helps a great deal to keep me inspired. Looking at everything from fresh perspectives always spawns something new.