LISTEN TO BESERKA

From early keyboard-tinkering days growing up in the English countryside to being the brains behind pulsating, genre bending productions which have received support from the likes of Shut Up And Dance and Laurent Garnier, it's been an interesting journey for in-demand breakbeat producer Mark 'Merka' Ford.  Now, with his debut artist album 'Beserka' available through respected breaks imprint Fat! and on the back of a roaringly successful album launch party at The End, the man himself gave TuneTribe the opportunity to fire questions in his direction.  

How did you get into music in the early days?
"Firstly through the piano, then a Casio, then Yamaha keyboard. I enjoyed trying to build a tune and compose much more than learning to play properly - with my first sequencer I became hooked on programming. I attached myself to the sound of jungle leaking into my town through tapes and by playing on friends' decks. I got caught up in the music my friends were caning on a school trip, banging happy hardcore. This infatuation lasted about a month until the dark beginnings of techy drum and bass took hold and I realised how important music was to me."

Describe the process of making a Merka track...
"I usually grab some samples I've found that have made my brain clink and then record them into logic and start spinning a breakbeat around to find my feet. Then it's to and fro from beat to sample trying to build them round each other, building up percussion and atmospherics around the ideas that evolve. I'll also be working on the sonics of the sounds and trying to squeeze in more sounds and samples. I'm happy with the tune when it sounds like music instead of a computer command list, and when it's weighty and crisp enough in my speakers."

How long did it take you to make the album and was it an easy process?
"Over a year I'd had ideas and the beginnings of tracks but as my deadline approached I realised I wasn't dedicating myself to the project like I needed to. I quit my job and threw myself at the task in the most energetic way a lazy man can muster.  I really started to love and enjoy what I was making, and living on my own I slipped into a pattern of staying up at night then sleeping by day at random intervals. I forgot the importance of eating or looking after myself in any way. It was far from easy, but working hard is not always bad. I'm chuffed knowing now that I have a record detailing my state of mind and character at the time logged in the catalogues, what I will always remember as my 'Beserka' period!" 

What makes a good producer do you think?
"The best producers have a skill in crafting sounds together to take on one massive power; all my favourite producers do this in a way that makes a tune so much more than just a sum of its parts. To gain such skill in sonics takes time, but a good producer will always hint of original ideas and personality that you can hear in even the worst sounding productions."

What's the weirdest experience you've ever had whilst DJing/clubbing?
At my London launch party I wore a massive space helmet and suit, I couldn't really see through the sweat or hear through the visor but it was a wicked night with a massive crew of friends there. Very weird but I had a really special night."

How do you think the breakbeat scene has changed over the last few years?
"I think what it has gained in parties and productions it has maybe lost in culture somewhat. With so few top DJs spread across the globe the core is slightly hollow.  But I see people still hearing breaks for the first time and getting hooked and a lot of new producers finding space and ideas in a tempo they've never approached before."

Tell us about your radio show and your plans for 2007
"I present the 'Reach Around' show with my DJ Mike Lennon, Fridays on Breaks FM, hard to fit into my schedule as it becomes busier but always a wicked laugh. I'm currently putting off throwing myself into plans for a full blown live act but it must start soon, and I hope to develop this alongside my productions."

Complete the phrase "you should download the Merka album because..."
"...everyone has to go 'Beserka' sometime."