Marcus Kech is an electrifying producer, performer and singer-songwriter out of Melbourne. Releasing two singles off his upcoming album Strange Love out later this month, So There's This Girl and As The Record Crackles are the first tastes of Marcus’ evolving sound. Hazy Days Music would like to thank Marcus for taking the time out and having a chat

What have you been working on since releasing your EP last year, YOU WILL BE OK? 

I've really wanted to test myself since releasing YOU WILL BE OK. I wanted to create something new and move away from that house/techno vibe. I feel like making an album is a big deal and something I have always dreamed of doing since high school.  

This album I've been writing is all about this one specific girl. It's all about the trauma, heartbreak, lessons, trials and tribulations of being in a relationship. The weird thing is I started making all of this before any of that even happened. For some reason, the inspiration just hit me to start writing music and making beats. Not long after, my life started to replicate everything, including with this specific person. Once it all ended, the inspiration grew. I was more into it, happier to write in more detail, and that's when it all started to flood out. 

The plan is to release three singles off the album before it comes out. 

The first single is So There's This Girl, featuring Ruby-Sofia. I started making this one at a time when I was still happy and before anything 'bad' had happened. The second single that just came out is As the Record Crackles; it all flooded out on this single, and you can kind of tell. So There's This Girl is very happy and upbeat, whereas As the Record Crackles really went down this darker path. And the next single is about dealing with these feelings and emotions during lockdown when I was stuck in my room, not able to do anything but let it all out. It’s the best feeling now, but back then, it was a lot.

So There’s This Girl is a great sample of the new direction your music is going in. How was writing and recording this one? It features the very talented Ruby-Sofia, how was working with her?

So it's kind of funny. I actually submitted So There's This Girl for one of my uni assignments at Collarts University. It was an easy assignment where you just had to have someone feature on your song. It could be a singer, guitarist, drummer or whatever. (I kind of cheated, haha) I already knew I had this instrumental down, and I wanted to do something with it. I messaged Ruby, seeing if she'd be keen to work on this with me, and she was down straight away.

We went into the studio at Collarts one day and recorded it. It was me, Ruby-Sofia and Alec Gordon (guitarist in my band, MysteryShack). Alec was there helping as my co-producer/assistant and ended up being a co-writer.

We went in with only the bare instrumentals, we had no lyrics and no real idea of what we were going to write, but we didn't put any pressure on ourselves.

Once we got into the studio, there was no stopping us. Ruby hopped into the booth, and I sat there for a good 3 hours working with Ruby and making sure that it all ran smoothly. "Ruby, can you try this? Let's do this one again, and let's try that". Ruby said, having me there and how we worked together was a massive difference from her experiences with other producers. Because usually, other producers hear a take that's ok and are cool with that and move on. She was glad I was so involved and wasn't holding off until we got the best take, no matter how long. I think that's what a good producer should do, no matter what it is, no matter how long, just hold out for that best take, and that's what we did that day.

We finished recording it here at Geisha Studio (my bedroom studio). It was such a free song to work with, and I wanted Ruby to feel that.

And I think you can tell with how free and flowy it sounds.

I didn't want Ruby to feel restricted with what she could do; I felt bad writing lyrics for her, but she was fine with it. Ruby killed it! It was very, very fun working in a studio and collaborating with other artists for the first time.

I love the dark disco vibe As The Record Crackles has. How was your experience writing this?

I’ve said it before to friends. In my personal opinion, this is my favourite song I’ve ever written (for now). 

So I had the album down and was trying to put the tracks into the order of the album, seeing if it all flows and fits together right. In the position where, As The Record Crackles is on the album, I had this completely different song. At first, I liked it, but the more I listened to it, I hated it. I'd think to myself: this song is not worthy of 'the breakup song' on the album. I have a storyline for the album, and As The Record Crackles plays as the breakup song. This spot is the core of all the trauma. 

I was going about my business at home one day, listening to Lateralus on vinyl. I have this really old record player, and when it gets to the end, the needle doesn't automatically lift off and stop playing; it just loops on the very end. I was sitting there listening to this crackle going around and around. It was rhythmic, and I started bopping my head along to it. I thought to myself - I have to record this!

My dad, walking into my room while I was on the ground holding a microphone to the speaker. Looking at me like, what are you doing?

It was crazy! I just had one of those moments where I had been given the sauce to the song. I put the recording of the crackle onto Ableton, mixed it up and did what I had to do. But at this point, I didn't know that I was making the new breakup song. I was just making a song at this point. I knew once I recorded that bassline, I could feel the emotion of the song. I just knew this was going to be the song to replace it on the album.

Look back, that old song was so cringeworthy.

Once you knew this was going to be ‘the song’, how was it working on the lyrics for a breakup for the second time?

I was in a pretty bad place. I had already written enough for the album, and I didn't know what else to say anymore. 

I knew I had to capture peoples attention straight away. I want to describe something, and rather than try and imagine a story, why not just tell it as it is. I was weak at that time, and when you are weak, you plead, you beg, and I wanted it to feel that way to seem like I was pleading for something. 

That’s when I knew there was one thing I hadn’t done, and that was being as brutally honest and in-depth as possible with what really happened on the day it all ended with... I want to try and describe certain things that happened in those moments and envision other things; I wanted to try and get people to feel that moment and feel everything that happened. 

On a production level, I wanted it to feel as a break-up would feel. It feels intimate and in your face but still feels cold. All of the instrumentation is very sharp, and no reverb on any of it. 

It sounds like you were going through a lot writing this one. Anything else you’d like to share about the one?

There is a sneaky little Easter Egg in this one.

I was FaceTiming with a bunch of friends who were playing video games. One of my friends could hear me working on the song and started singing and humming along to it in the background. Once I heard him, I told him to record it and send it over to me, and I’ll credit you with additional vocals on the song. So in the part where it all breaks down, you can hear him singing over FaceTime. I think it's a nice little way to immortalise him on the album. A little bit of fun, haha.

I’m so excited for your album to come out! What can you tell us about the record before it’s released?

The album Strange Love will be out on the 23rd of September. It represents the story of what I was going through with this one person.

I didn't really know what to call it for a long time. I was thinking about calling it, So There's This Girl, but that really only sums up one song. In my band (MysteryShack), we all have character names - our drummer is Merl, our guitarist is Flash Fabio, and I am Strange Love. Strange Love just seemed fitting and sounds like an album Strange Love would make. 

If anyone is into analysing music. If you listen to it closely, you can start to notice the motif. I've loved sharing the singles so far, but it's something you might not pick up on when just listening to the singles. Having a motif is something I wanted to fuck around with for a while. I wanted to make sure this album wasn't just a bunch of songs, and the album is a body of work that comes from the same place. 

I used similar tones throughout; I used the same drums, guitars, microphones. I wanted to keep it all in the same realm. I spent a whole year making this record, and for it to come out really, really soon, it's CRAZY! I cannot wait!!

Is there any new inspiration helping you develop your new sound?

A year ago, I was all about The Slow Rush by Tame Impala, and now I listen to Nine Inch Nails and Promises by Floating Points with the London Symphony Orchestra.

I went from getting my inspiration from melodies and harmonies. To have my inspiration come from the production side of music/experimental artists. I love seeing how far you can go with what you have and what you don't have, having that challenge of figuring it out. 

Butterfly 3000 by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard (fuck what an album). They are the biggest inspiration for me at this moment in time. (Not that I will be making stuff like King Gizzard), but they are the perfect example of what a good artist does. A good artist shows that they can do a lot and have a bunch of different sounds. To go from the heavy metal stuff they put out a few years ago to this. They keep putting out albums that blow people's minds away. It just goes to shows. When someone can change their sound, it could be the next best thing, and I think Butterfly 3000 is up there with one of the best albums of the year. Evolving is a good thing. 

It’s unlikely shows are going to be happening in Victoria anytime soon, but do you have plans for an album launch when shows are back?

I want to do an album launch, but with COVID at the moment… Either way, I will organise a launch at some point; even if the album came out a while ago, I want to play some shows to introduce the album. I want to do that no matter what and do a tour around Melbourne. I’m getting so pumped for it. 

I want to play as much as I can. I want to play at Colour Nightclub, Laundry bar, wherever I can. I have so many ideas, and I've got a bunch of things planned. 

I’ve been contemplating what to do with my live set for a little while. The first show I did was a big wake up call for me. I can’t just be doing this as a DJ hybrid set. I want to make my performances more unique. So I've been thinking about what I should be doing to make it more special, looking at different artists and what they do, not like copying what they do but getting inspiration and ideas. 

I've tried playing it with my band, but it didn't really work out, and with all the layers and everything going on, it's too hard for me to perform it alone. My next single coming out soon is with Squid the Kid. He plays with this incredible live band. And I think that could be something I look into in the future.

I had four shows booked with MysteryShack that have all been rescheduled and now cancelled. It’s happening to every artist, and we are all finding it tough. But shows will happen when they can.

What can you tell us about the next singles before? Do you have anything else you’re working on at the moment?

I have one more single coming out before the album. It’s called, I Don't Want, featuring Squid The Kid and is out on the 10th of September. I’m really excited about this one. 

So There's This Girl brought on this very disco/eighties euphoric vibe, As The Recorded Crackles is a very close, cold and interment. And I Don't Want; is very colourful, more R&B affiliated, especially with Squid The Kid having a rap verse.

I get asked if I'm going to be bringing out another house/electronic EP, and I'm always like Nuh, haha. That really confuses some people. But I just wanted to get out of that house/techno scene before I even got into it. 

I liked it when I was making it, but now I'm like, Nah, son. All Night off that first EP was a taste of what I really wanted to move towards, and that’s what I’ve done. I’m evolving. I like change, not too drastic change, but I have to keep moving. I just want people to know that it's a good thing and healthy to keep changing and evolving, push yourself and see what you can do next. That’s why I love King Gizz. 

The next project I've already started working on has more soul and a bit more full and wholesome. Rather than just something a DJ can mix together. Being a DJ isn't what I want to do. 

I’m a performer. I want to make music, beautiful pieces and beautiful bodies of work. I want to pour my heart into making people feel something beautiful, something they may have or haven't seen before. I want people to really love my music rather than like it. 

Stay up to date with Marcus Kech on Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.

Posted on the 9th of September, by Jake Taylor.