We speak to MURK’s Oscar G ahead of their appearance at London’s Ministry of Sound this weekend.
Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with seminal artists of the house scene, Oscar G and Ralph Falcon aka MURK were once again brought to the forefront of the scene in 2011 by their explosive Ibiza anthem ‘Amame’ under their Intruder guise. Long before this however they had firmly established their reputations with records such as The Fog’s ‘Been a Long Time’, Funky Green Dogs ‘Reach for Me’ and 'Fired Up!' and Liberty City’s ‘If You Really Love Someone’.
Among the first pioneering house artists to come out of Miami and highly regarded among their peers, they have, over the last 20 years, cemented their legacy as producers and DJs of inimitable class and quality. Now, they are returning to the Ministry of Sound for the first time in... well, ages.
Here we catch up with MURK's Oscar G to discuss their fond memories of the London club, the forthcoming WMC and their boredom of mainstream 'dance' music...
OSCAR G ~ MADE in MIAMI Mix | JAN 2012 by DJ Oscar G
Nowadays music is easily accessible for the vast majority of us, but when you started buying records that wouldn’t have been the case…how and where did you hunt down records back in the day?
Miami always had a very active club/DJ scene so there were always a few cool record stores around where you could find current stuff. It was more a matter of finding the cash to pay for the records. I would DJ house parties for my school-mates when I was 12 for 50 bucks. My Mom would drive me to the record store the day new releases came and I would give them my 50 bucks at the register. They would then allow me to listen to the records and as I chose the ones I wanted I'd bring them to the counter. They would add them up and let me take 50 dollars worth and put the rest on hold for the next week.
Has there ever been moments in your career when you’ve considered getting a ‘normal’ job? If so, what made you persevere with music?
Ralph and I became so committed to this at such a young age that we never really considered anything else. We have both definitely explored other art forms and experimented with film and painting, among other stuff, but this has been our bread and butter since our teens. We are blessed to have this abnormal gig.
Was there a particular moment in your career when you realised you’d made it, that you were successful musicians?
We will get back to you as soon as that happens.
Which of the many tracks that you have produced together took the longest to complete? Why was that…?
I can't remember specifically which one, but I know ‘Some Lovin’’ took much longer to complete than most. Back then we were recording to analog multi-track tape. There was an issue with the tape machine in the studio that was making the recording sound warped. We considered not releasing it at all because we were unhappy with the way you could hear it change speed slightly throughout the song. It ended up being a pretty significant record for us and you can still hear the flaws in it.
Your production on ‘Chunky Buddha’ marked the start of a transition from analog to digital, and the start of you using Logic right? How important are digital synths and DAWs to the way you produce now?
I made Chunky Buddha the first day I ever opened up Logic. I'm not big on User Manuals so I just jumped in there and started working. I love how quickly you can get into creative mode and how compact it is compared to the huge rooms full of gear we were used to. That being said, we are in the process of setting up all our old analog gear now… so I don't think it's ever really been about what technology or instruments you use to make and play music. It's all about the output.
Why have you used so many aliases over the course of your career?
I think we have always been a bit obsessed with keeping the focus on the music. We found the alias thing unimportant and just had fun with it. We also thought it was redundant and ego-maniacal to put our names on every record we released so we made up artist names. It's definitely not a sound marketing strategy, but that's never been our thing anyway.
Do you have any opinion on the current trend of mainstream artists incorporating house production values and arrangement in their records? Or is that something you stay clear of..?
Yawn...
What are your fondest memories of Ministry of Sound?
The first time we played Ministry we were very young and could not wait to get our hands on the sound system we had heard so much about. It was definitely intimidating at first but once we settled in and got on, it was a great experience. A room like that really allows you to flex your DJ muscles and communicate with the audience. The best part was on the way out they gave us a bunch of great stuff… jackets, slip-mats, shirts, hats, CDs… you name it!
What can people expect if they come and see you there on Saturday?
I think we bring a unique take on house music. We have always tried to stay out in front of trends so we ultimately hope to bring people something new, something that makes them move.
Why do you think your production have completely stood the test of time, while so many records made in the same ear have been forgotten or sound dated?
I'd love to say we've had some secret master plan, but the truth is I think we have a great chemistry when we write songs and we are very honest with each other. We never sit there and force things; we just try to stick to what comes easy for us. We are big on the basics; grooves. We're probably just lucky though.
Miami and the WMC is just around the corner and as natives you are heavily associated with the city and its sound. Some say the WMC has changed for the worst, in your opinion is it still a worthwhile event?
It has certainly changed but I think it has turned into a great celebration of house/techno music. It is more of a festival atmosphere these days and folks are definitely out to make a buck. It is easy to get jaded about the whole thing… but I think it's great that people that love this music get to experience it. Besides, it's really fun to play at home.
What are your fondest memories of the WMC?
We did a party called ‘Masters at Murk’ for a few years in the 90s with Kenny Dope and Louie Vega. We had guests like Todd Terry, DJ Pierre and Danny Tenaglia... nobody was getting paid, no corporate sponsors, no booking agents or promoters, no Facebook or Twitter...just printed up some flyers and passed them out around WMC. Those parties were amazing!
You’re fairly well known for a ‘big’ sound… was it a conscious decision to create records that are suited to the main rooms such as the Ministry of Sound, The Sound Factory, Pacha etc… rather than smaller intimate clubs?
Our approach is to try and bring something original. We love to create the record people remember from a good night out, yet sounds nothing like the others they heard. If and when we can achieve this, the dimensions of the room it's played in become inconsequential.
What are the top 5 things to do in Miami apart from going to a club?
1. Women
2. Beaches
3. Cuban food, cigars, art, music, coffee
4. Miami Heat Basketball
5. Cocaine
MURK play for Defected In The House at Ministry of Sound 11th February - £10 advance tickets are available here
