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DJ Marfox

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DJ Marfox
2013 performance in Lisbon's MusicBox
2013 performance in Lisbon's MusicBox
Background information
Birth nameMarlon Silva
BornJune 1988 (age 36)
Lisbon, Portugal
Genres
  • Afro-Portuguese
  • batida/batucada
  • instrumental
  • kuduro
OccupationDJ
Years active2002–present
Labels
  • Príncipe Discos (Portugal)
  • Pollinate (UK)
  • Enchufada (Portugal)
  • Lit City Trax (USA)
  • WARP (UK)
Websitewww.djmarfox.pt.vu

DJ Marfox (born Marlon Silva in June 1988) is a Portuguese DJ best known for pioneering batida or batucada,[1] a music genre that emerged from Lisbon's housing estates. Batida and Batucada are referred to as the "ghetto sound of Lisbon",[2] and they incorporate African-influenced dance music such as kuduro, kizomba, funaná and tarraxinha[3] with house and techno.[3][4]

Taking inspiration from a Nintendo character, 'Marfox' merged part of his first name "Marl" from "Marlon" with Star Fox, a character he played as a teenager.[5]

Career

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Silva was born in Lisbon, Portugal to parents from São Tomé e Príncipe.[6] He started deejaying as DJ Marfox in 2002.[7]

In 2005, together with DJ Pausas and DJ Fofuxo, he founded DJs do Guetto[8] and a year later they released DJs do Ghetto Vol. I, a digital compilation made up of 37 tracks, onto eMule.[3] This compilation, which has since been re-issued as a free download by Príncipe Discos,[3] has been viewed as the foundational release of the ghetto sound of Lisbon.[4][7]

His first solo album, Eu sei quem Eu Sou (I Know Who I Am), released by Príncipe Discos in early 2011,[5] was described by Philip Sherburne as “an atomic field of taut drums, hiccupping yelps, zapping synths and pinprick details."[9]

In 2014, DJ Marfox released an EP called Lucky Punch on Lit City Trax[10][11] and performed on the Red Bull Music Academy in New York,[12] as well as in the Warm Up—the live music concerts curated by MoMA PS1.[13][14] According to Cedar Pasori, DJ Marfox's participation in MoMA PS1's highly acclaimed experimental electronic music series, which took place on 30 August 2014, "reinforced the accelerating spread of Afro-Portuguese dance music around the world."[11] The album Lucky Punch was listed as one of DAZED's top ten albums for August 2014.[15] In between the aforementioned performances, the Rolling Stone magazine included him in their list of "10 New Artists You Need to Know".[16]

One of the first international collaborations of the Portuguese DJ and producer was a rework of tUnE-yArDs' song "Water Fountain" featuring Brazilian band Pearls Negras.[17][18]

On 13 March 2015 the British independent record label WARP announced the release on 7 April of a new EP called Cargaa 1 featuring DJ Marfox as the central figure of what MR P describes as the "cream-of-the-crop purveyors of Lisbon's thrilling electronic dance scene".[19]

A compilation of songs crafted in the artist's bedroom from 2005 to 2008 was launched as a CD as well as free download under the name Revolução 2005–2008 on March 16, 2015.[20]

DJ Marfox released an EP in April 2016 titled Chapa Quente, featuring such songs as Tarraxo Everyday.[21]

Discography

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Albums & EPs

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  • Eu sei quem Eu sou (Príncipe, 2011) – reviewed by Philip Sherburne/Resident Advisor[6]
  • Artist Unknown (Pollinaire, 2012) – reviewed by Philip Sherburne/SPIN[22]
  • Subliminar (Enchufada, 2013)
  • Lucky Punch (Lit City Trax, 2014) – reviewed by Philip Sherburne/SPIN[23] as well as Joe Muggs & Seb Wheeler/MixMag[24]
  • Revolução 2005–2008 (NOS, 2015)
  • Chapa Cuente (Principe, 2015)

Songs featured in compilations:

  • "Funk em Kuduro" – DJs do Guetto Vol. 1 first released in 2006; re-release in 2013 by Príncipe Discos.

Mixtapes

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  • Distortion Ass Mix – featured in SPIN 05.07.2012[9]
  • Dazed Digital (DJ Marfox Mix) – featured in DAZED DIGITAL 03.2014[7]
  • The Ghetto Sound of Lisbon – featured in Resident Advisor 10.03.2014[4]
  • MOMA PS1 Warm Up Mix – featured in Pitchfork 29.08.2014[14]

References

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  1. ^ Pinto, Jorge. 'A música africana reinventa-se nos guetos de Lisboa'. Rede Angola. 12.02.2015.
  2. ^ Keeling, Ryan. 'Features: The Ghetto Sound of Lisbon'. Resident Advisor. 10.03.2014.
  3. ^ a b c d Barry, Robert '“This is our grime”: DJ Marfox, DJ Nigga Fox, Principe Records and the Sound of the Lisbon Ghettos'. FactMag. 18 October 2013.
  4. ^ a b c 'RA.406 DJ Marfox'. Resident Advisor. Podcast 406. 10.03.2013.
  5. ^ a b Beta, Andy 'Lisbon's Batida Revolution'. Pitchfork. 29.08.2014.
  6. ^ a b Sherburne, Philip. 'Review: Eu Sei Quem Sou'. Resident Advisor. 27.01.2012.
  7. ^ a b c Dolding, Sian. 'Introducing DJ Marfox'. Dazed. April 2014.
  8. ^ Jones, Charlie Robin. 'Meet the Lisbon ghetto kids setting the bairros on fire'. Dazed. May 2014.
  9. ^ a b Sherburne, Philip. 'DJ Marfox Hypnotic Hard Assed Dance Mix'. Spin. 05.07.2012.
  10. ^ Friedlander, Emilie. 'Stream: DJ Marfox, Terra Batida'. Fadrer. 18.04.2014.
  11. ^ a b Cedar, Young. 'DJ Marfox Talks' Do Androids Dance. 20.06.2014.
  12. ^ Cedar, Young. 'Lit City Trax Makes History at Wesway for RBMA NYC 2014' Do Androids Dance. 31.05.2014
  13. ^ Khal. 'MoMA PS1 has announced their Warm Up Lineup' Do Androids Dance. 28.05.2014
  14. ^ a b 'DJ Marfox Continues MoMA PS1 Warm Up Mix Series'. Pitchfork. 29.08.2014.
  15. ^ Olbrich, Suze. 'Top Ten Album of the Month'. Dazed. August 2014.
  16. ^ '10 New Artists You Need to Know'. Rolling Stone. June 2014.
  17. ^ Minisher, Evan. 'tUnE-yArDs Perform "Water Fountain" on "Conan", Launch Water Charity'. Pitchfork. 10.12.2014.
  18. ^ Brodsky, Rachel. 'tUnE-yArDs Loop and Drum Their Way to the Water Fountain on Conan'. Spin. 10.12.2014.
  19. ^ MR P. 'Warp Records to release EP featuring exciting Lisbon producers DJ Marfox, DJ Nigga Fox, and more'. Wrap. 13.03.2015.
  20. ^ NOS DISCOS. 13.03.2015.
  21. ^ "Chapa Quente - EP". Apple Music.
  22. ^ Sherburne, Philip. 'Control Voltage's Friday Five: Damaged Beats from Blawan and Theo Parrish'. Spin 21.09.2012.
  23. ^ Sherburne, Philip. 'Dance Tracks of the Week: DJ Marfox Throws a 'Lucky Punch' for Lit City Trax'. Spin. 02.05.2014.
  24. ^ Muggs, Joe & Seb Wheeler. 'Bass: August' Archived 2015-02-18 at the Wayback Machine. MixMag. 18.08.2014.
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