Better known as one half of the American Tech-House trailblazers, OMNI A.M., Marky Star has been an international player in the global house community. These days he is quickly gaining notoriety as a solo artist in his own right. With a string of solo releases lined up for 2003, Marky is riding high on the big waves kicked up from a succession of OMNI A.M. singles released in America and Europe. He is an illusive character who tends to hover just below the radar. He surfaces in various cities from Chicago to New York, never really calling any place home.
Presently presiding over St. Louis's only weekly Tech-House night, Marky Star has been hard at work in the studio. Recently, he signed three tracks to New York-based label Big Chief (including remixes by Master D, Get Fucked and the ubiquitous Jay Tripwire) and two remixes to its sister label Blue Daze. 2003 will also see the release of Marky's debut on Atlanta based imprint SOCO Audio as well as Lunar Tunes, the UK label headed by "Evil" Eddie Richards, the so-called Godfather of Tech-House. Three releases on London labels Swag, LHB and Pirate Radio by OMNI A.M. are currently burning up the UK & US club charts. And look forward to 4 more OMNI A.M. tracks from the archives surfacing in the summer of 2003. Marky's retro project, The Acid Orchestra, has just signed a deal with fledgling West Coast Acid House label, Lifted Music.
Marky's project OMNI A.M. and label Euphoria (both of which are shared with fellow innovator Adam Collins) have almost achieved cult status within the house community. Both have a reputation of presenting challenging and pioneering music based in old school Acid House sensibility, mixed with the dubby appeal of reggae and the proper funk of soulful house music. In a world of catchphrases and knitpicking style names, Euphoria Records and OMNI A.M. have resisted categorization. It is this same approach that Marky pushes with his own unique brand of house music. Borrowing from his roots in early Chicago House & Acid, Marky has recently led the charge of the recent revival of Acid House. As Marky says, "Vive le 303!"
Marky Star (born Mark Brian Hobold) grew up on 80's synth pop listening to bands like Duran Duran, New Order and Berlin. Eventually he discovered the emerging electronic sounds of the early Industrial movement, such as Skinny Puppy, Ministry and even the dreamy psychedelic electronica of The Legendary Pink Dots and Tear Garden. But his first experience with Acid House and the early rave scene changed his life. From 1988 on, Marky's ears were bombarded by the Deep House sound of Chicago and Acid House. Soon the early 90's brought San Francisco's legendary Wicked Crew to Marky's home town of St. Louis exposing what he saw as the next major direction of House music: a sound that had more tech and more dub.
The mid-90's in Chicago were seeing an explosion of Disco Filter House and French Filter House. Marky and accomplice Adam Collins were performing (now notorious) live PA's around Chicago. Producing a strange mixture of the local house sound fused with the deep and techy edge of the dissappearing acid house sound, they were making music that was anything BUT disco and filtered. OMNI A.M. had reached maturity and began releasing records. Their first international 12" single ended up on a mix CD by UK legend "Evil" Eddie Richards. By the time their 3rd single was released, they were being charted by everyone from Derrick Carter to Terry Francis. Today OMNI A.M. & Euphoria are synonymous with Tech-House from the USA to Europe to Japan to South America. Marky and Adam's records have been gracing the crates of internation house dj's like Mazi, Eddie Richards, Asad Rizvi, Terry Francis, Dave Mothersole, Mark Ambrose, Derrick Carter, Lee Burridge, Craig Richards, Mr. C, Grant Dell and… need we go on?
Currently Marky has been balancing an intensive effort in the studio doing original tracks and commissioned remixes as well keeping an active DJ schedule in the US. His duties at Euphoria are also keeping him busy preparing for Euphoria's biggest year ever in 2003. In the spring, expect a tidal wave of Marky Star solo material already signed and ready to go.