Terminal V Podcast 066 || Mark Blair

Mark Blair is back “obsessed” with making music once more, which is good news for lovers of the harder end of the electronic spectrum. The Belfast native has always gone about things his own way, even down to throwing his own illegal raves under his Barbed Worldwide brand. It is now indeed known internationally and is all about celebrating cutting-edge music with no concessions to prevailing trends.

And that is reflected in his mix, which is a blisteringly raw, uncompromising trip that sinks you deep into his world of high-octane techno, brain-frying synth textures, unsettling sirens and dystopian worlds underscored by dark rhythms. In the accompanying interview, we hear about how Belfast has shaped his sound, why he has always hated working with other labels, ask him to reminisce about playing Terminal V festival earlier in the year and get an insight into what he has coming up.

 

What have you been up to recently?

Recently I have been obsessed with making music. I had a pretty rough 3/4 months where I couldn’t just seem to make anything I liked, and spent weeks without even being in the studio, purely due to demotivation. Thankfully over the past month, I feel like I’m back to my old self, and have really fell in love with making music all over again.

Tell us about your Barbed Worldwide brand, what made you start it, what values it has, what sounds it deals in, what long-term goals does it have?

Barbed has always been a creative outlet for me. I look after all the design, marketing, label, events etc. Before I was a music producer/DJ, I ran events in Belfast. So it’s something that I’ve always enjoyed doing. One of the main reasons for starting it was to have a brand that I can use to filter creative endeavours outside of solo “MARK BLAIR” related things. And also, I always fucking hated working with labels and wanted to avoid the annoying bureaucracy or control of releasing with labels. I hope that Barbed can become a record label that artists actually enjoy releasing on, and retain their creativity and control over their art. Long term goals include a thriving grass roots label, and a festival in Belfast.

You played Terminal V back in April, – what are your memories of it? What tunes of yours went down well?

Terminal V was one of the best festivals I have ever played. My set time was quite early so I was worried I wouldn’t have much of a crowd, but as soon as began my set the room filled up to full capacity within minutes which was incredible. Playing to Scottish crowds is always super rowdy, you can feel so much of the crowd’s energy behind the decks. One of my tunes that went down the best was my new track “LATE NIGHT WARRIORS”. The crowd really appreciated the familiar and catchy vocal mixed with some heavy duty techno.

When you’re in the studio, are you aiming to make tunes you want to play in your own sets or do you have a different approach?

Yes exactly. The reason I started producing in the first place was because I was attending raves and would listen to the sets or tracks being played, and I would imagine in my head how I could improve the track, build up, drop etc. I make my music for the raves, and my studio process constantly revolves around that.

Does being from Belfast give your music, your sets, a certain edge, energy and style unique to Ireland do you think? Has the city left an indelible mark on you as an artist?

I think so. Belfast is such a small city but it was one of the best underground scenes in the UK. And that is solely down to the crowds, they are so crazy when it comes to rave music that every show you play there just feels like utter mayhem & chaos in the best way possible. I think having that energy and crowd to test your tracks, when you’re coming up as a producer, is an invaluable way to get feedback on your tracks. And it’s also a massive confidence boost.

Tell us about your mix, the aim you had with it, and what you wanted it to say.

The mix is something similar to what I would play at a festival. High energy, big builds, big drops. I included lots of unreleased music in there too, so keep your ears peeled ;).

What gear did you use, is that important to you in any way whether in the booth or studio?

I recently upgraded my home setup to CDJ3000 & and a DJM V10. This is what I use when I’m touring, so I wanted to have the same setup at home to be able to practice on. The V10 mixer also has 6 channels, so I wanted to start incorporating some live elements into my mixing in the future. This setup is the most expensive thing I’ve ever bought so hopefully it pays off!

What’s next for you, what have you got coming up?

I have a lot of UK gigs coming up in most of the big cities. I also have another Australia tour coming in 2025 which I’m buzzing for. I have lots of new music that I’ve been working on that is also starting to see the light of day. Over the next year I want to be releasing at least one track a month.

Interview by Kristan Caryl