As a producer, musician, and collaborator, Mark de Clive-Lowe has been a trailblazer of the nu-jazz movement in London, LA, and all over the world. Whether he is creating, remixing, spinning, or playing, MdCL is constantly reinventing his sound and charging ahead with new musical ideas. As such, we are excited to announce that he has just signed to Tru Thoughts. He will release his upcoming project Renegades on the label later this year. Enjoy our interview with insights into his career and future plans.
Check out the track “Hooligan” ft. Nia Andrews from Mark’s upcoming album Renegades.
You started playing the piano at the age of four. Did you want to play it at first or was it something that you had to do?
My dad’s really old school – he decided that all his kids would learn musical instruments whether they liked it or not! My eldest brother played piano and was also into jazz so I guess he was a motivating factor to me playing that instrument. I tried violin and saxophone both briefly but didn’t really feel any connection with either of those.
Was there a certain point that you decided to become a professional musician?
I remember going home from school one day, I must have been 14, and I said to my parents,“When I finish high school I’m going to music school in the States.” They didn’t take me seriously at all at the time, but that’s pretty much what happened. I’ve always felt compelled to make music, travel and create. So the outcome was pre-ordained for the most part!
How did your parents react?
Since they saw that I was really accomplishing and fulfilling my dreams and goals they’ve been super supportive. It isn’t always the kind of music they’d like to be kicking back chilling to, but they know I’m doing something that I truly love.
Could you outline your career a bit?
Through high school I was messing about with drum machines and keyboards. I was really digging the Native Tongues and early New Jack Swing too – all my friends were into indie guitar music which I just couldn’t get into, so those were the things I’d hear growing up in New Zealand that really made me want to make music. At the same time I was getting into jazz piano. I did my final year of high school in Japan and that was a huge turning point for me – going to jazz clubs, checking out so much great music… that inspired me to go to the Berklee College of Music in Boston. I ended up there in 1994 for a year. That was cool, but after that, back in NZ was when I started to grow as a musician more, playing jazz gigs, jamming with DJs, rappers, percussionists, all sorts of stuff. Hearing jungle around the same time really messed my head up and drew me back into club music and electronic music. I recorded some acoustic jazz albums in NZ and toured a lot there and in Japan.
In 1998 I was awarded a study grant to travel the world for a year and pursue musical dreams and meccas. That took me to San Fran, New York, Cuba, London, Paris, Tokyo… all over the place. I was always heart set on getting to NYC, but the combination of 4 months in Cuba and then hitting London was enough to change my direction significantly. In London it wasn’t long before I fell in with the West London crew – IG Culture, 4Hero, Bugz in the Attic, Restless Soul – they all blew my mind. They were making music that was unlike anything I dared imagine, bringing together disparate but unified influences and inspirations but crafting and creating it to be something totally original and unique. I got to bring a lot to it as a keyboard player and learned a lot from them about production and UK DJ culture especially. From 1998 on I collaborated with an amazing range of producers, DJs and artists – the guys I just mentioned, plus people like Joe Clausell, Francois K, DJ Spinna, Waajeed, Pino Palladino, Kenny Dope (Masters At Work) and plenty more. In 2000 my first MPC based album, Six Degrees, was released on Universal out of the UK. That was what really announced me to the world. It was released in 15 or so countries I think and got me touring all around the planet – something that hasn’t stopped to this day. I was remixing different artists, producing, collaborating… one highlight was remixing jazz legend Shirley Horn for the first Verve Remixed album. In 2005 I dropped the next album Tide’s Arising on Bay-area label ABB Soul. That record really showed my evolution as a producer since Six Degrees. It was also a great chance to bring together some of my favorite collaborator – Bembe Segue, Pino Palladino, Miguel Fuentes, Capitol A, Abdul Shyllon and more. It also got me touring live and DJing in the US more and more. In the last ten years I’ve got to play in more countries than I can count at so many great clubs, festivals and events; do workshops all over the world, most often for the Red Bull Music Academy; and collaborate with many of my own favorite artists and inspirations.
You have worked with many artists like Jill Scott, Leon Ware and Jody Watley. Did they call you to participate in songwriting sessions, as studio musician or as a producer?
It’s different with everyone. I did a live show in Miami one time – hardly anyone was there, but not long after I got a call from Lauryn Hill’s team. One of them had been at the gig and wanted me to go into studio with her. So next thing you know, I’m back in Miami in a studio, just the two of us for two days. You just never know how things are going to happen. Jody Watley hit me up via MySpace when that was still a happening thing. She’d heard my remix for Shirley Horn and wanted to get me involved remixing for her. That’s led on to an ongoing collaborative relationship. I think there’s 3 of my cuts on her next album. Leon Ware and I met through a mutual friend and we just hit it off straight away. He’s such a beautiful person and great artist. I’m lucky now too where I’m reasonably established so I can hit someone up if I want to work with them and they’re pretty open. The first time I met Pino Palladino was just after the Voodoo album had been out and meeting and jamming with him straight away in studio was a pretty big deal to me then. Next thing you know, we’re jamming, recording and hanging out whenever we’re in the same city. I’m blessed that creativity shines on me in these ways.
How does an ordinary day in the life of MdCL look like? You´re still in the lab everyday?
Some days for sure. Especially when I’m on tour and there’s days off, I like to hit the studio and get busy. Sometimes I might end up with six or seven new tracks from one studio session. When I’m home in LA I like to chill with the family too, so there’s definitely days off. That’s something I didn’t really appreciate when I was younger – taking time to breathe and relax! It helps being in LA now too – the environment is more conducive to a better quality of life than London. I’m playing a lot more acoustic piano now too – I think my decade in London I was pretty much running away from that, so I’m loving reconnecting and embracing that again. Some days just dealing with business stuff means I might not get near the lab. Other days if projects are on deadline, that’s where you’ll find me for sure. Sometimes though, it doesn’t take long to create what I want to get done. When it’s like that, I’m all about getting out of the lab and enjoying life!
Photos by Eric Coleman
Before moving to Los Angeles, you lived and worked in London. When listening to your tunes I always believe to hear some Acid Jazz influences. Were you in that scene at that time?
I grew up as a jazz musician – not an acid jazz musician – but deep in the pocket of Miles, Coltrane, Herbie, Ahmad Jamal, cats like that. I did dig some of the early Japanese acid jazz – U.F.O., Mondogrosso, stuff like that – but at the time I was much more into the straight ahead jazz style.
Why did you leave the UK and move to LA?
After ten years in London, it was time! Especially being from the South Pacific originally, it was great to get to Cali and be back near the ocean, especially that ocean. London is such a grind too – it was great while I was there, but I feel like it’s time for a different kind of environment. You have to remember too, it was always the States that I was aspiring to and aiming for. It was just circumstances that took my path elsewhere. Being in the States has new challenges for me too, and that’s something I’m really excited about.
Do you see a big difference between the European and the US music scenes?
Different parts of the world have scenes built around different styles of music and communities – that’s always going to make scenes different from each other. Even within the US, different cities have such different scenes, whether that’s influenced by geography, climate, history, population demographics, economy, legal restrictions, or just plain vibe. I really dig LA, DC, Atlanta, NY, Oakland and Philly especially. They all have great vibes. I’m sure there’s more spots too, I just haven’t had the chance to really check them.
You´re working with Sy Smith now and you also did some live performances together with her over the summer. How is that going?
I’m just finishing Sy’s new album at the moment. One more track and it’ll be wrapped. Hopefully that will be released before the end of the year. My own new album Renegades is going to drop late October on Tru Thoughts. Guests on there include Nia Andrews, Omar, Sheila E, Pino Palladino, this great percussionist Omar Phillips from the Outkast/Dungeon Family camp, and more. It’s a pretty twisted record, I think people are going to dig it. Leading up to that, I just released an all new EP called Leaving this Planet. That’s a digital only release, exclusively on my bandcamp.
I do monthly resident shows in LA – CHURCH is a jazz based night, first Sunday of the month. The first set I play an acoustic jazz set – piano, bass, drums… old school. The second set, I bring in the MPC and electronics and we jam it all together. I love that vibe. I’m about to kick off a monthly underground house music party in LA too, and head to Europe on tour for May. There’s always something happening – I keep the news all pretty up to date on my blog.
I saw you’re working on a remix of KING, what can we expect?
I did a remix of their joint “Supernatural.” The day their EP dropped, I was definitely feeling it straight away. We got in contact and next thing the remix was a done deal. It’s really true to the original, but more a boogie-soulful house vibe than the downtempo of the original. I’m not sure when it will be released, but hopefully it’ll see light of day soon. In the meantime, it’s part of my DJ sets exclusives!
Now to the fun part! Your prognosis for the next big hype: Retro 90s/Future-Grunge, Acoustic Dubstep or…?
I don’t really get involved with the next big hype. I wish the retro shit would end. So much of it is perfectly well made and good enough musically, but I really don’t feel that tip when artists just do something that’s already been done and already been done so much better. I want to hear music move forward. I love the history and think there’s a real challenge in keeping the history in music at the same time as pushing it forward. That’s the craft.
Interview by Lorenz Schimpf
Photos by Eric Coleman
