Music
Watch the video to Marcus Marr’s Familiar Five, an anthem for the freaks
The Brixton-based producer and DFA signee’s new track is a celebration of difference. What would happen if you woke up one day with an extra finger?
From a studio in deepest South London, Marcus Marr is cooking up something weird. A regular spinner at Berlin’s Panorama Bar, the Brixton resident draws on house, techno and classic disco to make a robust, darkly thrilling dance music that’s all his own. New EP Familiar Five lands February 2 on New York’s DFA Records, and now Marcus is ready to unveil a video to the record’s title track – a peculiar, dreamlike tale spoken-sung by Marr himself .
Watch the animated video, produced by Céline Keller, below – then scroll down and read an interview with Marcus and Céline.
Hi Marcus. So where did the idea for Familiar Five come from?
All songs, even if they are from your imagination, have a bit of the personal in there. Familiar Five is about a few things. It's about accepting who you are, even if society labels you as a freak. It's a cautionary tale. It's about the change of adolescence into adulthood. It's an updated version of a Faust story. It's about learning to be cool with your own dark side. Or, it's none of the above – it could be just a guy who wakes up in the morning with an extra finger.
Familiar Five is about accepting who you are, even if society labels you as a freak
Before even checking the press release I spotted the reference to Kafka's Metamorphosis (and I see you mention Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and occult "familiars" as other touchstones). Ambitious subject matter for a dancefloor throbber - are you into a bit of the dark stuff?
I like a straight 4/4 groove as much as anyone but I don’t see why you shouldn’t try and have a bit of fun with the genre. In fact there’s nothing I like more than the sound of a bat’s head being chewed off over a tech-house tool. Seriously though, I don’t think there should be any rules about what dance music should or shouldn’t be about.
Any musical touchstones for the track? How did you want it to sound, texturally?
I wasn’t thinking of any musical touchstones when I made this song. Maybe a tiny bit of mid-period Serge Gainsbourg but only in terms of having the spoken lyrics.
And tell me a bit about the video - who made the animation, and why did they feel like the best person to bring the track to life?
I was looking for someone to do a video for a while. I spotted what Céline Keller created for Matias Aguayo [for the track Cold Fever] and liked it, so I got in touch with her. Céline was the best person to make the video for this song as she knows about difference. She is self-taught at what she does and she has an outsider’s point of view. That was important to me. As I asked, she has made Brixton itself the main character in the video. I love what she has made. It’s kind of an upside-down love letter to a place that’s been my home for the last 20 years.
Says Céline Keller:
“When I met Marcus in Brixton, it was actually, my first time ever in London (or the UK for that matter), and it was very interesting and inspiring, walking around and listening to him talk, about his neighbourhood and how his love for it and his ideas about it connect with the song. We had a great afternoon, and after sharing what he imagines, he then granted me a lot of freedom for the creation of the video. I went back home super-excited, because, I believe, there is no greater gift you can give to another artist than trust that your baby will be taken care of with love. And I do love the song!
"I also felt my own very special connection with the song and Marcus' ideas. I am queer, plus an artist and lately a farmer, and it reminded me of growing up, being different and feeling out of place. It also made me think of the times I spent living in big cities, and my own connection with wild and domesticated animals. How they called me back and what they taught me about being yourself no matter what's around you. It definitely was one of the most fun projects I ever worked on and I think it shows.”
Pre-order Familiar Five here
Want a hit of new music every Friday? Follow our 4pm Finish Spotify playlist
Like Red Bull Music on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at @RedBullUK
Listen to Red Bull Radio for in-depth interviews, exclusive mixes, live broadcasts and more
