Parklife 2012 - Review / Murkage Interview

So over the past weekend, whilst the heavy metal kids got their kicks at Download, Manchester played host to the Parklife Weekender, offering a completely different experience for the festivalgoer. Whilst the wellies were still on full force on a quite damp weekend, the spirits of many dance music enthusiasts weren’t dampened (get it?!). Amongst the churned mud were DJs and artists such as Julio Bashmore, Bicep, the Rapture and Buraka Som Sistema joined headliners the Flaming Lips and Dizzee Rascal. Parklife themselves have quite an easy festival to organise with many labels and organisers wishing to curate stages themselves. Drum & Bass label Hospitality took advantage of this as did deep house troupe Crosstown Rebels to help provide a wild and eclectic range of performers to keep everyone happy overall.

Our writer Robbie conducted interviews with both The Rapture and Murkage whilst at Parklife last Sunday. Below is his interview with Murkage, conducted after their slot at Reebok Radio which launched at the festival! 

So, Manchester, this like a home festival for you anyway, but how did it feel opening? Murkage Dave: Yeah, yeah, yeah! It felt fucking good, man. The last time we played this festival, we played in a fucking tree house that doubled for the silent disco. But y’know, we still smashed it! It feels like a cliché, you know “from zero to hero” and it’s not like that ‘cause we’re still on a journey but it feels good to play on the main stage to a home crowd. We saw so many people wearing the t-shirts and knew the lyrics. 

Gaika: Yeah, we know so many people that have supported us from the start and yeah, it was dope. It just went off with everyone jumping at the end. 

MD: that’s the way we look at it, we want to be the first stadium rap group from the UK, there isn’t really anyone out there doing that. 

So that’s the ambition then, you want to be a stadium group rather than staying in the underground like a lot of other rap groups do?
MD: I just let the secret out of the bag, but yes!
G: The thing about us is that we’re very humble, but we’re not modest. Our ambition is to win. MD: We said before, it’s all about the deconstruction of the old. We’re breaking down old ideas, bringing new energy, new people, whatever you want to do. Like, why not? Why indoctrinate yourself? 

Especially with such a big group yourselves, with the whole cartel; it must be emphasis on the group things around at the moment. The ASAP mob and Odd Future are all doing their own thing, so is there more of an onus on it?
G: it’s to do with the world changing. People have to make their own structures, their own barriers, they have to it themselves; that’s the one thing you take from us, it’s within you. 

MD: From the online presence, the blogging, the videos, the merchandise, not everyone is doing the same thing. Everyone’s bringing a different thing. It makes you feel closer and more connected, it’s good. 

G: we were all friends before this and we’ll all be friends after it. So it’s an amazing feeling being with your mates.
MD: it’s just fucking good. I’ve got my brother here with me, my good friends, it’s a privilege to be doing this with the people you actually love. 

In your set, you also mentioned the other Manchester MC’s that are coming through such as Virus Syndicate. 

MD: Definitely! They paved the way for us y’know? They were the first ones big in Europe 

G: Broken English and Fallacy! 

MD: Especially Fallacy, he did it his own way. He didn’t have to rap in an American accent, he didn’t have to be a backpacker or mimic the Brooklyn sound but above all, he’s just fucking sick. 

G: and when no one was fucking with us, he was! So shout-outs to him.

As well as the Manchester scene, there are sites such as Don’t Flop, do you feel the genre is going to begin getting over saturated?

MD: Nah, nah, nah! Chronicle and Roman have started something. I’ve been in Manchester for 9 years now and this is the first time there’s something exciting going on. From Wu Lyf, to Illum Sphere to Blizzard even Dub Phizix jumping on that track with Strategy, there’s an explosion waiting to happen and people just need to understand it. 

G: We should work together ‘cause there’s a lot of good music coming out of the city at the minute 

So finally, for Murkage, what are the main summer plans? 

MD: we’re in Europe a lot, European Festivals. We’re looking at trying to get to as many festivals as possible. Sweden is gonna be peak and Belgium! 

G: Yeah, we’re going to France with Xzibit! 

MD: We’re doing EuroRockenes so it’s just crazy. We’re doing about 5/6 festivals in France, we’re in Belgium and Germany. 

G: We’re doing Bestival and Secret Garden and Lattitude and Isle of Wight, everyone from the crew is doing something!

Robbie Baxendale