You might be surprised to learn that Mark Fanciulli only put out his first record in 2011. Such was the reaction to “The Tide,” though, that it was immediately apparent dance music had a new star. Since that debut on Joris Voorn’s influential Rejected label, he has continued to command attention with releases such as “Sacrifice” on Saved and two EP’s on Carl Craig’s Planet E. Inhabiting a creative nether region between house and techno, they are tracks that fill rooms with physical drum lines and lithe synths and never fail to make floors move. And it’s the same when Mark DJs: whether he is playing to thousands in Buenos Aires, enchanting underground crowds at Output in New York or breaking new ground in Singapore, he is a supple selector who reacts to the moment, feeds and teases those front of him and looks outside the norm for his weaponry.
You hit 18 and you’re heading out for your first proper night out. What items of clothing will you definitely be wearing from your wardrobe?
I would be wearing a plain polo shirt that I bought from the Lacoste shop in Bluewater and to go with them a pair of Jeans made by G Star from Zee and co in Maidstone.The jacket would’ve been something from Choice menswear, a smart zip up hoodie.
Shoes would be something like a plain pair of Nike cortez, I would go through lots of them and would always get light coloured ones and put them in the wash until they fell apart.It would always be light/white trainers and now, ten years on, I prefer dark ones. Black can probably go with just as many things and you can’t notice the dirt on them.
What age did you go to your first rave? Where was it? And what would you not leave the house without back in those days?
When I was fourteen I was lucky enough to have gone to a free party on Clapham Common which was headlined by Paul Oakenfold with support from Hernan Cattaneo and Jan Johnson. It was my brother’s idea as he wanted to take me out to listen to some music and it was probably the best way for me at that age.
We went up there early on in the day, I think it was around bank holiday August time and I remember getting the train up and being all excited and the weather was amazing, a proper British summers day. We chilled on the common as did many other people, watching the cricket on a big screen which would later host the performers later. It was attended by something like 40,000. At the time I was wearing a lot of hats (but stopped not too long after as it would aggravate my acne) and would’ve had a pair of sunglasses.
You get your debut release in 2011 on Rejected. How are your peers dressing at this time?
Its much more prominent now, but I think that 2011 was a time when you would notice a lot more of your peers wearing black clothing, mainly T shirts, but then jeans, and jackets. Its the typical techno colour and looks great, but what’s even better is the fact that it’s a practical colour. I will try and mix it up a bit, but it’s always a good option to wear.
You’re sat in the studio making ‘Sacrifice’ what are you wearing for a little more comfort?
For total comfort I will dress like a pikey and wear a tracksuit. I don’t think there’s anything more comfortable and will usually buy them from Zara, H&M or even the Nike store. I also try to do this when I’m flying long haul or between gigs on a tour far away. Its a no brainer when you have to choose between skinny jeans and a soft tracksuit for relaxation. You can put the hood up and close yourself off while you get some catch-up sleep.
You step off the plane in Ibiza for the first time, what are you wearing? What’s in your suitcase?
If it was when I first went there on a real jolly up (not a family holiday when I was much younger) I would have my suitcase filled with swimming shorts, v neck T shirts (white in particular), jeans, and lots of shorts. My footwear would be Birkenstock sandals and also a black pair of Havaianas. I would also be wearing an old pair of ray ban sunglasses which were a lovely family air loom that I lost in the sea in Ibiza a few years later when me and a group of lads tipped over a pedalo.
There would be suncream in there too, not that I would wear loads. I would be so smashed and fall asleep on the sun lounger, but the tan was probably the best I ever got. I remember my mum coming to pick me up from Gatwick and she drove straight past me as she didn’t recognise me.
You’ve had a string of shows in a row. What gets you through those long flights, late nights and early mornings in airports?
Diet is obviously an important thing for everyone, but especially for when you travel as all the little things make a difference. A lot of the things we know you should do help you such as drinking lots of water and exercising whenever you can (I try and take a pair of running shoes in my bag when I’m away on a long tour). Sometimes it’s difficult when you’re at an airport and there’s mainly fatty options which are sometimes good, but now I’m seeing more and more juice/smoothie bars pop up.
The dilutable vitamin C tablets can be great for a little pick me up. When you have little sleep your immune system is always vulnerable so you just have to be prepared as much as possible. When I was younger I could never sleep on planes but as a touring DJ with little or no sleep from the night before, your body just shuts down as it has to, so I can nap on planes a lot easier now. You put yourself into a sort of self-induced coma.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIzXYOhRilU
What are your worst fashion choices over the years?
One of them was definitely wearing an alice band in my hair. It was long, but not long enough and I look back at photos from back then and think “Fucking hell!”. Also, another silly thing I did with my hair was straighten it, I saw one picture the other day and thought I looked like a scarecrow.
I probably wore a few things that colour clashed too. On one occasion I remember wearing an orange T shirt with a pink hoodie, great choice there, not. Sometimes when I wear mainly blacks and whites and get the balance wrong I can end up looking like a set of piano keys or dominoes!
What trend do you see at the moment on tour and at shows that you don’t quite understand?
Like always, there are many trends that you see at clubs and around when you’re on the road but there’s usually very few that I can’t understand to be honest. You might see the odd person doing something very out there like wear something bright with a heavy statement on their shirt and a unique accessory like an oversized hat, but it’s not really a trend as it’s something individual.
It’s always interesting to see trends pop up and one of the latest ones in the past year that I’ve really enjoyed are bomber jackets. I remember a lot of friends wearing black ones when I was younger and I finally bought a green one last year as that’s a popular colour now. They went full circle, like many trends do.