Steve Mizek

Growing up in Windsor, Ontario in the eighties, Marc Houle was enthralled with the era’s signature sounds, especially those found in video games and his Casio keyboard. His love led to a career producing minimalist analog techno, finding a home on Minus Records and production partners in Magda and Troy Pierce as one-third of Run Stop Restore. Houle, who is playing a Minus Showcase at Smart Bar on August 17, took a few minutes to chat.

When and how did you first get into electronic music? When did you start making it yourself?

I guess watching [the film] "Koyaanisqatsi" and getting a Casio keyboard in the eighties. That combination led me to making many Philip Glass-type compositions when I was young. Then I found a Kraftwerk cassette in a dumpster—that changed things a lot, too.

What is the electronic scene like up in Windsor?

I feel like it was connected with the Detroit scene, so when they went haywire in 2000, Windsor did, too. It's nice to see the [production company] Paxahau crew still holding things together and regenerating things again.

Unlike many techno/house producers who primarily release singles, your solo output is much closer to albums. Why do you prefer this format?

I never seem to sit down and make a whole album from start to finish. I make individual tracks and when there are a few good ones, Rich [Hawtin, Minus label head] assembles them into an EP and releases it. My goal for the fall is to make a whole concept album from start to finish.

Many producers and labels tend to avoid making/putting out albums. Where do you think they fit in today's electronic scene?

I come from the olden days where an album was a work of art. I don't really listen to live shows or singles or B-sides; I much prefer listening to the whole record from start to finish. But from a DJ point of view, your job isn’t to play albums on stage, it's to play great tracks, so I guess it all depends on who you are making tracks for.

Minimal has become something of a dirty word in electronic music only a year or so after being immensely popular. Do you feel much pressure to change your sound?

Change my sound? Never. I want to develop it, of course. I don’t really care too much about the whole "minimal" tag, although I do feel some twinge in the back of my head when I say it. But what is minimal? It's just Detroit techno and Chicago house mixed together—the same old stuff we’ve been listening to for seventeen years. So if the world is picking up on this music in a big way, that's great, but I hope the DJs and musicians will learn what it really means and give respect to the people who made all those great tracks.

How do you feel about the fickleness of house/techno fans/producers?

I am not sure I really see fickleness, but I do know the Internet has sped things up a bit. There is one thing that gets me: People download live sets from Magda or Rich or Troy [Pierce] where they play some of my tracks. Then if they found out the track won’t come out for months, they get annoyed. When the track does finally come out they are already bored of it, so live sets are becoming spoilers of sorts. I say, stay away from downloading the live sets—that way nothing is overly familiar.

What's coming up from Run Stop Restore? Do you get much time to work with Magda & Troy since they're on another continent?

It's very tough to work with them; they are so busy these days, the time they do get to themselves is taken up by administrative work and their own tracks. So it's been pretty stagnant. In fall I’m setting up a studio in Berlin so I can be closer and work with them more. Hopefully we will finish up all these RSR tracks we started!

What can we expect from Marc Houle In 2007?

I’ve been working in my studio making new tracks and fixing up old ones that never got to see the light of day. Hopefully those can get released, even in digital format just to buy me time while I hibernate with my gear and put out a proper full length.

Marc Houle performs live with Daniel Mnookin and Brian Ffar at Smart Bar, 3730 North Clark, (773)549-0203, on August 17 from 10pm-4am. No cover before 11pm, $10 after.

(2007-08-14)

Also by Steve Mizek

Tip of the Week
In techno, as in rock ‘n’ roll, there will always be a handful of true believers who favor the old to the new and use near-ascetic methods when crafting music. New York trio Prototype 909 was of that mindset
(2007-07-24)

Step Up
Does dubstep stand a chance in America? A small, devoted group of fans and producers are eager to find out, as they attempt to bring the largely British genre to the Windy City
(2007-07-02)

Every Little Thing
Whether he’s funking you up onstage with his band The Juan MacLean or wreaking havoc on the dance floor behind turntables, John MacLean is a musical force to be reckoned with. Newcity caught up with MacLean in advance of his DJ gig Friday at Smart Bar
(2007-06-26)

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