Fueled by rumbling sub bass & wandering oscillations, Los Angeles based DJ/Producer Mar 66 is a sonic collagist who’s sound is characterized by cold pronounced grooves combined with tidy turnarounds that unfold & twist like a rubix cube. His stubborn arrangements and unique approach to sound design transcend conventional club music; a prime example being in 2022 he did an official remix for the iconic Seattle based rock label SUB POP.

On 02/22/2022 at 02:22AM, Mar 66 teamed up with the legendary selector Sinden to launch the left-of-center techno imprint IN2ITION where tough meandering grooves are commonplace. The label’s catalog is highlighted by tracks from Annika Wolfe, Freeman713, Little By Little and EPs from DAYTONA 83, Dilate and most recently Mar’s sophomore release, the Quasar EP. Mar 66 talks to 6AM about his latest release and mix for 6AM.

Mar 66, thanks for making some time to chat with us.

Thanks for having me!

 

You just dropped a new EP, tell us about it.

Yeah, my new “Quasar" EP just came out on IN2ITION August 2nd. It’s my 2nd Mar 66 ep and it’s 3 tracks: “Quasar”, “Turnakit” and “Tuscan Haze”. 

The tracks are cruddy, loopy, and heavy-set. Each track stands on its own stylistically but together form a dynamic & understated trifecta.

Tell us about this set you put together for your Guest Mix.

This mix is 100% IN2ITION tracks; some of my tracks plus previously released & forthcoming tunes…. Stuff I love & fuck with made mostly by personal friends

 

 

How would you describe your DJ style and the type of music you play?

I love playing (and making) tracks that are busy yet stubborn, thumpy, mildly psychedelic but not too in your face.

 

Who are your biggest musical influences, and how have they shaped your style?

90s East Coast hip hop is my life blood, currently bumping a lot of Sean Price & Roc Marciano.. Dance music-wise I’d say Kris Wadsworth, Freddy K, Dasha Rush, Volvox, Yanamaste, Quelza & Norman Nodge have all been very inspiring the past couple years.. One of my favorite ways to unplug is by microdosing psilocybin and going on long bike rides & listening to DJ mixes- those are some of my favorite DJs to space out and cruise to.

 

How do you prepare for a DJ set? Do you have a specific process or routine?

I don’t use Rekordbox, so my preparation is essentially combing through all my music folders and compiling a big group of tracks that will help me get to where I want to go with that particular set.. That and plenty of coffee along the way.

 

You run the label IN2ITION- tell us a bit about that. What inspired you to start your own label and what is your vision for the future?

I launched IN2ITION with one of my musical heroes, Sinden, on 2/22/2/022 at 2:22AM. We wanted to let the universe know our intention from the very moment we went live so we carefully picked that day & time. We both have wide yet particular taste in music and care a lot about the way music feels, and we wanted to create a platform to share what excites us. 

As for the future, we want to continue releasing tracks that give us a familiar but disorienting and almost spooky feeling. Maybe one day we will move into the realm of events but for now putting out music we think is dope is the code we operate under.

 

 

Can you tell us about the artists you’ve signed?

Most of the artists we release are homies or homies of homies or internet homies from around the world, most of which I’ve had rapport with for years. For example I’ve known DAYTONA 83 for like 10 years; one of the reasons we started IN2ITION was to release their music and other producers like them that are super talented, have amazing ideas and are not trying to fit in a box or compromising their integrity to be marketable.

 

How do you decide which tracks to release on your label?

They just gotta give us (Sinden & I) that unexplainable excitement- equal parts familiarity & mystery then take those parts and invert them over and over until it’s a drenched kaleidoscopic collage of disciplined madness.

 

What are your goals for the future, both as a DJ and as a label owner?

My plan is to continue making (and playing) music that is personally gratifying and unlike anything you’ve heard before and carving out a lane for this sound I love.  

With IN2ITION, we’re gonna keep putting out the freshest & densest tracks

 

Connect with MAR 66: Soundcloud | Instagram

Connect with IN2ITION: Soundcloud | Bandcamp