BIM MARX

By Unemployed Lloyd

Bim Marx is a DJ/production duo hailing from New York and New Jersey. They specialize in re-edits as well as remixes, and although they’ve only released a handful of records, they’ve garnered all sorts of recognition in the underground and mainstream movements.

Whitney Houston’s first comeback single “Million Dollar Bill” sampled Loleatta Holloway’s “We’re Getting Stronger.” This same song was not only re-edited by Bim Marx a couple of months before, but was also their biggest record to date. I’d like to think Bim Marx had a hand in Whitney Houston’s comeback – ha!

Bim Marx is comprised of  Duane Harriot and Jorge Velez (aka Professor Genius). Known individually for their contributions to the New York music scene, it was no surprise that these two should come together. Jorge I’ve known in passing but he seems like a swell guy. Hey Jorge!

Duane on the other hand I’ve known since before I was old enough to enter a club (a long time ago). Years before digital DJs took over New York nightlife and clubs like APT were nightly destinations. There, Duane along with Prince Language and DJ Lindsey threw the infamous Negro Clash parties. Together they set out to show the funkier side of electronic music that the then popular electroclash couldn’t.

In my eyes, Duane’s DJing stuck out the most. His intensity, taste, execution and evident passion for the music he was playing is what made him different. It was those things that drew me to him. So when I found out he was making music I was beyond excited, and to no surprise I haven’t been disappointed yet.

So, how did you guys come together?

Duane: We were friends for about eight years before we actually  started this project together. I worked the floor at the record store  Other Music for a number of years. I sold Jorge a copy of Derrick May’s “Innovator” and Maurizio’s first album in ‘98 I think? But our friendship started ‘cuz we hung out at the same East Village bar. We got together one day to hang out and we ended up making an edit. It was fun to do, so we kept makin’ em. Jerome Deradji from Stillove4music played a gig with me, heard me play one of our edits out, offered to put it out and here we are….

Jorge: What Duane said. Though I think I didn’t buy the Maurizio that day. Duane also failed to mention that we were together in a short lived soundsystem called Mr. Sack with some other friends and that we were so ahead of our time we couldn’t see straight.

Duane: Oh yeah Mr. Sack!! We were a four-man live remixing machine. We played a total of five shows. We opened for !!! and the Faint in ‘02 at Bowery Ballroom and broke up afterwards. That was fun… how could I forget that??? We did an early Animal Collective remix too… I gotta hunt that one down.

Mr Sack? Nice! Whats up with the name Bim Marx anyway?

Duane: Bim Marx is a sly reference to one of our favorite disco-camp movies from the ’70s, The Apple. Long story short “Bim Marx” are what members of  the “Disco New world Order” are required to wear once they’ve bitten from said Apple.

Jorge: Your life isn’t complete until you’ve seen this movie.

Ha. Describe the sound of Bim Marx.

Duane: Dirty, soulful, psychedelic, melodic and raw as hell

Jorge: We like the female voice. We tend to stay away from saxophones. We are probably not Balearic.

Why choose re-edits as a platform?

Duane: It’s a way to introduce people to the music that inspires us. As a DJ, I felt like the raw, urban feel of those early dance records that we loved coming outta Chicago, Detroit and New York, were lacking in a lot of the nu disco edit  and house records that were coming out. I like to think of them as tribute records to Hurley, Hardy, Krivit, Siano and the rest of the innovators that came before.

That being said can we expect any original music from you?

Duane: Sure. Our collaboration was born out of our friendship and our deep connection to music. When we are making these edits and remixes, we’re basically hanging out. It’s fun for us. As for what original music will sound like – who knows? Bim Marx is an ever-evolving work-in-progress.

Jorge: We’ve been taking small steps toward making original tracks through the remixes we’ve been doing.

Cool, I’m looking forward to hearing some stuff. What do people have to look forward to from Bim Marx in the new year?

Duane: As far as Bim Marx, expect some more remixes, another edit 12 and a brand new mix CD with exclusive edits. You can pick up our first cd at www.downtown304.com.

Jorge: Keep a look out for my new 7″ label Templo. First release is out in early 2010! And lots of new Professor Genius projects coming in the new year also.

Sounds good!

You can download a Bim Marx mix here at Beats in Space Radio



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