Events

Merka’s ‘Beserka’ will make you forget all pre-conceptions you had about breaks! Spacey, futuristic, fun & funky!

Merka, aka Mark Ford, is one of the UK’s most renowned breaks producers, and is set to release his debut album, ‘Beserka’, on Fat! Records.

Merka’s first adventure on wax was in 2003 through Future Funk Squad’s Re:connect Records, which gained him notoriety and support from heavy hitters within the dance community – everyone from Shut Up And Dance to Laurent Garnier were raving. Merka had arrived, and continued his run by regularly playing alongside top shelf artists such as Bushwacker! and Rennie Pilgrim. Furthermore, his ever growing presence was expanded by regular appearances at revered clubs such as The End, Heaven, Ministry Of Sound and Fabric. No stranger to the airwaves either, Merka appears weekly on BreaksFM and has regular appearances on Radio 1 and Kiss FM.

Imagine a playful blend of jazz, funk & sci fi licks in a shape-shifting, trend hopping Can Can through every genre of music since rave music began – add a funky breakbeat underneath – and you’ve got yourself ‘Beserka’! This is dancefloor breaks but with no gnarliness in sight! You won’t believe your ears! This is the freshest approach to breakbeat in years, and has more in common with artists like Luke Vibert and labels like Ninja Tune than your average breaks label.

UK dance press are already raving about this album and agree it’s revitalising breaks and dance music overall:

IDJ ‘...one of the most interesting and captivating albums the scene has ever produced… A hugely talented man, Fat! are well on the money with Merka.”
DJMAG ‘...Merka is thinking-outside-the-box. Free spirited joie de vivre. A jazzy guitar lick here, some doo-wop there, zippy basslines, a loungecore exotica undertone. Dancefloor dynamite that doesn’t need to rely on big bastard beats. Easily one of the most complete records in the breakbeat canon…Merka has truly upped the ante.’ M8 MAG “Merka shows maturity in his work that exceeds his years, effortlessly blending jazz, funk, out door summer vibes, laid back vocal samples with ever so slick and sexy production. Funked up, fat, free flowing, forward thinking maaaaan! (M7/ M8)” AURENT GARNIER ‘...ooohhhh yes, lovely, full support.’ OUL OF MAN (FINGERLICKIN) ‘...something we need in our lives for 2007.�