Marko Nastic - B92 Radio - Belgrade RS - Feb 2007

Biography of Marko Nastic

Serbian DJ Marko Nastic is the latest name to emerge from the European techno scene, following Slovenian Umek and Valentino Kanzyani from Slovenia into the international forum. Still only in his twenties, Nastic?s whirlwind three-deck sets, which take in tribal and tech-house, electro and techno as well as his clubby productions for Umek and Kanzyani's Earrisistible label, have seen him make the transformation from respected local spinner to a sought-after DJ who plays all over the world. DJing and music were always a part of Marko's background: even in his pre-teen years, he was fascinated with synthesisers and drum machines and his uncle used to play Italo Disco in the 80s on Belgrade radio. This made Nastic, who was in his early teens, think about the possibilities of DJing and, when techno started filtering through to Serbia in the early 90s, his older brothers turned him on to it. However, just as techno music was becoming popular in Serbia, the Balkan conflict escalated. Marko admits that he was too young to realise the gravity of the situation, but, like every area of life, it also impacted on his world. 'Things were tense, but a lot of it probably went over my head' he admits. 'But it meant that buying records was very difficult and the selection wasn't good. My friends went abroad to buy records and some friends that lived in London sent us material.

Things have got much better since Milosevic was ousted, we're free to travel and the scene in Belgrade is stronger.' Still only 14, Nastic had just landed a job at Belgrade's dance music shop, Happy People, where his interest in dance music was allowed to flourish. 'I started mixing using Technics in the shop and that's also where I made friends with people in the club scene.' he explains. Nastic met Dejan Milicevic, his future partner in the Teenage Techno Punks DJ collective and, by the time he was 16, in 1997, he had landed a residency at Belgrade's leading underground club Industria, together with Milicevic. He also became the club's programme director, strengthening his collaboration with Gordan Paunovic and Belgrade?s other important electronic music DJs and promoters. Industria set the standard for clubbing and DJing in the Serbian capital and Marko's next project, promotional team Teshka Mashinerija also began at Industria, with a string of exceptionally successful parties. Nastic stayed at Industria for four years, before moving to the Mondo club for a year and then he resided at the Incognito club in Novi Sad. As his DJing developed, he was a regular feature at virtually all significant techno events in Belgrade or Serbia in the 1990s.

By the age of 25, he had played together with global techno luminaries like Carl Cox, Richie Hawtin, Marco Carola, Kevin Saunderson, Green Velvet, Adam Beyer and Billy Nasty and, like the adoration afforded to Umek in Slovenia, he had developed a near religious following at home in Serbia. One by one, the clubbing scenes in neighbouring countries became aware of Nastic's unparalleled DJing skills, and his distinctive three deck style, as well as his ability to mix up everything from Croydon-style tech house to rumbling. Joining the Recycled Loops team as well as signing up to Berlin's DJ agency-Kne?Deep, has seen Nastic's international bookings flourishing. He did his first non-European tour in 2002, of Brazil, and now he regularly plays gigs in the UK, across Asia and in Europe. Today his favourite clubs include Bali, Lifka, Colloseum in Skopje, FYR Macedonia, M47 in Hungary, U60311 in Frankfurt, and several clubs in Spain- 'Sala del Sel' in Gerona,'Techno Flash' in Valladolid, and 'Florida 135' in Fraga. Together with his intensive DJing, Marco Nastic also created the first Serbian Techno Label 'RECON',

which published 5 discs:

1.UMEK - ZULU SAMURAI
2.KOBAYA - ROSA SALVAHE
3.VESTAX - 3 EP
4.V/A - NASTIC & KOBAYA - MAFIA SZLAVA
5.KOBAYA - BLACKMAIL

Marco's newest editions are following:

1) RECYCLED LOOPS 17 'RETURN OF CRAZY DICK NINJA '
2) EARRISTIBLE MUSIC ' SOUTH AMERICAN FEVER '
3) BAD GIRLS 2 ' HAGEN DASZ ICE CREAM FLAVOUR '
4) WET MUSIC ' TEENAGE TECHNO PUNKS ' SPLIT RELEASE WITH DEJAN MILICEVIC
5) RECON WARRIORS ' MAFIA SZLAVA ' SPLIT RELEASE WITH KOBAYA

and remixes:

1) PEDRO DELGARDO YING YANG
2) ALEXANDAR KONING BAD GIRLS 1
3) DJ BUDAI EGO RECORDS
4) VEZTAX - RECON WARRIORS