Vincent Marlice, the Berlin-based electronic music producer and live act of German-Chilean heritage, is renowned for his unique blend of melodic techno, organic house, and indie dance music. His distinctive sound has been hailed as a captivating techno-driven odyssey, characterized by intricate melodies and vibrant energy. Marlice’s live sets are a testament to his artistry, showcasing original creations that seamlessly integrate emotive vocals, guitar reverbs, and improvised synthesizer elements.
Excitingly, Vincent Marlice has released an EP (Agua Soda) in collaboration with VRuno on Tanzgemeinschaft, adding another dimension to his already dynamic musical repertoire.
Read all about the artist’s story below in his interview.
Connect with Vincent Marlice on Instagram / Spotify
Hey Nando, thank you for your time. What have you been up to lately?
Hi guys, my pleasure. I just arrived from a trip to Thailand and will be heading down to South America until mid-February.
Regarding my music, I have been mainly focusing on making my transition to a DAWless setup, meaning more analog gear, improving my guitar skills, fewer knobs and more importantly: No screens, which is something I am trying to move away from in general.
Give us an insight into what we can expect from you over the next few months.
Because I have not been using Ableton, and in a sense, limited the tools I can access, this has allowed me to fully enter a realm of creativity that wasn’t known to me before. To know exactly what this will materialize into is yet to be found out, however, because the palette of sounds is significantly reduced, I am slowly getting a feel of the musical direction this new phase is taking me to. If it will be a project under a different name, I don’t know yet.
How would you describe your development as an artist and the transition towards your own style?
I think it’s inevitable to develop your own style if you stay true to yourself and keep on making music. I guess it’s also a natural process because as we evolve, our style evolves. Personally, I have always been interested in different musical genres, as well as new or unknown (to me at least) technologies. All these factors influence the output.
Do you think that the kind of music you grew up listening to affects the taste of music you develop?
Absolutely, I think there is no way of “escaping” that.
How would you describe your sound and style?
I think the most appropriate category is “Melodic House and Techno”. I’m honestly a bit embarrassed to describe my music. I always end up choosing adjectives that sound vague and corny.
When working on new music, do you have a creative process you go with? Trial and error, experiment and see what comes out?
Well, I guess it depends on the project and on the track I am currently working on. Sometimes it’s trial and error as you say, but on other occasions, I have a melody in mind and work around that idea. The main melody will always be the most important element in a song in my opinion (at least in most genres).
Soon you will have a release, “Agua Soda”, with us. Can you tell us how you came up with this nice track and what our readers can expect?
This is the first track we produced together with VRuno back in 2022, it was the track that made us realize we can produce some really cool stuff together. It has taken so long to release because we were waiting for the right label to release it on, so we are stoked and super grateful to team up with you once again! Especially with Paul Hazendonk’s remix, which is a very nice addition to this release.
VRuno, Vincent Marlice – Agua Soda can be found on Beatport or streaming services.
Could you take us through a day in your life, from a possible morning routine through to your work? Do you have a fixed schedule?
I don’t have a fixed schedule per se. But what I can tell you is I try to wake up between 7 and 9, hydrate, get work done as soon as possible (creative, administrative, etc), have breakfast late and then go outside to do sports, read a book, spend time with friends, etc. Winter days in Berlin are short, so I try to get work done as soon as possible to be outside as much (and as soon) as possible.
Music and sound are in some ways the most collaborative and interactive forms of creativity – what are your thoughts on this?
Well, I guess it depends on how you interact with music/sound. It certainly has the potential. However, there is a huge difference between staring at a screen alone, clicking on a mouse to move midi notes around the piano roll versus jamming with your friends in a rehearsal room and pouring your heart out. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, but I tend to prefer the latter.
What does a collaboration look like? How did the release “Agua Soda” and your previous release with us, “Busy Body”, come together?
VRuno and I have known each other for a couple of years now. We have many friends in common, make relatively similar music, live in the same city, and we both have Chilean roots, so getting to know each other through a collaboration made a lot of sense, or at least getting together and jamming. Finishing the tracks seemed inevitable after realizing we really like the ideas we were developing and more importantly: We had an absolute blast making music together!
Have you ever hit roadblocks while making music? If so, what have you found to be the best ways to overcome this?
Yes, most of the time I would even say. The roadblocks are however mainly related to mixing in my case. But regardless of the type of roadblock, I think a good idea is to get out of the studio and listen to the track in a completely different context, for example, with earphones in the subway, or between mastered tracks in the background whilst hanging out with friends. Personally, this gives me a completely new perspective which allows me to pinpoint exactly what is bothering me or missing in the track.
Another great technique is leaving the track alone for a couple of days/weeks and then listening to it with fresh ears. If you have producer friends whose work you admire and who are honest when reviewing (!), their opinions could also be valuable. And the last resort (which is not the end of the world) is abandoning the track. Some tracks were simply not made to be finished.
Who are your musical or audio heroes and why?
To name a few: Paul Simon, Jeff Buckley, Paul McCartney, Nusrat Fatah Ali Khan . The songwriting of these guys is just on another level.
How important is image to you?
In the context of music, overrated.
Thank you.
