Young Marco

Marco Sterk was once one of the Amsterdam music scene’s best-kept secrets, gaining a reputation for floor-filling “unclassics” in the late 2000s before releases on Rush Hour and ESP Institute brought him to an international audience in the mid-2010s. 

A dedicated record collector, the DJ is known for combining everything from tropical rhythms and industrial techno to Middle Eastern disco. The dutchman also operates as one third of ambient supergroup Gaussian Curve, and runs his own label ‘Safe Trip’.

‘Bahasa’ is his first album in five years, following landmark debut ‘Biology’ in 2014. It is set for release on ‘Island Of The Gods’, a Balinese label that aims to fuse the old world sounds of Indonesia with modern music. The mission is achieved through Sterk’s utilisation of gamelan, gong and bamboo instruments across the eight ambient tracks that make up the LP. Field-recordings from “jungles, oceans and streets”, meanwhile, bring a mystical energy to the subdued and enigmatic soundscapes. 

‘Bahasa’ will be released on July 12, 2019.