FADER Mix: DJ Marfox

Over the past couple of years, Lisbon's DJ Marfox has been at the forefront of a new wave of Afro-Portuguese music that has its roots in the Angolan music styles of kuduro and tarraxinha. Tough, densely rhythmic, and set at a sweat-inducing pace, Marfox's sound is the epitome of infectious. In summer 2014, Future Brown producer J-Cush released Marfox's Lucky Punch EP on his NYC label Lit City Trax, and a year later the importance of the record is being highlighted with a vinyl release. To celebrate said wax, the Portuguese producer has whipped up a FADER Mix that's packed full of melodic bite. Listen below, scroll down for a few words from the man himself, and order Lucky Punch on vinyl here.

Where are you right now? Please describe your surroundings.

Right now I'm in Loures, at my neighborhood Bairro Quinta do Mocho. I live about five minutes away from Lisbon airport which is quite helpful when I have to travel abroad for a gig. Quinta do Mocho has a population of nearly 5,000 and it's a 15-20 minute drive to the center of Lisbon. Quinta do Mocho is currently one of the most notorious public housing neighborhoods in Portugal and across Europe. It is home to the biggest European urban art project with various large scale graffiti works. It was also here that, in 2001, thanks to the genius of DJ Nervoso, one of the most solid and pure styles of dance music was born—the same music and culture that I make today and am part of, and that has influenced hundreds of kids across the extended suburbs on the periphery of Lisbon.

What do you imagine people doing while listening to this mix?

Honestly I hope they stop whatever they were doing and to simply dance. Dance from the beginning to the end of the mix because I was in a party mood when I put this mix together for you out there, so just crank the volume up and enjoy.

A year on, your Lucky Punch EP still, quite literally, packs a sonic punch. How do crowds abroad react to it?

You just nailed the idea behind the title of the EP, a major Lucky Punch. Everywhere I go, people recognize the "Marfox sound" and it is part of many fellow DJs across the globe, which is something that makes me super happy. I am pleased that it is coming out on vinyl.

How has the Lisbon scene responded to the international interest?

It's been fantastic by almost everybody. I think we are corresponding to the expectations but there's still a long way to go and we are hopeful that in the near future even greater things may come.

When can we expect new music from you, and what will it sound like?

Soon, real soon. On this mix I included three new tracks from my next EP that will be released by Príncipe, a return to the origins where everything started back in 2011.

What's the last book that you read that had a big impact on you?

I'm afraid I'm not big on books. I prefer reading magazines that cover current news and themes of the world, from science to technology and varied in-depth articles.

And finally, what's your favorite dish to eat and how do you cook it?

My favorite dish is "Cozido à Portuguesa," which is a traditional stew of meat and vegetables, but I'm forbidden to eat it since I'm following a strict diet so I'd say grilled salmon with lemon and butter sauce and sautéed vegetables.

1 - DJ Xuxo - Baza
2 - DJ Kilamu - Hum & Hum
3 - DJ Marfox & DJ Nervoso - Mmmm Mmi
4 - DJ Marfox - Unsound
5 - DJ Portuguesa - Speed Total (Remix)
6 - DJ Marfox - 2685
7 - DJ Nigga Fox - Maria Costa
8 - DJ Marfox & Puto x - Mù Kwata-Kwata
9 - DJ Bula - Pí Pí
10 - DJ Marfox - Cobra Preta
11 - DJ Marfox & DJ Satellite - Lisbuanda Noise
12 - DJ Znobia - Para Tudo (Remix)
13 - Nuxito - Sopa de Samples
14 - DJ Kilamu - Roubo "Instrumental"
15 - DJ Mila & Dj Capiro - Marimbas