Marcel Dune
DJ | Producer
The city of Αθήνα is known for its spectacular 5th-century BC landmarks like the Aκρόπολη, the Παρθενώνας temple and remnants of huge classical Greek columns which stand tall against densely stacked apartment blocks that build up the capital of Greece. But what about Athens’ electronic music scene? It’s not something that gets a heap of coverage on any particular platform but there is a staunch community of dance music lovers embedded in the ancient city. Like a sip of Ούζο on a hot day, dance music is a welcome source of pleasure and escapism in Athens as much as it is in Berlin, London, Ibiza and beyond.
Marcel Dune is a Greek producer and DJ whose sound is shaped by the underground scene of Athens, drawing inspiration from street culture and the unique rawness it exhibits, along with a fascination of how some of today’s society express their frustration and problems through music and dance.
This means Marcel’s productions and DJ sets are quite diverse. With a background in jazz and opera singing, Marcel has pooled her knowledge to combine the mediums of modular synthesis, field recordings and analog and digital sounds as the basis of her productions.
Having shared her collection of EBM, trance, cosmic techno, electro, breakbeat and more via Boiler Room, six d.o,g,s, Blow and a whole range of venues and DIY parties in Athens, Marcel has remained connected to her craft despite the upheaval of the year so far. After relocating to London a few months ago, she shared a slot with Ceili on Threads Radio and also released on REPITCH, LI$021 and more over the last couple of weeks.
The below memory comes somewhere from the dusty outskirts of Athens, which Marcel recalls in detail below. She also shares how she’s feeling at the moment, the comparisons between living in London and Greece and more…
Photo: YuLiang Liu
Where was this photo taken and why did you choose it? What was the music vibe at the time?
This photo came directly from the best new year’s eve party that took place in Athens, Greece. Tsiknotekno Doppelgänger / N Y E rave by project BLNK welcomed 2020 in the most unique way.
It was the first and unfortunately probably the last heavy party of this unpleasant year due to the pandemic restrictions. The vibe back then was extremely huge and the fact that the rave took place in an old industrial truck repair building close to the industrial zone of Athens really set the proper atmosphere. The line-up as well as the crowd was one-off. Techno, acid rave and ghetto techno was some of the music played that huge night, both through Live and DJ set performances. I will never forget that night, being both part of the line-up and as a raver for me was quite special. In this particular photo I am playing a DJ set around 4-5am at 1/1/2020.
How have you been over the last few months and what is life currently like in London?
In the beginning it was very shocking. I was so frustrated, confused and nervous. Many times I remember myself losing my concentration in many fields. However as the time passed I was more able to organise myself so I had the ‘great’ idea of relocating to London, LMAO. So I am new in London and I do not know that much about life here. On the other hand Athens is going wild again with numerous illegal raves.
Do you think there's a strong contrast between the underground music scenes of London and Athens? If so, what's the difference?
I don't really know what’s been going on in London since I am a new resident but in Athens there is only an underground scene. Athens has a small music scene compared to London or Berlin for instance. Everyone tries to figure out their own self through parties/events, to create their own identity and atmosphere while there is no help from the government to support the music industry. One great example for this situation was that during quarantine almost everyone took a small amount of money as support by the government with the exception of art workers!!! However, I believe that this struggle sometimes creates the perfect environment for creativity. So yes the underground scene in Athens is strong enough to build their own community.
Earlier this year, you released an EP 'Trnc' on DJ Plead's label SUMAC. It's trancey, punchy and aggressive all at once. Do you think you've found your sound or will do something completely different for your next production?
My upcoming release is out at the end of October on REPITCH recordings. I am so happy about this release, the sound of it is more fast-techno hard dance kicks and trance-adjacent supersaw synths. I don’t know if I found my sound yet since I am always experimenting with the sound design. However, I always create music according to my feelings, past or current experiences.
Have you learnt anything surprising about yourself or the path you have taken in music so far this year?
I learnt a lot of things about myself during these difficult times but actually nothing surprises me more than the conformities that we are all trapped in.
As an artist, how do you feel about the future at the moment?
The future is very uncertain, especially for artists, I hope for the best though!
What has been a source of calm/comfort for you throughout 2020 so far?
Making music has been my only source of calmness.
Listen to Marcel’s latest mix with Ceili on Threads radio here and follow her below: