Murkage – Manchester’s rising stars get vocal – interview

Posted on 23 April 2012
By Cat Marr
  • Share:

Murkage are an outspoken act from Manchester making music to “decimate the live environment” and with a combined age of 3657 (which might be a lie) they have a lot of life experience between them.

Murkage are Dave, Ranen, Gaika and Ping Pong, who together create electronic music with a punk attitude and a grime delivery.

Packing a punch in their music they have a voice, ambition and lofty dreams of playing stadiums.

Their music is aggressive, informative and opinionated – all the ingredients that are missing from the mainstream charts today, and their message is “a search for the truth.”

Like other acts that aren’t afraid to stand up for what they believe in, they don’t agree with the way the music industry is run. Dave said: “while the big labels were busy skiing down cocaine mountain they missed a trick with the digital revolution and now the nerds are having the last laugh.”

The band’s songs include the inflammatory Torches which like Plan B’s song Ill Manors, points at last years’ riots “I woulda never looted Mac D’s, I woulda kidnapped MPs.” The band aren’t coy about standing up for what they believe in, and the more people are brave enough to question authority, they are bound to clean up and could even become a voice for today’s jilted generation.

Dave said: “If something needs approaching, we’re not afraid to take it there. This is the environment we’re creating music in and music is always a product of its environment. If we were living some baller lifestyle flying around the world by helicopter, then maybe we would write about that shit, but we’re not. We’re waking up everyday and seeing what the fucked up government is doing, we’re feeling the effects of this and also seeing how it affects our peers, so this is what comes out when we write.”

Having supported The C.R.E.A.M. of international hip-hop Wu-Tang Clan, Chase & Status, Mos Def, Lethal Bizzle and Chiddy Bang they proved their worth with their recent UK headline tour.

Despite their gripes about the music industry bosses, they are excited about the music and punk DIY attitude that prevails. Dave said: “The music scene is more healthy than it’s been for years, and that’s what we care about. It’s not like the 90s, where the general public was literally dictated as to what they should consume, the only alternative was pirate radio. Whereas now you have such a breadth of choice via the internet, you can choose whether to be dictated to or not.”

Murkage describe themselves unique. Dave said: “We’re the only band like us out there, and this shit cannot be manufactured.”

They are wrapping up their EP Of Mystics and Misfits. And if you want music with a bite, then nibble on this. Murkage are the ones to watch and you can catch them at this Summer’s European festivals.

Author