Premiere: quest?onmarq ‘Labyrinth’

New York’s quest?onmarq is launching a new label, Vortex Imprint, this week with the release of a seven-track compilation. Listen to her own contribution, ‘Labyrinth’, below. 

The label will serve as an extension of the DJ and producer’s Spiraling platform, which has previously encompassed A/V mixes, broadcasts on The Lot Radio, and events in venues such as Nowadays and Bossa Nova Civic Club. Its first release, ‘Spiraling : Ascent (Volume One)’, features tracks produced by former guests of those shows and parties, and pulls from a similarly wide spread of genres, from techno, breakbeat hardcore and jungle to tribal guarachero and experimental electronics. 

Among the artists featured on the compilation are fellow New Yorkers El Blanco Niño, XTY and Riyيّا,  Monterrey Mexico’s Tony Gallardo, San Diego's DULLAFTRUSE and Berlin-based Born in Flamez, alongside quest?onmarq herself. 

Speaking about ‘Labyrinth’ quest?onmarq says: “[The track] takes inspiration from recent adventures in the club and at festivals I’ve played and am currently digging for. Sonically shifting from overt intensity toward a dynamic subtlety. An adapted contrast from the intimate spaces I’d refined my skills in, now looking toward moving into larger capacities and guiding more spacious stages, performing alongside the lighting, visuals and big soundsystems I find great inspiration in.”

“Like a labyrinth, this track explores greater focus on navigating expanse in confined elements, illustrating use of space and movement, winding within a very focused palette of sounds.  With experience, I’ve found greater effectiveness in doing more with less. ‘Labyrinth’ also incorporates early experiments with live performance, as all elements of the tracks are layered iterations, each recorded in one take using Ableton’s Push 2.  By isolating elements and fine tuning effect parameters in real-time I discovered a route toward etching out more drama and impactful moments in my creative process.”

A launch party for ‘Spiraling : Ascent (Volume One)’ will take place this Saturday (29th July) at Bossa Nova Civic Club, where quest?onmarq will be joined by El Blanco Nino and Riyيّا between 10pm and 4am. Tickets for that are available here. 

‘Spiraling : Ascent (Volume One)’ will be released this Friday 29th July. Pre-order it here.