Marco Bailey is a Belgian DJ and Producer.  Originally a Trance producer in the mid-1990’s Bailey built a name for himself as a Hard-Techno artist but in more recent years has slowed down and incorporated elements Minimal and Progressive, and is currently signed to John Digweed’s Bedrock label.  Bailey also runs his own label MB Elektronics.

Early Years: 1994 to 2002

Marco Bailey began his musical life in Belgium as a Trance DJ and producer, part of the mid-to-late 1990’s wave of Low Countries Trance.  Whereas the Dutch sound was more uplifting and melodic, championed by the likes of Ferry Corsten and Armin van Buuren, the Belgian sound was harder and darker. 

Early Marco Bailey tracks such as ‘Scorpia’ (Bonzai 1996) – released on the influential progressive Dutch trance label Bonzai – feature high speed tempo, fierce arpeggiated lead lines and an incessant drive.  All of which was a stark contrast to the ebbs and flows of the uplifting Dutch Trance sound.

By the early 2000’s Bailey was evolving his style away from a pure Trance sound and incorporating Techno influences, producing tracks which didn’t really sit in any single genre, such as the 2002 track ‘Sniff (Cokeman)’ (Amendo        2002).

Also in 2002 Bailey set up his MB Elektroniks record label which would go on to feature leading Techno artists such as Adam Beyer and Umek.

Later Years: 2003 to present

By the time Marco Bailey released the track ‘Hustler’ (Primate Recordings 2003) his transition to a fully-fledged Hard Techno sound was complete.  ‘Hustler’ sees all of the Trance elements such as lead lines and acid bass lines of his previous tracks shorn in favour tribal techno rhythms. What remains though is the high tempo energy which characterized his earlier releases.

As the 2000’s progressed Bailey continued to evolve his sound, incorporating elements of Electro and Minimal, releasing tracks on his own MB Elektronics label and on Carl Cox’s Intec.

Towards the late 2000’s Bailey evolved his sound yet again, this time slowing down the pace and incorporating Progressive elements.  The transition was so complete that by 2009 Bailey was releasing on John Digweed’s leading Progressive House label Bedrock. 

In 20011 Bailey released an album of Progressive-meets-Techno-with-a-bit-of-Minimal-thrown-in-too music entitled ‘Dragon Man’ (Bedrock Records 2011).

Marco Bailey is a musical chameleon: in only a little over 15 years Bailey has evolved his sound from Trance, through Hard Techno to Progressive / Minimal.  A cynical interpretation is that he has followed the trends, a more generous reading is that he has always evolved his sound rather than remain static. 

As a child Marco Bailey was an enthusiastic cyclist until suffered injuries and decided to focus on music and DJ-ing instead.