Marco Bernardi

Marco Bernardi

Marco Bernardi is an electro and techno artist whose work also touches on nu electro and acid. He begins as a keyboard player in cover bands on the Glasgow pub and club circuit, before moving into electronic music after hearing techno and electro. He also works in the hi-tech department of a local music store, where he builds up studio equipment and develops engineering skills that feed into his productions.

Early releases and collaborations

Bernardi’s first release is The Chicago Bearsden, issued in 2002 under the name Mhelt Project with Martyn Henderson, also known as Mash. The track features guest vocals from Detroit techno figure Claude Young. He later forms a friendship with Funk DVoid and Percy X of Soma Recordings, and contributes engineering and production work to the Voyager EP. He then co-writes and co-produces a series of 12-inch releases and two albums with Percy X for Soma, as well as a single for Andrew Weatherall’s Firewire label.

Releases under his own name

His first production under the Marco Bernardi name is Trane/Memory, released in 2004 on Emoticon. The record is described as downtempo electronics and attracts comparisons with Carl Craig and B12. Laurent Garnier is also said to have responded positively to it. Another track, Commuters Computers on Iridite Recordings, is licensed for DJ 3000’s mix album True Colors on Submerge. After that, Klen of Clone asks Bernardi for music for the new Frustrated Funk sub-label, leading to Morpheusis. He later releases Octogen on Frantic Flowers, a Clone sister label, and follows Frustrated Funk with Sigmunds Day Out.

Live work

Bernardi develops his live set over a number of years at venues across Europe. His performances combine analogue hardware and software, moving from melodic downtempo electronics into harder dancefloor material, and some shows in Britain include guest vocalists. He is also associated with The Separatists.