RS: When you are making a mixed CD are you thinking of a set you would play in a club?
Mark Farina: No, I'm not necessarily thinking of a dance floor when I'm making it. I know it's dance music but I'm trying to think of people listening to it in the car, in their house, or on their headphones while going around. I kind of think of a mix for somebody to listen to in their personal space and maybe not necessarily at the club.
RS: A lot of great house guys come out of the whole San Francisco house sound, why do you think San Francisco's been such a
Mecca for house music?
Mark Farina: In the early 90s, there were lots of good house people coming here and they had a local house thing going on that wasn't just deep house, it was all different styles. People have a good club history here and producer-wise, it just happened to be a producer-friendly town. There's different genres of production going on in San Francisco and I think that probably just goes back to San Francisco's' a good music history. There's tech people, downtempo house people, this kind of people, that kind of people, breaks people and of course the whole deep house thing.
RS: On the tech tip, are you a PC guy or a Mac guy?
Mark Farina: I'm a Mac guy but I don't really use a computer for production or anything now. For eMails and stuff, I'm a Mac guy. I'm more analogue in production with an MPC 4000, drum machines, and stuff like that.
RS: When you're spinning out live are you vinyl, CD, or laptop?
Mark Farina: I'm pretty much all single CDs these days with a little vinyl. I'll play one track off of a CD. I like having three Pioneer CDJs as part of the set up of preference these days. I made the switchover from vinyl over the last few years and now I'm pretty much playing different CDs. Computer-wise I'm not too computery, so I could never foresee myself bring a computer to the club yet. Its not really my style and these places are too crazy to have a computer right now. I play some vinyl but I still find CDs are essential, especially these days for unreleased stuff which will never make it onto vinyl.
RS: What would you like to say to all your fans out there?
Mark Farina: If you are listening to the music at home, you should come out to the club in whatever town I visit near you, its going to be a good time. This tour is a really good tour with lots of quality venues and a lot of people I've worked with in different cities. So far, the shows have been great and its going to continue to be a good time. To the people I've been to already, thanks for coming out to the shows. If I've already been in your neighborhood, hopefully I'll be back again.
