Since the age of 15, Marc Glasser, familiar to most as DJ/producer Dubbel Dutch, has traversed a huge landscape of musical sub-genres. Once a guitarist in a jazz-fussion and progressive rock band, Glasser eventually took to the clubs thanks to a bandmate whose taste for “blood-curdling” samples sparked a life-long relationship with the world of Internet radio.
Now, based in Bed-Stuy, BK, the producer finds himself wondering what’s next after contributing heavily to the production of dancehall artist Popcaan’s newest album. Because the Jamaica-based Popcaan doesn't have a US visa, Glasser explored first-hand a unique take on the artist collaboration at a distance––neither one shared studio time with each other. “Basically, the whole record was made without me even meeting Popcaan, which is sort of insane," said the DJ.
But the experience was overall positive for the producer. Now, he’s looking to deepen his love for dancehall music while continuing to expand into the more nuanced of club music. We caught up with Dubbel Dutch before his Saturday set at MoMA PS1.
KYLE WUKASCH: How do you describe your music?
DUBBEL DUTCH: Psychedelic beach rave, with rasta aliens and smoothies
Where are you from and how long have you been in the city?
I’m from Long Island, Nassau County, and I’ve been in the city in Brooklyn for two years now. Before that I was in Texas for four years in Austin from 2008-2012.
How was that?
I learned a lot about a how to live a different way of life from NYC. Getting a taste of Southern hospitality was definitely influential in the development of my character and me as a person. I never felt like I totally fit in with the typical NewYork state of mind, and I liked the slower way of life. Austin is where I also cut my teeth DJing.
How did you get exposed to the sort of club music you’re into now?
This guy in my high-school band, a progressive rock and jazz fusion band, started playing a sampler and would use blood-curdling screams in our music that all our parents hated, but we all liked, and he got me into Internet radio. And then I heard drum and bass and house and I got into IDM and Ambient music, and that led into the house and club music for me.
So where does the name Dubbel Dutch come from?
My girlfriend and I were doing a college radio show and that's where the name Dubbel Dutch came from. It's a combination of goofy DJ names that we would come up with. I was Dubbel Delicious, and she was the Duchess of Doom, and together we became Dubbel Dutch. The name just kinda stuck and then I started producing and using it as my production alias.
How did you start working with Popcaan? Did you actually go to Jamaica to work in the studio with him?
Basically the whole record was made without me even meeting Popcaan, which is sort of insane. I would send instrumental; he would send back acapellas, then I would finis
Now, based in Bed-Stuy, BK, the producer finds himself wondering what’s next after contributing heavily to the production of dancehall artist Popcaan’s newest album. Because the Jamaica-based Popcaan doesn't have a US visa, Glasser explored first-hand a unique take on the artist collaboration at a distance––neither one shared studio time with each other. “Basically, the whole record was made without me even meeting Popcaan, which is sort of insane," said the DJ.
But the experience was overall positive for the producer. Now, he’s looking to deepen his love for dancehall music while continuing to expand into the more nuanced of club music. We caught up with Dubbel Dutch before his Saturday set at MoMA PS1.
KYLE WUKASCH: How do you describe your music?
DUBBEL DUTCH: Psychedelic beach rave, with rasta aliens and smoothies
Where are you from and how long have you been in the city?
I’m from Long Island, Nassau County, and I’ve been in the city in Brooklyn for two years now. Before that I was in Texas for four years in Austin from 2008-2012.
How was that?
I learned a lot about a how to live a different way of life from NYC. Getting a taste of Southern hospitality was definitely influential in the development of my character and me as a person. I never felt like I totally fit in with the typical NewYork state of mind, and I liked the slower way of life. Austin is where I also cut my teeth DJing.
How did you get exposed to the sort of club music you’re into now?
This guy in my high-school band, a progressive rock and jazz fusion band, started playing a sampler and would use blood-curdling screams in our music that all our parents hated, but we all liked, and he got me into Internet radio. And then I heard drum and bass and house and I got into IDM and Ambient music, and that led into the house and club music for me.
So where does the name Dubbel Dutch come from?
My girlfriend and I were doing a college radio show and that's where the name Dubbel Dutch came from. It's a combination of goofy DJ names that we would come up with. I was Dubbel Delicious, and she was the Duchess of Doom, and together we became Dubbel Dutch. The name just kinda stuck and then I started producing and using it as my production alias.
How did you start working with Popcaan? Did you actually go to Jamaica to work in the studio with him?
He can’t come to America, so the process was through Mixpak, the label which released the album. They asked me to produce some tracks for Popcaan after I had expressed interest in the past because he was the protege of the recently incarcerated dancehall legend Vybz Kartel.
Basically the whole record was made without me even meeting Popcaan, which is sort of insane. I would send instrumental; he would send back acapellas, then I would finis