In the world of electronic music, MK needs little introduction.
With a billion streams behind him, hits like 'Burning' have been setting dance floors alight for decades, inspiring a slew of producers to come.One young producer influenced by MK was Australia's own Dom Dolla. After being fortunate enough to open for MK, aka Marc Kinchen, Dolla queried for a collaboration. MK, sensing things to come, agreed and 'Rhyme Dust' became the hit it is today. "I did a tour in America two years before we worked on that song, and Dom opened up for me," MK shares.
"At some point, Dom reached out and said, 'do you wanna collab on something?' Dom wasn't as huge as he is now, but I knew he would be, so I'm like, 'let me get on this before it's impossible to work with him'. So he came over with a skeleton of 'Rhyme Dust'.
"It was mostly cue tips, rap and a bassline, it wasn't even called 'Rhyme Dust' yet. So we started working on it around the time of COVID, and mid session, his manager called and said, 'you have to leave because they're gunna close the borders and you won't be able to get back'. We literally just stopped the session, and he went straight to the airport.
"So we left it for a second, then after COVID was subsiding, we got back on the phone and traded ideas. I'd do some stuff, send it to him, and he'd do some stuff. We just went back and forth.
"We never got back in the studio again physically, but that's how most collabs are done nowadays, very rarely are two people in the studio together."
Aside from a mammoth DJ career, MK has also produced tracks for many high profile artists including Will Smith and Pitbull. An interesting addition to the resume was producing for legendary songwriter Diane Warren. "Dianne's interesting," MK smiles. "I was introduced by a mutual friend, because Diane was getting into more dance stuff.
"I'd go to her studio, where she has an engineer the whole time, and she would write songs on the piano and record them on cassette. She's probably updated with time, but she used to record on cassette and give the cassette to her engineer, who would send me an MP3.
"I would take what she gave me, and produce a track around it in my studio, and then we would go back in the studio with a vocalist and re-record what she did.
"Once that's done, she would take the song and then give it to Rihanna or whoever, but she's a stickler, she knows what she wants. She'll say change that bass sound, that kick drum is too aggressive. She's all in the middle of it. Her songs are her baby."
Asked if he prefers such straight direction, MK disagrees. "I prefer being in the studio by myself. Once I have the vocals, let me do what I do and leave me alone. Trust the end result."
With a long list of tours and residencies to his name, including recently opening for Calvin Harris and appearing at Creamfields and Lollapalooza, MK knows the touring circuit well. However, questions about his USB contingency plan reveal that he prefers optimism over safety.
"Just the other day I played in Vegas and my tour manager said, 'do you have your USBs?' I'm like, 'yeah, I have one'. He's like, 'One! What if it breaks?' Luckily, that's never happened," MK laughs, "but now that I've said it, I'm not carrying one anymore."
Known for pioneering new sounds, MK opens up about the techniques he's been focused on of late. "I focus on where the vocals are, and make sure that I keep it danceable.
"Now, so many people aren't into a lot of vocals, so it makes it more challenging, because I like both. Technique wise, I focus on the vocals and build around them, make sure the melodies and chords are right. I'm starting to get into AI a little bit, because I know that's gonna take over any second."
He offers his advice to young producers developing their sound. "You really have to try to be original. When I was 17 working on music, I wasn't that good of a producer, but I didn't sound like anybody else; and that was 75 per cent of what got me through the door.
"There are really talented songwriters and musicians who can play like no other, but they can't catch a break. Because they're so good, they can sound like what's on the radio right now, and it doesn't cut through.
"Once you get a bit different and make people question what they're listening to, then you have them. If you think about every big producer, songwriter, DJ, whatever it is, I guarantee 90 per cent of them have a certain sound that's not like anyone else."
Fortunately for Australian ears, MK will be returning late April for shows. MK loves his time in the southern land. "The crowd get so into it, it makes the show really fun. It makes me want to hang out after, do an after-party. The people are great. I love it there, I actually love it."
MK 2025 Tour Dates
Thu 24 Apr - 170 Russell (Melbourne)Fri 25 Apr - Port Breach Brewery (Perth)
Sat 26 Apr - Roundhouse (Sydney)
Sun 27 Apr - Oasis (Brisbane)