Ministry of Sound are an international institution who work with – and consequently deliver – some of the best music makers around. Mark Brown is such a music maker. With his incredibly successful international house label Cr2, Brown has brought a ne w level of deft expertise to the dancefloors of England and Europe. His recent chart topping releases The Journey Continues with Saint Etienne lead vocalist Sarah Cracknell and You Know What’s Up – which he produced with partner in crime Micky Slim – are both a testament to Brown’s skill, his recent national tour with Slim a testament to his ability to make a crowd lose control. Brown took some time out to chat with OUTinPerth during his recent Australian tour.

What can you tell us about your style of music?

It’s electronic house music with an edge.

What would you describe that edge as?

Dance floor friendly.

What’s your background? How old are you and how long have you been playing in clubs?

I’ve been DJing since I was 17 and I’ve played everywhere from Cream in Liverpool to Ministry of Sound in London, Back to Basics in Leeds and then international gigs like … in Ibiza and Ministry of Sound in Singapore.

What kind of music inspires you to DJ and make your own music?

Anything really cutting edge and fresh sounding. I’m not really into soulful house. I like music that’s pushing boundaries out.

What boundaries are out there at the moment worth pushing?

There are the new wave electronic house producers who are making more techno based records. A lot of people think it’s more techno music being made and that it has to be played at 150bpm, but that’s not really the case. It’s got more of a house sound.

What makes for a good DJ?

Someone who is open minded and who is creative and whose respectful to other DJs.

What makes a DJ good enough for Ministry of Sound?

A good booking agent! No, seriously I come with a brand behind me, my label Cr2. That and the heritage of being a DJ on the circuit for the last 10 years.

What can you tell us about Cr2 records?

CR2 was set up in 2004 and just before Cr2 I had a record label called Credence which was part of a major record company at the time called EMI Records. They had made my position redundant in the company a couple of years after my contract had ended so I decided to set up my own record label Cr2, which is an extension of Credence. That’s how Cr2 was born really – it started off with two people running from one bedroom in my house and now we have eight full time members of staff .

And clearly you’ve moved out from the bedroom in your house…?

Yeah, yeah…we have a complex now with studios and everything.

A lot of DJs typically start off mucking around in their bedroom. What have you had on your side that have brought you out of the bedroom on to the world stage?

I think my personality is a really persevering one. I’m a really hard worker who doesn’t mind putting their mind to it and putting the hard work in. I mean, you don’t get anything for free in life anymore, unless you’re a very lucky person and win some kind of a lottery. I’m a firm believer that you create your own destiny.

What was it like working with Saint Etienne vocalist Sarah Cracknell on the track The Journey Continues?

I’ve been a huge Saint Etienne fan since I was a young boy. Her records have been very influential in what I’ve done over the years. She’s done work with Aphex Twin and been a very high profile electronic star. I think Sarah has a fantastic vocal. It’s very unique sounding and that’s why I wanted to work with her.

Who are some of the other dream collaborations you’d love to have in the future?

I’d love to work with Stevie Wonder.

How come?

I think he’s just an amazing musician. I’d also love to work with Quincy Jones on a production level. Again I think he’s an amazing musician too.

What do you think of the current state of Australian dance music?

I was over in January and it seems to be losing the cheesy electro sound in some parts of Australia and then in other parts it’s still pretty relevant to what’s going on in the rest of Australia. I think the Australian club scene was how the UK was 15 years ago: quite exciting with lots of young kids. I’m not sure how the venues are going now and I now the amount of festivals you guys have is definitely going to have an impact on your clubs on a weekly basis and I’m not sure how good that is, to have so many festivals as you guys do. Obviously the weather you have is the reason why. I just think it’s unhealthy for a weekly club scene which has smaller clubs.

What’s something or someone exciting our readers should keep an ear out for, besides yourself?

There’s an amazing producer out at the moment called Williams who’s working on labels like Get Physical.

What can punters expect from your forthcoming Perth gig?

Lot’s of craziness really in a really busy club. They can expect to hear a load of exciting new records that they haven’t heard before.

And what is a top song you have in your record box at the moment which you just love playing night after night?

It’s actually one I’ve done myself with Steve Mac which is coming out as Mark Brown and Steve Mac. It’s called Sly.

For more Mark Borwn, go to www.markbrowncr2.com.