Born and raised in the magical city of Venice, Italy, Marco Lys has long been synonymous with quality, innovation, and dancefloor energy and has a reputation as one of the most respected figures in the global electronic music scene. His sound—a powerful fusion of house, techno, and tribal influences—has lit up clubs and festivals worldwide. Marco releases on some of the biggest (tech-)house labels on the planet and receives support from Fisher, Green Velvet, Chris Lake, ANOTR, Seth Troxler, Marco Carola, Honey Dijon, Kerri Chandler, and Franky Rizardo. LoudLife caught up with Marco at a time when his remix of “Shake Your” is turning heads across the scene, but our conversation didn’t stop there.
Interview with Marco Lys
Hey Marco, how you been doing?
Hey guys, I’m doing great, thanks so much for having me! I’m busy in the studio working
on new tracks, and getting ready for the next round of touring.
“Shake Your” was a dancefloor anthem across the globe. What do you hope today’s
clubbers will experience when they hear your version?
With my remix, I really wanted to breathe new life into this iconic track. What I hope is that
when clubbers hear it on a proper sound system, they feel the same energy and excitement I felt while creating it.
This new release lands on Toolroom. What’s your relationship like with the Toolroom
family?
Toolroom has always felt like a second home to me. Over the years, we’ve built a solid
connection through multiple releases, collaborations, and projects. The whole team,
especially Mark Knight, has always believed in what I do, which means a lot. Every time I
work with them, whether it’s music, sample packs, or the recent course I recorded, it just
flows naturally.
If you could remix any other early-2000s dance classic next, what would it be—and
why?
I’ve been lucky enough to remix some of my all-time favorite tracks over the years. Every
time I get the original stems of a tune I used to play non-stop back in the day, it’s a really
special feeling. There are so many early-2000s tracks I’d love to put my hands on, so it’s
hard to pick just one—but if I had to mention one that comes to mind right now, it’s DJ
Falcon & Thomas Bangalter’s Together. Maybe not as well-known as others, but back then
it completely blew my mind. Hypnotic and super captivating.
You’ve been evolving your sound over more than 20 years. How would you describe
the current phase of your musical journey?
In many ways, my sound has evolved a lot over the years, both in terms of quality and
style, which naturally reflects the moment I’m living. But at the same time, there are
elements that have stayed true to who I am musically. I’ve always had a love for
percussion, and they’re still a big part of my productions today. I enjoy creating music that
sits somewhere between genres. When a track of mine gets played by both underground
and more mainstream DJs, that’s when I feel I’ve really hit the mark. I see this current
phase of my musical journey as just one stop along a much longer road.
What advice would present-day Marco give to the Marco Lys who was just starting
out in the scene?
I’d tell him to pay a bit more attention to record deals! They’re negotiable—but when you’re
young and inexperienced, you don’t always realize that. C’est la vie.
The summer season is almost kicking off—where can we catch you playing the new
“Shake Your” remix live? Any upcoming gigs you’re especially excited about?
This summer’s shaping up to be a busy one! I’ve got tours lined up across the US, Brazil,
Australia, and of course, all over Europe. I’ll be spending quite a bit of time in Ibiza, with
gigs at Tantra, Club Chinois for Claptone’s Masquerade, O Beach with Kinky Malinki, and
one I’m especially hyped about…playing at the brand-new UNVRS for Fisher’s party. That
venue is something else, and the energy at Fisher’s events is always off the charts, so it’s
going to be wild! I’ve also got some dates back home in Italy, kicking off on April 30th at
one of my favorite spots, Il Muretto, where I’ll be sharing the booth with the incredible Mau
P. Definitely one to look forward to
