By Vindhya Burugupalli
MAY 15 2024
If you frequent the coolest clubs in New York, chances are you’ve danced to a Swami Sound mix. Known for his unique amalgamation of 2-step rhythms, velvety R&B tunes, pop and drill sounds, Marcus Harley (Swami Sound) has cemented himself as a staple in the NYC nightlife scene. Over the past few years, the Bronx-born, Brooklyn-based producer, songwriter and DJ has amassed a cult following for his novel rendition of garage music. From Mi Sabor Cafe in Brooklyn to nightclubs in Tokyo and warehouse parties, he has the ability to capture crowds.
On a rainy spring afternoon, I sat down with Swami Sound in a coffee shop in Bushwick ahead of the deluxe release of his album “Back In The Day.” Wearing chunky glasses and a cozy earth-toned fit complete with an Arc’teryx beanie, he expressed himself calmly and collectively – a juxtaposition to his electric music.
Futuristic and nostalgic at the same time, “Back In The Day (deluxe)” is a collaborative rework of his reflective and atmospheric debut record. Closing out a chapter of six years, Swami Sound is ready to step into a new light. In this era, he wants to be recognized as an artist beyond NYC garage and DJing. Stepping into a genre agnostic realm, Swami Sound is just getting started.
YN: How would you describe yourself as an artist?
SWAMI SOUND: I consider myself as an electronic musician. I also [have] a basic background in listening to alternative rock and R&B, a lot of that has informed the kind of electronic music I'm making now. I approach my song creation at a pace that is important for me to grow from experiences and sonic portions from things I absorb over a long time. I treat most of my art as time capsules.
YN: What was the process behind creating “Back In The Day”?
SWAMI SOUND: So “Back In The Day (deluxe)” is a comprehensive reproduction of the album. I [was] working on it around the time the original version of the album was ready to come out. I started by reaching out to producers who were coming up in their own scenes. The fact that the album is coming out tonight and not February is because I was procrastinating but you know, as in music there's no such thing as an emergency — everything should come out at its own pace. I'm glad I could expand the track listing to producers I like a lot. Maybe their fans will come across it at some point in time, and there are more access points into this album. So yeah, I've been working on it for the past six to seven years now.
YN: What’s one song you’d recommend from this album for someone who’s not familiar with your music?
SWAMI SOUND: The Dazedgxd remix of “Midnight Dominator.” All the remixes center in and they make the track list much tighter.
YN: What is it like being in the studio with you?
SWAMI SOUND: I’m a Virgo about it — controlling but in a collaborative way.
YN: What do you want listeners to take away from this album and your artistry?
SWAMI SOUND: I think this is the way music should come out. Give an album time to marinate [and] yourself time to grow with the record. Give it treatment. These aren't things to be consumed at a quick pace.
YN: Describe your music in three words
SWAMI SOUND: Introspective. Nocturnal. Velvety.
YN: How do you approach your lyricism?
SWAMI SOUND: Think of it all as journal entries I turned into melodies. I'm not approaching it like, “oh, this needs to rhyme with that.” I'm thinking about what is going to make sense if I wrote it out as a sentence and a sentiment – these are all messages I say to myself. I don’t think about catchiness too often, that will create itself.
YN: So it’s self-reflective?
SWAMI SOUND: 100% yeah! A lot of the songs end up having their own themes as time goes on. It also always happens in the shower.
YN: Yeah, you can think more clearly!
SWAMI SOUND: I don’t know why, I’m trying to figure out how. But I try to not be cringy, I’m always cringe-checking. A lot of music doesn’t age well, so when I listen back to the album— I’m making sure I’m not just saying some random dumb idea. [The lyrics] aren’t targeted, it’s not criticism, these are not feelings that are going to change tomorrow. They’re solid feelings I’ve had about myself and that have helped me grow.
Right now, something that wasn’t cringe-proof was the whole NYC garage thing. It was just supposed to be funny and then it ended up sort of changing things for me. Now when people try to attach that to my whole body of work — “I’m like no.” I love what it means for me and did for me, but there are a lot of aspects of genre [classifications] I don’t care about any more.
YN: You love anime — has that inspired your music in any way?
SWAMI SOUND: My love for anime is kind off base level. But I remember when I first started making music, I had a producer tag that was the narrator’s first line of Dragon Ball Z.
A lot of the music I was listening to growing up was opening theme songs — like “Samurai Champooo’s” opening song by Nuajbes and ShingO2 —or a bunch of different bands that have their songs in the openings or endings. All of it has informed my memories or my connection to songwriting — like my basic ability to hear music, even if it wasn't a different language. It has left me open to the possibilities of what music could sound like.
YN: What are your upcoming plans?
SWAMI SOUND: I’m watching “Sex and the City”, that’s all I can say.
The music is great. I like elements of the [opening] song, the mallets and stuff you’re going to hear that a lot moving forward, as people shift from big electronic sh*t. Or “Devil Wears Prada.” Basically, New York cinema.
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