For many a drum’n’bass head the year 2002 will live long in the memory as the beginning of a new wave. Over the airwaves one fine summer came the sound of LK by Sao Paolo native DJ Marky together with compatriot XRS. Sampling the classic Brazilian samba tune Carolina Carol Bela by Jorge Ben and Toquinho, it became a major turning point in what would later become known as liquid d’n’b. It was fresh, it was full of soul and it was funky as hell. The dark webs of the early jungle years were still present, even within this tune, but flowing over the top were the sun-soaked sounds of samba and jazz.

First spotted in his homeland by British drum’n’bass legend Bryan Gee in the late 90s, DJ Marky has become synonymous with wild and energetic DJ sets that often last for many hours. And throughout the noughties Marky was a mainstay at some of the world’s greatest clubs, where his fearless diversity was exuded in typically Brazilian fashion – a sun-kissed fusion of dance and, well, good times. Starting off with the Movement nights at London’s underground haven Bar Rumba and moving to the legendary (and now defunct) The End just round the corner, Marky carved himself a small niche in the home of drum’n’bass and gathered a flock of admirers that he had found frustratingly hard to attract in his home country.

Having begun his musical journey in 1992 playing hardcore jungle sets to a small band of devotees, Marky is now one of the pioneers of the more modern movement as jump up and liquid have replaced hardcore and intelligent as the predominant force in the global drum’n’bass movement. He was voted “Best New DJ” by British critics in 1999, and after the release of LK came an immediate classic in the shape of a mix tape entitled The Brazilian Job. Now a must-have record for any discerning lover of the genre, it not only features some of the best tunes of that era (Midnight by Un-cut, Nightfall by Marcus Intalex and ST Files, and Kerbkrawler by Ed Rush and Optical) but also displayed Marky’s top-notch mixing abilities and scratch DJing.

While Marky may not be known as a prolific releaser of records (though with new tracks by him and Brazilian producer S.P.Y., such as the excellent Time Moves On, that may be about to change), tending to focus more on playing epic sets, his fearless energy and experimental nature when he plays live are hard not to love. And his set here, alongside fellow veteran MC Stamina, is likely to be no different.

Oliver Clasper

DJ Marky plays Volar on July 30.