MARK 'BLAKKAT' BELL
Spawn of The North’s Post Punk Jazz Funk Scene, Mark Bell AKA Blakkat Bell began cooking Street Beats and Noisy Abstract Cuts with whatever gear he could lay his hands on from the age of 10. Towards the end of the 80s and countless sessions and gigs later, usually as a bassist and singer, he was invited to join Paul Oakenfold’s experimental Dub outfit Movement 98 as replacement Lead Vocalist for Carol Thompson. That same year Mike Pickering asked him to join his new project M People. Only the latter projects’ recordings saw the light of day.
From 91 to 94 Mark signed as a solo artist to Hollywood Records and also became In House Producer at Deconstruction Records. It was at this time that he began recording as Blakkat with his project partner Felix Da Housecat with whom alongside longtime studio partner Paul Birchall they cut the huge club track Blakkat by Blakkat for Bush Records. Mark’s production skills became in very high demand.
In 1996 Mark set up Shaboom Records with Doc Martin, Birchy, Majik Johnson and Ben Davis and continues to run the imprint out of Los Angeles. In 98 Mark’s Shaboom project signed to WEA/Atlantic Records and saw the release of the LP Mecca Funk that was a homage to The Blackpool Mecca’s Highland Room and the Modern Northern Soul Movement…
The past 25 years have seen Mark collaborate with some of the most influential artists in music, as Lead Vocalist with King Britt and Manuel Tur, as Studio Partner and Co Producer with Doc Martin and DJ Sneak and his current producer duties for siblings Chaka Khan and Taka Boom.
As a remixer he’s touched tracks from A Tribe Called Quest, New Order, Jamiroquai and Moloko, and as a Track Maker he’s had recent releases on Ellum Audio, Desolat, #19 Music, Dessous and Adjunct Audio, and back in the day on Ovum, Soma, Paper, Tango and Siesta. Blakkat will continue making and releasing music for as long he can be bothered!
Also as a side note some of Mark’s biggest fans include Andrew Weatherall, DJ Harvey, Ricardo Villalobos and Dixon…Blakkat’s favourite band is Weather Report!