The ambition of Mark Velašević Petersen, the DJ better known as Markovela, has always been to create a sound tapestry for people to get lost in the moment. It’s a style he describes as vibe architecture, and it dates back to his childhood in Denmark, when he was introduced to Trentemøller and became intoxicated with the sound of electronic music.

In 2015, Petersen and a few close friends founded YŪGEN, a local group dedicated to creating a framework for people to collectively dive into the present. The concept evolved into one of the most influential parties in Aarhus, and it remained that way until 2017, when he headed to Berlin, where he’s been presenting his favorite records across the city’s musical hotspots, including Club der Visionäre and Hoppetosse. “I had to know more [about electronic music] and I just followed the sound, which led me to Berlin,” Petersen explains. “When I moved there everything kind of clicked for me.”

Petersen’s sets prioritize groove, so you’ll hear rolling hi-hats and infectious, bouncy basslines. The goal is to invite rather than force people to dance, while using music to intensify the feeling of the present moment. In his XLR8R podcast, recorded recently in his summerhouse, you’ll hear tracks from Chaos In The CDB, So Inagawa, Modal Jazz Culture, and Steve O’ Sullivan, creating a delicate mix filled with smooth uplifting jams. It’s a crisp and fun summer set, with enough groove to make you move but that’s subtle enough for home listening too.

01. What have you been up to recently?
I just got back from Fusion in Germany a few days ago. It has to be one of the most impressive festivals I have ever come across. 80,000 people and more than 40 stages in an old German airport. Still, you never really experience a queue, so you could say that the logistics impressed me a lot. I also played at a beautiful little festival called Freiland organized by a dedicated team with their heart in the right place.

02. What have you been listening to? 
Recently I’ve been organizing and rediscovering my records which has meant re-listening to everything. I always get surprised at how a track that I didn’t really even consider when I bought it can become my favorite. Besides that, I’ve been diving into discographies and old mixes of artists that I love. Lately it’s been all about Ion Ludwig and Andrey Pushkarev.

I also had a very significant musical experience earlier this month while listening to Leafar Legov do his live set at Fusion, on the most perfectly tuned Lambda Labs sound system I have ever come across. That one is going to stick with me for a while.

03. What is it that appeals to you about electronic music?
For me it’s all about the groove: rolling hi-hats and bouncy basslines. It’s about balance and space in between the frequencies that lets the true identity of each element come out. I’m also a big ambient fan which is what I’m mostly listening to on a daily basis. I find it soothing and it’s basically the soundtrack of my life. One of my favorite artists is Martin Allin, who has this way of channeling both nature and his emotions through the music he makes. My daughter was actually born to one of his mixes, so he will always have a special place in my heart!

04. When and where did you record this mix?
A few weeks back in our little summerhouse. I set up my equipment on the dining table overlooking our garden and played for my girlfriend and our one-year-old daughter, Nova.

05. What setup did you use? 
Two Technics, two CDJs, and the E&S DJR400.

06. How did you go about choosing the tracks that you’ve included? 
I was reflecting on this set for a while before I dove into the track selection itself. I wanted it to be subtle and yet energetic and something that would compliment a car ride as well as an after-hour. All while being a reflection of my DJ sets. The first 30 minutes are all about getting the joints warmed up and then the launch sequence begins.

07. How does it compare to what we might hear you play out?
I would say there are many similarities as I like building my sets in the same way. I believe the key is inviting people to dance instead of trying to force them, all while making them smile.

08.What’s next on your horizon?
Next weekend I’m off to Kune Festival. It’s a hidden gem while being a celebration of the Scandinavian underground culture with over 100 artists on an island 30 minutes from Copenhagen. I’m playing an extended set with my girlfriend, Ida Daugaard, before Vera. After that we’re heading to Pangea Festival in Germany where we’re playing on a cozy little stage with Mountain People and S.A.M. We’re taking Nova to all festivals that are child-friendly, which has been five or six so far. It’s so nice to be able to introduce her to this part of our lives at this early age, and she seems to really enjoy it. Not so much the constant ear-protection, but she’s getting used to it!

XLR8R has now joined Mixcloud Select, meaning that to hear the podcast offline you will need to subscribe to our Select channel to listen offline, or subscribe to XLR8R+ to download the file. The move to Mixcloud Select will ensure that all the producers with music featured in our mixes get paid. You can read more about it here.

Full XLR8R+ Members can download the podcast below. If you’re not an XLR8R+ member, you can read more about it and subscribe here.