Mark Tarmonea (@marktarmonea) has built his career around a clear idea of longevity, and that perspective shapes how he approaches every release, performance, and decision. Active since 2015, he has developed a profile as a live-focused electronic artist, working across house and techno while maintaining a consistent identity rooted in songwriting, arrangement, and performance.
His catalogue spans labels such as Watergate Records, Zamna, Einmusika, 3000° Grad, Borders of Light, and Renaissance Records, while his work has drawn remixes from artists including Ae:ther, Stereo Express, Hernán Cattáneo, and Korolova. Alongside his own releases, he operates multiple imprints including Bull In A China Shop Records, Eye And Eye Recordings, and Elysion Recordings, positioning himself as both an artist and a curator. His recent single “Levitate” continues that trajectory, with support landing across major streaming playlists and a growing global audience.
That broader context feeds directly into our recent conversation with him. Tarmonea talks in practical terms about long-term thinking, discipline, and how to operate in a landscape shaped by metrics and short-form content without letting those factors dictate creative direction.
The result is a grounded look at what it takes to build something that holds up over time.
Interview with Mark Tarmonea
How do you keep a long-term perspective in mind when making creative or career decisions?
I try to make decisions that will still feel true long after the moment has passed. We live in a culture that rewards immediacy, but immediacy fades quickly. I am far more interested in creating work that can hold its shape over time.
My main influences were the artists of the 1980s and 1990s, musicians whose songs still live with us today and do not need to be reshaped to fit current trends.
That is the level of timelessness and originality I strive for in my own music. Sometimes people discover my music years later and assume it is new, and I take that as a real compliment.
For me, every career decision is structural. Each move creates a position, and each position defines what becomes possible next. So I try to think several steps ahead and ask myself not only whether something is beneficial, but whether it protects the integrity of the world I am building. Reach can be gained and lost. Integrity is harder to recover.
Have there been moments where choosing a slower pace strengthened your trajectory?
Not really. This industry is not designed to reward stillness. I never gave myself the luxury of doing things slow. My relationship to work has always been intense. If I am not in the studio or on stage, I am handling bookings, building my labels, editing content or networking.
I am a workaholic in the truest sense of the word. But I do not see that as a burden. For me, it is simply the natural rhythm of building something with real seriousness.
What habits help you stay grounded beyond short-term validation?
I have never built my path around short-term validation, so I do not depend on it to stay grounded. I keep a healthy distance from my phone and use social media primarily as a tool, not as a measure of my worth or a reason to compare myself to other live acts or DJs. I train regularly and spend as much time as I can with friends and family.
In an industry defined by constant ups and downs, protecting your physical and mental well-being is essential. Without that foundation, it becomes difficult to stay focused.
How do you remain centered on your own direction in a metrics-driven environment?
I see metrics as data, not as identity. They can show how far a project may sit outside the mainstream, but they should never determine the value of the work. The moment numbers begin to dictate your artistic direction, you risk losing the very thing that made the work meaningful in the first place.
Of course, I pay attention to what resonates. That is simply part of staying aware. But I would never allow metrics to take the lead creatively. Instinct, taste, and vision have to remain at the center.
Has the rise of short-form content influenced how you shape or release your work?
Definitely. It has changed the landscape in a very real way. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok have become major channels for discovery, so naturally they shape how artists think about presentation, rollout, and even composition.
At the same time, I think the influence of social media is often overstated. In the underground, depth still matters. Identity still matters. A short clip can generate attention, but it can never replace substance.
I use social media as a bridge into the world of my music. I create for it, I maintain it, and I use it to document performances. But I never let short-form content take up too much space. It demands time and energy that are better spent on producing music, developing my work, or rehearsing my live set.
What insight would you share with artists who want to build something lasting?
A well-known German producer once asked me why I wanted to pursue a career in such a difficult industry. My answer was simple, because this path, as hard and unforgiving as it is, is my calling. Since early childhood, there has not been a single day when I was not making music.
Before my first official release, I spent years building a foundation. I learned several instruments, took singing, guitar, bass and piano lessons, played in bands, studied songwriting, arranging, production, sound design, mixing, secured a residency.
You do not have to follow the exact same path, but if you want longevity, you have to master your craft and develop a deep respect for the scene. You also need to understand visual identity, marketing, networking, booking, and how to create your own events. You are building a body of work that exists beyond individual releases.
Will Vance is a professional music producer who has been involved in the industry for the better part of a decade and has been the managing editor at Magnetic Magazine since mid-2022. In that time period, he has published thousands of articles on music production, industry think pieces and educational articles about the music industry. Over the last decade as a professional music producer, Will Vance has also ran multiple successful and highly respected record labels in the industry, including Where The Heart Is Records as well as having launched a new label with a focus on community through Magnetic Magazine. When not running these labels or producing his own music, Vance is likely writing for other top industry sites like Waves or the Hyperbits Masterclass or working on his upcoming book on mindfulness in music production. On the rare chance he's not thinking about music production, he's probably running a game of Dungeons and Dragons with his friends which he has been the dungeon master for for many years.
