Michael Martin has been playing didgeridoo since 1996. His first real foray into dance music came in 1998 when he attended the Megadog Beach Festival in Cornwall after returning from a period of work and travel in Tanzania. Michael was so inspired by what he heard and experienced, that he decided to incorporate his didg playing into this style of music.
At first he started out by playing along with various techno and trance DJ's (originally under the name Deviant Didg) at squat parties and clubs in London like The Fridge, Club 414, The Pleasure Rooms, Tyssen Street, and The Drome. After a year or so he got invovled with Koru (a drum and bass group based in Brixton). Michael played with them for a few months, mostly around London, but also at festivals like the Lizard Eclipse in Cornwall.
This introduced him to the production side of things and he was hooked. He didn't like being a passive member of the band who "just played didg". He wanted to actively create tracks from start to end. His stumbling block was money - studio equipment doesn't come cheap.... So with that (& one or two other things) in mind he took out a loan, trained as a software developer, earned some money, bought some gear, started writing his own compositions & Indidginus was born.
Shortly after he joined up with another drum and bass live PA (Impact) and gigged with them. This was fun for a while, but he found himself limited to being "the didg player" again, so decided to call it a day.
Following a Halloween party in Bristol in 2001, at which his psytrance live PA OOOD was playing, Michael got to know Colin Bennun. The two became friends & started writing tracks together from time to time. He has had the good fortune to work with talented guitarist, Joe Weinstock, who
features on several Indidginus tracks. He is also involved in 2 ongoing collaborations with Ishq (Matt Hillier) going under the Open System & Octophonic (also featuring the late Jake Stephenson) monikers.
Michael has played at various events in the UK, South Africa & elsewhere in the world.
In February 2004 he emigrated to South Africa, where he has had his music featured in a couple of TV series, & written soundtracks for several TV commercials, a documentary & an independent film called Cognition Factor - featuring a collaboration with Colin Angus (The Shamen) & additional music by Alex Paterson & Dom Beken of The Orb/High Frequency Bandwidth & Merv Pepler of Eat Static/Ozric Tentacles.
He has also remixed various other artists including Tripswitch, The Vanguard & High Frequency Bandwidth.
Michael makes extensive use of the slide didgeridoo in his unique & eminently danceable live performances.
Releases:
• Transgenesis features on Mandala Mirror (Celestial Dragon Records, Hong Kong)
• Feast or Famine album released by Microdot Music (South Africa)
• Align album released by Microdot Music (South Africa)
• Transgenesis & Gene Swarm feature on Afro Zen (Soul Candi Records, South Africa)
• Rise & Shine features on Vampire Sunrise (Celestial Dragon Records, Hong Kong)
• Transgenesis features on Healing Ananda (Gaia Records, USA)
• Atlantis features on Intermittent Memories (Celestial Dragon Records, Hong Kong)
• Spiritual Spearmints features on Mountain High (Candyflip Records, Greece)
• Myriad features on Angelic Science (Surreal Audio Recordings, Finland)
• Superstring features on Psytelligence (Organic Records, UK)
• Nimbus & Dubliminal feature on Gateway to the Sun (Rumour Records, UK)
• Omega 3 features on SL Magazine CD promo (South Africa)
Remixes
• High Frequency Bandwidth - Holes for Black (Indidginus Event Horizon Rmx). Coming soon on Malicious Damage Records
• The Vanguard - Both Sides (Indidginus Inner Space Rmx). Available as a free download
• Tripswitch - Strange Parallels (Indidginus Simulacrum Rmx). Coming soon on Section Records
• Open System - Rise & Shine (Indidginus Osmosis Rmx). Coming soon on Virtual
• Open System - Wheel (Indidginus Multiverse Rmx). Coming soon on Virtual
Festival Work:
• Main stage manager for Vortex Production(http://www.intothevortex.co.za) 2008 - 2009
Film, TV & Radio work:
• Cognition Factor independent film soundtrack - featuring collaboration with Colin Angus(The Shamen & Pablo Sandoz) with additional music by Alex Paterson (The Orb) & Merv Pepler (Eat Static).
• Cooked In Africa TV series 1 & 2 (currently showing on BBC Food & XYZ Network, Australia)
• Heinrich Böll Foundation documentary soundtrack.
• Nike ad soundtrack with members of Freshly Ground (Lowe & Bull Ad Agency)
• Converse ad soundtrack (Hyground Ad Agency).
• Schweppes ad soundtrack (Lowe & Bull Ad Agency).
Commissioned work:
• Soundtrack for Calibre Airline Services presentation at IFCA airline trade fair, Barcelona.
Recommendations:
“Michael is a killer electronic music producer. I have used him to open my Vortex festivals without fail for the last 3 years. I would not consider doing an event without his positive uplifting happy music to set the tone for the event.”
From Grant Dreyer – Organizer of the Vortex Festival
“In Michael's work as Indidginus, he seamlessly pulls together the primitive, breath-driven allure of the didgeridoo and modern dance-music sensibility. The result is something that connects to the listener
on a number of levels, from the primal to the joyful, the spiritual to the visceral. From my first exposure to his music, I knew that Indidginus was an artist I wanted to keep an eye (and ear!) on.”
From John Shanahan – Editor at Hypnagogue
“Michael, AKA Indidginus, is a consummate professional and an absolute pleasure to work with. His remix for The Vanguard's debut single, "Both Sides," brought a whole new life to the song and the mix quality is spot on as well! The band could not be happier with the results. With his unique style...and a little bit of didgeridoo thrown in for good measure, the results are quite amazing! In addition to the final product being of such high-quality, Michael was also so easy to work with. In this virtual world we live in, we worked exclusively through emails and online chats (I'm based in NYC and Michael is in South Africa) and I couldn't help feel like we were collaborating together in the same studio...he was that accessible! I highly recommend Michael (Indidginus) for any creative project you may have!”
From Benjamin Foxx – Director of Artist Development at RethinkPopMusic
“Michael is a brilliant producer, who delivers his work on time and up to specifications as promised. As a label dj/compiler for Celestial Dragon, I always go to Michael first when putting together albums...because I know the finished track will be cutting edge and unique.”
From Peter Zuniga – DJ/compiler at Celestial Dragon
“Michael Martin is like myself ‘self employed’. I have seen in his work for the last 10 years that he not only believes in his own convictions but actively conveys them in a highly professional manner that is able to bridge old (unsustainable, unhealthy, unenlightened worlds) to the growing security of a sustainable, healthy & enlightened world culture that thrives on diversity. I support Michael with a new musical instrument tool that assists him in his continued adventure of tuning in the cultural
vibrations that connects us to the future worlds of our dreams.”
From Scott Dunbar – Creator of the Slide Didg
“Michael is great to work with, he's very creative, an excellent musician and producer, and knows how to have a laugh. Excellent slide-didge player and all-round top bloke. Possibly the best sideburns this side of the Falkland Islands. Don't buy one, buy two and save! As for his music, he has very much his own style and vision, and his music - as Indidginus and in collaboration - reflects the integrity and passion with which he lives his life. He also makes music for adverts.”
From Colin Bennun – Artist at OOOD
Reviews:
Electroambient Space (USA) » Review of Guided Relaxation for Birth by Phil Derby:
"Although there is relaxing ambient and new age music here, the main purpose of this disc is guided visualizations for birth. The first four tracks feature Robyn Sheldon talking the listener through her self-
described "avant garde birthing process". Sheldon has a pleasant, relaxing voice. The music is repeated on the last four tracks without the vocals, and my review will focus on that. The music is more about soothing textures than structured melodic compositions. Each of the four tracks runs
about ten minutes, allowing space to breathe. Dawn is very soothing, with birds, warm gentle synth sounds, and light, sparse piano. The calm, reflective music creates an extremely comfortable listening
environment. Daylight features gently lapping waves and a shimmering brighter timbre. Twilight is for fans of that time of day, not the vampire movie franchise, with crickets and soft atmospheric sounds. Night is the only track with any discernible rhythm, a distant, two-beat phrase that adds just a slight tribal touch. Michael Martin, the man behind Indidginus, is quite adept at building soothing soundscapes. Apparently this sound is not his norm, as sound samples from his other albums, from
funky to psytrance, will attest. I'd like to hear him do a full album of relaxing sounds like this."
Revolve Magazine (UK) » Review of Feast or Famine by DJ Photon:
"Every now & then a label sends Revolve a real gem which is off-the-wall, original & displays imagination & incredible musicianship. This is one of those. 130-138bpm but more psychedelic than progressive. An artist album from South Africa by Michael Martin with its funky & electronically
interpreted African rhythms which bounce with vitality like on Tokalosh or Lotus Eaters with the sampled singers & sweeping OMD-like 80s chords. The CD finishes with a collaboration with Pablo Sandoz: Colin Angus from The Shamen & Matt Catt. Amazing with its very "conscious" Terence McKenna samples. Highly recommended for any music lovers."
BPM Magazine (SA) » Review of Feast or Famine by Josh:
"Michael Martin has been playing at festivals for years now, many of them being in our mother city, making the name Indidginus well renowned in our local psytrance scene. Following his downtempo album Align on the same label, he now brings us this progressive treat filled with funky rhythms and fun melodies. Ranging from 130 to 139 bpm and finishing off with a down tempo track, these tunes project a positive energy that's playfully psychedelic and extremely groovy. His signature sound can be best described as sharp kicks, electrifying bass lines and crystalline voice samples with added local flavour. Containing anthems and fillers, Feast or Famine provides an experience that is equally suitable for home listening and dance floors."
PsyMusic (UK) » Review of Feast or Famine by Full Lotus:
"Indidginus is South African producer Michael Martin who has been actively making music in the scene since 2001 and playing didgeridoo since 1996. Feast or Famine is his second full length release and it's a colourful journey into the down tempo side of psychedelic music with a unique Indidginus twist. Released at the end of 2008 on Micro Dot music from Cape Town, this is one hell of a fun album that can only be described, in my opinion, as accomplished clean sounding groovadelic music. Kicking off with a reworking of the classic Funky Town, the tunes take in a range of influences from ethnic sounds through to electro in places and beyond. It has an infectious funky feel permeating the tracks and keeps you on tenterhooks eagerly awaiting the next sound or groove and ensures that those feet keep on tapping away furiously. This has quality written all over it and is as refreshing as it is original. With the tracks ranging in speed from 113 to 139 bpm, this album is excellent sunshine music that
should not be restricted to just the global psychedelic trance scene but should go and infect the rest of the global electronic dance scene. The album is a veritable feast, with the famine coming only when it
ends."
Review of Feast or Famine by Axis Mundi (USA):
"Hailing from the South African hub of Cape Town, UK artist Michael Martin, known as Indidginus, has been making waves and dancefloor shakers for over a decade. For even longer, Michael has been an avid musician and multi instrumentalist, and has made quite a name for himself across many genres and industries of music, having played alongside, and collaborated with, many respected artists, from the legends OOOD and The Orb to Ishq and Eat Static. Michael has the talent, experience and drive to make his recent release, Feast or Famine, a dancefloor booster built also to be enjoyed in more relaxed settings as well. With professionally expert mastering by Colin Bennun of OOOD notoriety, Indidginus has obviously put great amounts of effort and time into his collection of musical creations,
and the result is remarkably noteworthy. Feast or Famine, simply put, is a masterful collection of ten solidly arranged masterpieces displaying unique talent found nowhere else on Earth, which will be evidenced to the listener from the first rotation in your players ever onward.
Funky Town » Indidginus launches the listener straight into a mojo-filled, old-timey disco groove in his cleverly appealing remake of the classic anthem Funky Town. His unique take on this hit is a perspective refreshing journey into the soul of funk interpreted through the lens of 21st-century audio synthesis and digitalism.
Tau Ceti » A haunting, cybernetic zen-approaching into curtains the entryway into a realm of groove. Bass as ripe as a red apple pumps out foundations of crisp, percussive rhythm hits and eerily bobbling melody and pad arrangements. Touches of ancient tribalism collide with futuristic musical technology and innovative technique.
Tokalosh » Bouncy ethnic percussion accompanies thick, key-changing basslines at the outset, and as the sound progresses, more and more pleasing layers filter in. Soothing washes of pads and glitchy foreground rhythms wend their way about the soundscape, with a surprise twist of moods midway through.
Law of One » Indidginus picks up the pace with this nighttime full on stomper which ressurects the old school Ajuna sound with acidic innovation. Breakbeat basslines timed by four on the floor kickdrums
keep the flow moving with serpentine precision. Between the percussive elements and Indian raga vocals, Law of One imparts unmistakable feelings of sound come to life.
Lotus Eaters » This funktastic thumper serves up heaping servings of churning, warm bass, kinetic kickdrums and srisp, slapping snares. With plenty of glitchwork, melody and vocal segments, Indiginus' energy lends itself well to the uplifting buildups of positive dance vibrations which characterise this sound so well.
Surya » With Surya, Indidginus has crafted you a sonic transport vessel taking you to previously unknown dimensions of digital sound. Pulsating rhythm stacks atop foot tickling bass and is in turn the strata for vaulting melodies. Each arrangement opens doorways for sequentially edgier and more aggressive, piercing layers.
Substrata » Taking you to heavenly realms found seemingly within the hidden cavernous reaches below, these masterfully arranged layers of ear-tickling waveforms postulate new scientific fields of geomusicology. Panoramic percussion and bouncing leads play your senses like a violin and keep the dancefloor in motion.
Cosmic Trigger » Indidginus lays out a superbly pleasing morning rocker fueled by multicultural musical influences infused with a newly defined sound. Each layer, crisp and distinct, grips you and adds to a track that is as much a timeless journey through Earth's timeline. Cosmic Trigger is a
masterfully synthesized six minute fusion of ancient and modern traditions.
Faerie Tale » An intro of crystalline, temporally altered glass sweeps cascades straight atop thumping bassbeats and a baseball team's worth of synth arrays which play their parts in seemingly hive-mind unison. Melodies made up of this many sorts of sounds stay fresh for many rotations, and topped with plenty of dancefloor funk make this a must-have for energy ressurecting playlists.
Gene Swarm » Indidginus' finale track to his latest and greatest album to date packs every inch of the artist's experimental intuition and knowhow until the very end. A chilled out, downtempo beat diverges away from the accepted norms of trance music and explores this artist's true sense of
diversity and musical imagination and potential."
Slackline Radio (USA) » Review of Align by Chris Lindsey:
"As the name implies, Indidginus is a look into foreign cultures where the sounds are only local to those inhabitants of the region. Michael Martin is Indidginus and he resides in Cape Town where the land of Africa meets the sea on its southern shore. South Africa is a melting pot influenced by many cultures from around the globe. So too is the work of Indidginus. Martin pulls together an expression of the world's music, blending electronic beats amongst the sounds of his personal didgeridoo. Foreign
instruments and languages work to transport his modern medium of electronic music. On Align, you will find raw beats that graduate to the school of the old world with sounds and instruments dominated by ceremonial rhythms. Martin has been creating music for several years now. It began with a love of the didg and a personal trip to Tanzania where the idea burst to incorporate his instrument into danceable music. His journey
into electronica transformed into his solo work as Indidginus. Along his musical voyage he collaborates with Matt Hillier of Ishq on a project entitled Open System. Ishq records on the international Interchill Records, a location not unsuitable for Indidginus given the overwhelming
influences of organic music. The style of Indidginus and Ishq meld together beautifully and their collaborative work can be heard on several tracks of Align. On Doors to the Deathless we hear Martin's experimentation of incorporating the didg into electronic music. Initially, this track slowly starts with chants and ambient soundscapes that build to a discernible rhythm. An organ begins and makes it feel like some truly religious experience. The didg is added for complexity in subtle waves. On Machu, Martin collaborates with Josh Hawks and they bring an ethnic beat of maybe some Mayan or South American culture. It is a slow beat raised with an interesting base line and occasional funky, twisted noises. Some rolling synths along with a traditional morphed flute transport this track to a distant, remote village unknown to many outsiders. You can hear the influence of another culture as the electronica carries this historic music to a new age. Off we go to the Indian continent on Chakrasonic. Not unlike the Hindustani or Qawalli, Chakrasonic drives home the sounds of traditional Indian or Pakistani music as we hear a male vocal wash over the beats. The rhythm is upbeat with distorted sounds that carry a curious connection to some of the more
traditional sounds of this regional style of music.
The incorporation of worldly music into electronica is nothing new and in fact, it has been going on for some time. But as time goes on, one occasionally finds an interesting twist where the ethnic sounds
are changed and modernized in an entirely new and refreshing way. For Indidginus, Align solidly falls into this category."
CD Baby (USA) » Review of Align by Greg Perkins:
"Align is a genre defying, funkydelic, shapeshifting disc of wonders. Continuously moving and ever changing, there is a feeling of listening to some future intergalactic DJ mixing together an off-air disc for his trip to Earth. Indeed beneath the vast range of stylisms and samples and atmospherics, there is an underlying unity, somewhat of a story, a voyage into the essence of Earth, in all its tribal coherance and industrial dissonance. In its seemingly abrupt yet retrospectively fluid and necessary transitions, there is an organic growth of sonic character and understanding. All the tracks on this CD are good. Some are great. I'd imagine that the selections I have from this set are going to be wildly different from the ones that another person would choose, so strong is the
diversity of its character. I'm a sucker for atmospherics, and having heard Cy and New Horizon, I'd say those are my picks, and I'm greatly looking forward to the upcoming Open System collaboration, and of course whatever else Michael has up his sleeve... Dynamic and inviting, this is a greatly worthwhile communication from an active mind."
BPM Magazine (SA) » Review of Align by Seeka:
"Mike Martin aka Indidginus has been involved in electronic music for a good ten years or more aside from his didgeridoo playing. Having worked on several soundtracks for TV commercials as well as other film related work he has somehow found time to complete a full length, somewhat ambient,
down-tempo electronica album that has a slight psychedelic slant to it. I say slight because the emphasis is very much on easy, smooth listening here. Somehow Mike manages to combine a host of world sounds with robotic synthy squelches and Arabic type melodies that come together quite cohesively. Its certainly a little left of centre, and as such is fitting that he should release Align on Microdot Records who are no strangers to serving up something different."
Computer Music Magazine (UK):
"Quality stuff here: trancey beats, ethnic percussion and gentle incidental sounds have been combined with live didgeridoo. Some very nice synth work and inspirational rhythmic percussion sit together almost perfectly, and there are enough detailed sections to keep your ears open and your eyes wide...."
Future Music Magazine (UK):
"Well produced music with a nice spectrum of sounds. This would be ideal soundtrack music, which is meant as a compliment!"
24.com (SA):
"IDM goes global village on this chilled cocktail of didged-out psybient trance, downbeat electro and spaced in Asian dub scapes courtesy of expatriate UK knob-twiddler Michael Martin."
Chai Shop (Germany) » Myriad voted in DJ Top 10.
Discogs (USA) » Review of Spiritual Spearmints on Mountain High compilation by Martin Møller:
"Ahh, this one is so damn cool... Indidginus nailed it! The perfect chilled, moody ambience is there from the get go, with organic sounds – wind, water, chanting.... How beautiful!"
Trance.net (Denmark) » Review of Spiritual Spearmints on Mountain High compilation:
"This is a beautiful track with a tribal female voice, floating sounds, deep dubby bass and a simple melody."
Isratrance (Israel) » Review of Spiritual Spearmints on Mountain High compilation:
"Michael Martin from the UK give us psychedelic ambient at its best, with great sounds, nice production, and great didgeridoo sounds that flow from side to side in the mind :-] Mike Indidginus -
brilliant work mate. Great psy chillout :)"
Psynews (France) » Review of Myriad on Angelic Science compilation:
"An incredible track, & a great way to enter an album."
Wirikuta (Austria) » Review of Angelic Science compilation:
"The Angelic Science compilation showcases strictly the best in creative psychedelic downtempo from the far north, with additional sonic sorcery from the United Kingdom. Dubby and spaced out, perplexing, surprising and cutting edge all the way this compilation is the match made in heaven for
sofa surfers. The compilation starts with Myriad by Indidginus. Hailing from London Michael Martin brings us a beautiful, tribal downbeat track, co- produced by Colin Bennun of Unconscious Collective/OOOD fame."
Isratrance (Israel) » Review of Psytelligence compilation. Superstring is track 9:
"Just when.... you think that the compilation is over, we get that metallic guitar by Indidginus and a tribal beat. The track is opened slowly slowly, progresses and evolves with very emotional and beautiful sounds and melodies. Bottom line: The last 3 tracks are worth getting this compilation alone, but the rest ain't that bad either Favorites: 3, 6, 7(!), 8(!!), 9(!!!)."
Psy Reviews (UK) » Review of Psytelligence compilation:
".... the closing track Superstring from Indidginus is purely gorgeous: contemplative morning music, with loads of ticklish melodies to get those hairs on your neck standing up."
Other projects:
• Open System (http://www.myspace.com/opensystem) – collaboration with deep ambient maestro Ishq (http://www.ishq.org/).
E-Mail: deviantdidg@yahoo.co.uk
