madoka-2020

MADOKA BIO

Veteran music producer Mark Venneri has been in the music industry for over 25 years. Under the Madoka name, he manages Metamotional Music and Private Reality Records.

From a simple start as a teenager experimenting with cheap cassette decks, toy keyboards, and second-hand DJ mixers to the complex, lush, and layered music of his self-described Saturated Sound today, Mark has always been considered an innovator by critics and fans alike. He was instantly attracted to the underground electronic music scene after discovering an early warehouse rave in Philadelphia in 1991. Creatively, he has been reshaping his musical vision ever since that inspiring moment.

Mark first established himself as a bedroom DJ under the name DJ Relate. During the mid-1990s, he played house parties and club nights in Philadelphia and the Midwest. He also helped organize and promote a variety of large-scale events as part of a collective of local DJs. From 1996 to 1998, he hosted Grooveshop, his college radio show on KCOU 88.1 FM.

In 1998, he introduced his unique sound to the world with his first 12-inch vinyl record. He marketed the release on his Private Reality Records, promoting it at the Miami Winter Music Conference that same year along with the help of a good friend.

In 2000, Mark moved to New York City to lay the foundation for the next phase of his musical journey and introduced his newly forged artist name Madoka. During that period, he spent the entire year developing the direction of his music, focusing intensely on the craft of his production quality.

He materialized some solid ideas by the spring of 2001, and the creative restructuring resulted in Madoka’s My City demo. While shopping around My City to select record labels and powerhouse DJs, he received valuable feedback from many industry leaders, including a call from Plastic Fantastic Records in the UK. They seized the moment and signed “Dive.” The tune would ultimately be paired with a Mo Shic & Zidan remix for international release. It would later be heavily supported by Sasha and Digweed on their Delta Heavy tour.

Mark used the accomplishment as creative fuel. With a solid effort now under his belt and mass appeal building, his production style continued to evolve.

“Here is a man who most certainly has his finger on the pulse of what is cool at the moment.”

Simon Jones / Progressive-Sounds

In early 2002, Mark was thrilled to accept the opportunity of a lifetime for his imprint, announcing a multi-year vinyl production and distribution deal with 3 Beat Label Management UK (3BLM). The arrangement included work on all future releases, incorporating Private Reality into 3BLM’s impressive stable of leading labels.

Over the next five years, he delivered a steady stream of Madoka singles and remixes that found homes on record labels, including Deep, Deep Focus, SAW, Definity, Shinemusic, Babylon, and Mo-Do. His music was featured on several DJ compilations such as Max Graham’s Shine, Trendroid’s Transport 6, Andy Jarrod’s Vapourized Volume 3, Steve Gerrard’s Thinking Out Loud, and Kazell’s Driven.

His success continued as his now-classic single “Metamotional” found its way onto one of 2006’s most critically acclaimed compilations: Ben Watts’ Buzzin’ Fly, Volume 3. The song maintained a year of heavy rotation with Watt which began with his BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix in February 2005.

In October 2004, Mark turned his attention from his vinyl endeavor with Private Reality to the rising digital domain. He launched his new record label Metamotional Music, paying homage to one of his favorite songs.

2005 reignited his passion for performing and marked his return to the DJ arena. He played global events in destinations such as Tokyo, Amsterdam, Turkey, Bulgaria, Vienna, New York, and Jacksonville Beach. In 2007, he released his first full-length Madoka album entitled A Cure for Loneliness on Metamotional Music. The collection featured a fresh set of eight original songs, setting a new creative standard for the label.

Mark resurrected both record labels in 2015 and redesigned the Metamotional website, integrating an online music store called MetaShop to release his music. A refined Madoka sound emerged and he marked his return that same year with his Beacon EP. The new release kickstarted the next chapter in his ever-evolving musical story.

More recently, he unleashed his album Speak For Yourself. The record is his first full-length set since 2007’s A Cure For Loneliness. Speak is a fresh, focused, steady, and slow-building collection of new material from Madoka, firmly setting the stage for the future of his Saturated Sound. The album was followed by new singles “Future Unwritten” and “Future Written.”

revised: may / 2021

DISCOGRAPHY
(1997 TO NOW)

Discover More: discogs.com

September 13, 2022

People Who Love You

Madoka / Metamotional

September 13, 2022
June 11, 2022

Wandering For Years

Madoka / Metamotional

June 11, 2022
November 5, 2019

Rushing Back (Madoka Remix)

Flume Feat. Vera Blue / Metapop Entry

November 5, 2019
May 25, 2019

Future Unwritten EP

Madoka / Metamotional

May 25, 2019
March 2, 2017

Speak For Yourself

Madoka / Metamotional

March 2, 2017
July 7, 2016

Element 118

Madoka / Metamotional

July 7, 2016
November 12, 2015

While the Lights Are Out

Madoka / Metamotional

November 12, 2015
November 12, 2015

Beacon (Dubs)

Madoka / Metamotional

November 12, 2015
August 20, 2015

Beacon EP

Madoka / Metamotional

August 20, 2015
May 17, 2012

Beat the Clock (Madoka Remix)

M83, Junior Boys, Nosaj Thing / Unreleased Project

May 17, 2012
January 7, 2011

Dos Espadas (Madoka Remixes)

Martinez FX / Unreleased

January 7, 2011
July 10, 2011

Bond

DBIB / Unreleased Project

July 10, 2011
December 21, 2010

Teardrops On My Guitar (Madoka Remixes)

Swiftly Related / Unreleased Project

December 21, 2010
December 8, 2008

Don’t Close Your Eyes (Madoka Remixes)

DPen / Paria

December 8, 2008
August 31, 2007

A Cure For Loneliness

Madoka / Metamotional

August 31, 2007
November 30, 2006

My Thinking Machine EP

Leroy Carroll / Metamotional

November 30, 2006
March 23, 2006

Lost Again EP

Leroy Carroll / Metamotional

March 23, 2006
December 5, 2005

Thursday Night Hero

Madoka / Noctambula

December 5, 2005
August 11, 2005

Drift EP

Madoka / Metamotional

August 11, 2005
June 27, 2005

Paz (Madoka Remix)

Madoka / Private Reality

June 27, 2005
May 5, 2005

We Awoke (Madoka Remixes)

Brahma & Sean Gruv / Sentient Audio

May 5, 2005
April 30, 2005

5B (Madoka Remixes)

Blue Room Project / Hunya Munya

April 30, 2005
April 18, 2005

Submerged (Madoka Remixes)

Brahma & Drew Nichols / Babylon

April 18, 2005
April 18, 2005

Embedded EP

Madoka / Private Reality

April 18, 2005
February 27, 2005

Electric (Madoka Remix)

Bart van Wissen / Private Reality

February 27, 2005
January 26, 2005

Altered

Madoka / Shine

January 26, 2005
November 2, 2004

Elektrix EP

Clerk 33 / Metamotional

November 2, 2004
October 18, 2004

Afterburner

Madoka / Private Reality

October 18, 2004
October 12, 2004

MTTM EP

Madoka / Metamotional

October 12, 2004
October 11, 2004

Metamotional EP

Madoka / Deep Focus

October 11, 2004
September 27, 2004

If I Could Fly (Madoka Remix)

Matthew Dekay / Nascent

September 27, 2004
June 28, 2004

Plataforma

Madoka / Release Elements

June 28, 2004
June 21, 2004

The Specialist EP

Leroy Carroll / Mixturi Global

June 21, 2004
June 19, 2004

Turn It Into Gold (Madoka Remixes)

Powerplant / Deep

June 19, 2004
June 14, 2004

Protected (Madoka Remixes)

Pole Folder / Mo-Do

June 14, 2004
June 7, 2004

Unforeseen (Madoka Remix)

Bart van Wissen / Private Reality

June 7, 2004
May 5, 2004

Distant Memories

Madoka / Private Reality

May 5, 2004
March 8, 2004

Good To Me

Relate / White Label

March 8, 2004
January 18, 2004

Overcast

HHT / Unreleased Project

January 18, 2004
August 23, 2003

If I Could Fly (Madoka Remix)

Matthew Dekay / Deep

August 23, 2003
February 22, 2003

I’ll Be Here (Akodama Remixes)

Automagic / Definity

February 22, 2003
December 9, 2002

Lost In Space (Madoka Remix)

The Realm / 3 Beat Music

December 9, 2002
August 17, 2002

If We Begin

Madoka / Deep

August 17, 2002
August 13, 2002

Not Done (Madoka Remix)

Madoka / Deep

August 13, 2002
July 13, 2002

Mass EP

Madoka / Private Reality

July 13, 2002
June 15, 2002

Cabaret EP

Madoka / Deep

June 15, 2002
June 1, 2002

Coppola EP

Madoka / Private Reality

June 1, 2002
May 13, 2002

Dive

Madoka / Plastic Fantastic

May 13, 2002
April 22, 2002

Slightly Forward

Akodama / SAW

April 22, 2002
May 1, 2001

My City EP

Madoka / Private Reality

May 1, 2001
February 1, 1999

Confessions of A DJ EP

Grooveshop / Private Reality

February 1, 1999
May 1, 1997

The Product

DJ Relate / Private Reality CDR

May 1, 1997