There’s something special about producers who make dance music with a sense of place, and Merker is one of those artists. His sound is rooted in the bass-heavy legacy of Leeds, but there’s nothing retro about what he’s doing. Whether it’s the bold sample flips or the way he plays with tension and release, his tracks carry that rare combo of raw energy and sharp detail that makes them hit hard in a club—and feel even better when you know where they’re coming from. His new collab with KIMBER, HARDLINE08, dropped via the ever-consistent Hardline label and is already turning heads. From a cheeky speed garage rework of “Stereo Love” to the darker pressure of “Got 2 Be,” it’s a release that fully commits to the fun and fury of UK dance music without sounding like a throwback. To celebrate, Merker recorded a slamming guest mix for Internet Tattoo and sat down with us for a quick Q&A. Stream the mix, dig into the interview, and if you weren’t already paying attention—now’s a good time to start.

Hi Merker! First off, where are you based right now? How’s life there? How's the scene?

Currently based in Leeds where things are going well! I recently moved up here more permanently after going back to Huddersfield for a bit when I finished uni.

Dance music and Leeds go hand in hand and it’s still got some bits going on. Can definitely see the effects of the venue closures like Wire and Old Red though. Some of my favourite places to go over the last few years.

HARDLINE08 draws on a pretty specific vibe of UK dance music. What inspired you to tap into that sound?

I haven’t made many bootlegs since I started producing to be honest. When me and Kimber met up for some studio time, we wanted to use some samples which would do some work on the dancefloor. We both drew on that speed garage sound aimed for a big room.

Seeing Dr Dubplate fulfill that at his boiler room was great to see for us.

The ‘Stereo Love’ rework is a bold choice. What drew you to that track in particular, and how did you approach flipping it?

There's that basket of euro dance tracks that most people recognise instantly and Stereo Love is one of them.

We knew we wanted an organ on there, the call and response with the reese sort of glued it together. The start of the track was a way of slowly bringing in each element without too much energy from the drums. Gives a breather in a set too.

How did the collaboration between you two come about? Were you working remotely or in the same room? What were the highlights?

I met Kimber while I were in Leeds for uni. I knew he produced and ended up meeting to work on some music.

This is the first project we worked together on and it was easy to get ideas flowing. He's a good mate of mine and we’ve worked together a lot since then with plans to get more tracks put out.

You’ve also prepared a mix for us — can you tell us a bit about what inspired it?

I always love a bit of old and new. The tracks I select usually land in old school bassline or speed garage. Bassline is one of many genres I grew up listening to in Huddersfield. I started digging through the older stuff in the past few years and it’s always going to be an endless rabbit hole now.

When you're not making music, what do your days usually look like? Do you find it easy to switch off from projects?

I work a 9-5 so that’s me most of the time really. Once work is done and I’ve dealt with the rest of my day, there isn’t always much time for production. That way, it’s quite easy to switch off from it.

For me, this works nicely as I usually only start a project when I’ve got some inspiration going for it. This is often at least a couple weeks since the previous one.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone just starting to DJ or produce in 2025? Anything you wish you’d learned earlier?

Have fun with it all. Don’t get too into all the social media side of things at first. Find what you enjoy to mix/produce and run with that.

What was the last track by another artist you were obsessed with?

To be honest it’s currently Silva Bumpa’s new one, Doin It. Definitely one of my favourite producers at the moment too. The track brings bits from old school bassline, organ house, and speed garage, and does all of them justice. Either that or Mance - Nighttime Gangsta. Another one with loads of energy.

What’s next for you? Anything coming up you’d like to mention?

Definitely want to showcase some more mixing. I’m playing an event up at World Headquarters in Newcastle in June which should be good fun.

KIMBER + Merker’s HARDLINE08 EP is out now via Hardline

Find Merker online

SoundCloud | Instagram | Bandcamp | Beatport | Linktree

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