Denver-based producer TF Marz blends hip-hop and rnb with electronic and bass music for a truly exceptional sound palette. If you like precise percussion, masterful sampling, and soulful undertones, without sacrificing the bump, TF Marz has you covered. He is the Co-Founder & Creative Director of the esteemed all:Lo collective, and has been actively working to push their unique sound and style. He just teamed up with parkbreezy for the smooth and vibey Reflections Pt. II EP, and continues to impress with every release.
With the summer right around the corner and TF Marz steadily killing it, we thought now would be the perfect time to connect for a guest mix + interview. The mix showcases his own works along with the tunes that inspire him, and is perfect for a day where you’re trying to kick back and relax. Our interview explores his background as an artist, the challenges and benefits of straddling multiple genres, what makes music so special, his favourite albums of all time, and much more. Dive in below.
What’s the vibe that we should expect when we press play on the mix?
The vibe is before the party, after the party, cruisin in the whip on a summer evening, kickin it with the homies, or maybe even spending time with that special someone. I’ve been playing music out at shows so much recently, and I haven’t done a studio mix for a while, so I wanted to take this mix as an opportunity to share some of the music I don’t really get to play out as much. This one really is a dive into my taste and influences. I sprinkled a few unreleased bits of my own in there too ;)
Can you tell us a little bit about your musical journey? How long have you been producing? Has your relationship with music changed over the years?
In a way, my musical journey kinda feels like it started the day I was born. Those who are familiar with me probably know this, but my parents put on music festivals while I was growing up, and they put their first festival on 3 days before I was born. My parents had me try out different instruments growing up for as long as I can really remember, but when I saw artists like Kanye and Dilla using the MPC, I knew I wanted to do that. I think I started around 14, so I’ve been producing for like 18 years. Sheesh, that’s a while haha.
music is one of the most incredible things in life. Like just these waves of pressure in the air that can make you feel all the emotions, make you move, bring people together. Music is really the closest thing I’ve found to god.
What drives you to make music?
I mean, it just feels like something I have to do. I’ve had periods in these past 18 years where making music wasn’t very central to my life, and I thought maybe there was something else I would do with my life (for work that is), but I was always drawn back to it. There is just something so magical about that moment when you’re in the studio, and the idea clicks, and it’s like you could just listen to that loop over and over for hours. Plus, I just think music is one of the most incredible things in life. Like just these waves of pressure in the air that can make you feel all the emotions, make you move, bring people together. Music is really the closest thing I’ve found to god.
Your music lives in this beautiful place between hip-hop, RnB, and bass music. Have you ever felt pressure to lean into one side vs. combining them all together? How do you find the perfect balance?
Yeah, I absolutely feel the pressure. It’s been something I’ve really been navigating in my career and path as an artist recently. And I guess since the beginning too. I’ve never really felt like I fit into a specific scene. Always felt too Hip-Hop/R&B for the Electronic scene and too Electronic for the Hip-Hop/R&B scene. I try to remind myself that in ways, that’s my superpower, what’s allowed me to make my own lane. But I’d be lying if I said I don’t feel pressure, especially with getting more opportunities in the Electronic world, to somehow fit into that more. But I have to give a big shout to my all:Lo family and my friends who continually encourage me to be me.
Can you tell a little bit about your approach to sampling? Is there anything you would never sample?
Ahh, sampling is the best. Probably one of my favorite things about producing and something I’ll do in almost everything I make. Sampling is like continuing the story of the original work while often giving it a whole new meaning or context. In terms of things I’d never sample… Idk, I hate to say never, but I’m not super into the idea of sampling like a classic rock song; at the same time, if I could completely flip it on its head, then I’m with it. I mean, look at a song like ‘Paper Planes’ by MIA, Diplo sampled the Clash on that and made an absolutely bangin tune.
There is this pressure to make crazy sounds and bangers and whatnot, and if that’s who you are, then that’s great, but that’s not all people want to hear, and in the end I think people really just want to connect with something real, something genuine.
What advice would you give to new producers who are trying to level up their skills and stand out from the crowd?
My biggest advice is BE YOU. Harkening back to your question earlier, I feel like, especially in electronic music, there is this pressure to make crazy sounds and bangers and whatnot, and if that’s who you are, then that’s great, but that’s not all people want to hear, and in the end I think people really just want to connect with something real, something genuine. I mean, look at what we’ve done with all:Lo. No one cared for a really long time, until they did. And I think we’ve built a really strong, loyal fanbase because they know that everything we bring to the table is genuine and from the heart. Beyond that, just keep working and learning new techniques, especially with mixing. That might be the secret: be original with your ideas, and if you can make it sound clean and mixed nicely, someone is gonna connect with it.
Congratulations on the release of Reflections Pt. II with parkbreezy. What’s your collaborative process like with parkbreezy? What makes your chemistry so strong?
Thanks! Working with Parker is such a pleasure and a gift. We really see eye to eye musically and just on things in life in general, and when we disagree, we are both very open to one another’s perspective. We also have a ton of trust in one another, so when we get in the studio, we start throwing ideas out there until something grabs us. Parker is great at generating ideas, and I think I have a knack for kind of seeing the direction for the song, so we just work really well with one another. Also, I think we both do a great job of putting our egos in the backseat. Making the song the best it can be is always the goal, no matter whose idea it was or wasn’t. Just make sure it sounds good and reflects who we are as artists.
What makes all:Lo special is that we have paved our own path by doing things our way and being exactly who we are, even when nobody understood it. We hope that our label and path can be an inspiration for other artists and creatives to do the same.
How did all:Lo come together? What makes it special?
So it really starts with Parker and Phil. They were living together in Denver in 2017 and had connected through working at the Black Box. That same summer, I met my friend Hunter, and he was helping me start up this event focused on “Hip Hop, R&B and cutting edge Bass music” called The Curation Series at a venue called Your Mom’s House in Denver. We needed CDJs, and Hunter suggested he had some homies who had some (Parker and Phil), and they played similar music, so we decided to invite them out. We immediately clicked, and I asked if they wanted to be residents with me, and they were down. We did that for about 6 months, with Thought Process being a part of the last one. That winter, Parker and Phil wanted to start putting music on streaming platforms, so they started releasing under all:Lo. The following summer, we were chatting, and Parker and Phil wanted to put out a compilation and make the label more of a thing, so they invited me to be a part of it, and since that point on it’s been fam.
What makes all:Lo special is that we have paved our own path by doing things our way and being exactly who we are, even when nobody understood it. We hope that our label and path can be an inspiration for other artists and creatives to do the same. We’re all about lifting each other and our communities up, and I know I speak for all of us when I say how grateful we are for how far it’s come.
What’s the best meal you’ve ever had on the road?
Ooooof, that is tough, but the first meal that comes to mind is this dish that I had at a restaurant called Nanban in Pittsburgh, PA. It was a gochujang fried chicken with biscuits and tonkatsu gravy.
What is your favourite hip hop, and favourite RnB album of all time? What makes each of them special to you?
Okay, RnB is easy; that’s D’Angelo’s Voodoo. My favorite album of all time. It’s literally perfect. The fusion of Soul with Hip Hop sensibilities and production is just pure magic. Hard for me to put into words what this album means to me. If you’re not familiar, I encourage you to go listen right now. Rest in peace to the legend.
Hip Hop is a bit tougher… I really can’t pick one, so I’m gonna say three that have been super influential to me. Outkast’s Speakerboxxx/Love Below, Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly, and Kanye’s Dark Twisted Fantasy. All three of these albums are so forward-thinking and purely creative. They all show me the possibilities of what Hip Hop can be.
What are you most looking forward to in 2026?
I’m really excited for the all:Lo takeovers we’re getting to do at festivals this year, including the Grove at Shambhala, my favourite stage in the whole world. Also excited to release this new music I’m working on, and finally I’m really excited for something I’m planning for my city, Denver. More deets on that soon!
Any final words for fans?
Just thank you. This is the first year I’ve gotten to do music as my full-time job, and I try to remind myself often just how lucky I am to get to do this. If you’ve been listening for years, I truly appreciate it so much; I know it’s been a slow burn. If you’re new here, thanks for giving me a shot; that’s all I can ask for. Really excited for what’s to come, so I hope you come along with me. From the bottom of my heart, thank you so so much <3
Oh and FUCK ICE AND FUCK DONALD TRUMP.
TF Marz FUXWITHIT Guest Mix Tracklist
FCUK (ft. Mahalia) – H.LLS
Esa Nena – Young Miko
ID – TF Marz
thasit – TF Marz
IT’S OK – Bryson Tiller
All Mine (ft. Kaya Ko & Kapok) – TF Marz
10 – El Londo
R U THAT SOMEBODY – Mr. Genius Idiot x nikø.
choosy – Cityboymoe
Days Go By – James Blake
Windows Down (ft. Guapdad 4000) – Moslikely
Lil Mama – Lo Village & Dirty Shafi
Want It All (ft. Polo G) – Burna Boy
Handsome (ft. Megan The Stallion) – Chance The Rapper
Mine – Tiacorine
Pick Up The Pace (feat. Bayka) – Mahalia
Anxious – Latto
no doubt – Ragz Originale
2 Charming – Skiifall
The Point (ft. Kaya Ko & Trayce Chapman) – parkbreezy & TF Marz
So Sweet – FALCONS
Good Flirts (TF’s edit) – Baby Keem
FWT (ft. Isaiah Falls) – Icee Red
Day After Day (ft. Big Sad 1900) – BLXST
