| Dave Clarke | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Also known as | The Baron of Techno, Hardcore, Directional Force, Mister Technology |
| Born | 19 September 1968 |
| Origin | Brighton, England |
| Genres | Techno, Electro |
| Occupations | DJ, producer |
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Labels | Deconstruction Records, Skint Records |
| Website | http://www.daveclarke.com/ |
Dave Clarke (born 19 September 1968, Brighton, England)[1] is an English techno producer and DJ, often given the title, 'The Baron of Techno'.
Contents |
Educated at Brighton College, Clarke ran away from home at the age of 16 after his parents split up. After sleeping rough for a while, a friend offered him temporary accommodation. All that kept him going was his love for music, initially hip hop and post-punk (The Damned are a favourite of his to this day)[2] and the money from his job in a shoe shop.[3] He soon undertook a DJ set at the Brighton nightclub, Toppers. The night became successful and even worried a rival, at which John Digweed held residency.[3]
In the late 1980s, Clarke used to write reviews for a few UK magazines, such as Mixmag Update, Generator and ID, and was the first to review Aphex Twin.
In the 1990s, he began producing and releasing music using the moniker 'Hardcore'. This project was subsequently licensed to the Belgian label R&S, enabling Clarke to be one of the first UK based artists to record in the R&S studio in Ghent, and get signed by the label.[4] After this he recorded under various guises, including Graphite and Fly by Wire, but in 1993 he dropped these names and recorded only under Dave Clarke. Recognition of his talent came in 1994 when a series of EPs with the collective name of Red and his debut album Archive One received rave reviews, as they were seen as being innovative and crossing genres, something not common in the techno scene at the time.[5] After the success of the Red series, John Peel gave Clarke his moniker, 'The Baron of Techno' (probably derived from The Red Baron), which stuck with him ever since.[6]
His sense of rhythm and DJ skills have earned him more respect than most DJ–producers.[7][8] He has a longstanding relationship with visceral, intense techno, and is considered one of the innovators of the genre, even being used as a musical reference point in the German school syllabus.[9] He is a fan of the Detroit techno / electro sound, focusing on mechanical pulse and underlying funk. Clarke has continued to remain popular, due to his DJ style of endlessly cutting and scratching during his predominantly techno sets (although he sometimes played purely electro sets). Clarke's style is both sinister and energizing, and his live sets are rarely a disappointment.[7] This style is evident on his two mix albums World Service and World Service 2. His album Devil's Advocate, released in 2003, is a mixture of techno and hip hop featuring Chicks on Speed and DJ Rush. He also made a relatively experimental John Peel Sessions EP under the name 'Directional Force' on the StrangeFruit label.
"Music has always brought me through, even in times when I've had nothing. Music has given me everything and I feel I have to give everything back. I don't know what I'd do without it, it's in my blood and bones, the only constant throughout the whole of my life".[10]
"I may be established but I'll never be establishment". (Dave Clarke, March 2005)[10]
Clarke has remixed many artists with chart success from the results. These include the Chemical Brothers, Leftfield, Fischerspooner and Depeche Mode, with the latter using Clarke's remix of "Dream On" to open their shows during a world tour.
Felix da Housecat's got a boost from Clarke's remixes of "In the Light" which Clarke changed to "In The Dark We Live" (possibly from the vocal sampled from BamBam), these remixes became big club hits worldwide and especially in New York.
Red 1 and Red 2 were originally produced and recorded in 1992 on TDK MAXG,[11] cassette and transferred to DAT in 1993. Red 3 was originally known as 'Axiom', and was earmarked for release on Magnetic North.
"Before I Was So Rudely Interrupted" was one of the first internet only releases for any techno artist in 2000,[12] but, as the internet was still in its infancy for music distribution, it was released on a limited run of approximately twelve thousand 12" singles.
In the song "Teachers" by Daft Punk, Clarke is one of the many DJs mentioned.
His album World Service (released 2001) was voted #9 in the Resident Advisor poll of best mix albums of the 2000s.[13]
His album Devil's Advocate was cut onto 180 gram vinyl,[14] using the Paradigm method, he did this as a homage to vinyl. The Japanese version had an extra track, "Affirmative Magnolia", which was later released on his Remixes & Rarities. That album was awarded the 'Album of the Month' title by Mixmag in February 2007.
Clarke is on John Peel's posthumous album, Kat's Karavan (2009). A list of Clarke's releases can be found on Discogs.com.[15]
Clarke's first experience in radio broadcasting was gained in Brighton on Festival Radio in the early to mid 1990s. He had numerous mixes aired on BBC Radio One from clubs in the UK and Europe, and won best Essential Mix in 2000, as voted by Muzik magazine.
Clarke's set was broadcast live from the Fuse in Belgium for Eurodance 1997, and was produced by Alison Howe (John Peel's radio producer, who later went on to produce Later... with Jools Holland).
Since the beginning of September 2006, Clarke has been hosting his own radio show on VPRO 3fm, called White Noise; this is also broadcast on other stations including Studio Brussel and Ireland's RTÉ 2fm. This continued on from his Technology radio show (broadcast in the mid to late 1990s) which was one of the first techno genre internet-accessible shows, and also broadcast on various FM stations for approximately three years. He also had short tenure on BBC Radio One (covering for an ill Annie Nightingale).[16]
Clarke performed many times during John Peel's Radio Show, including Camden Live, Maida Vale and in his own recording studio.
Clarke stopped playing vinyl completely in clubs at the beginning of the 2000s,[17] and first played digital files on CD (his player of choice was the Technics DZ1210).[18] He then used these in conjunction with Serato Scratch Live with an SL3 converter.
Clarke has been quoted as saying that he owes his career to John Peel, and without the late DJ's support would not have had the money to start his own recording studio.[19]
Clarke has now relocated to the Netherlands.