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Dave Clarke Interview - Very Good Read!!!
In advance of his World Service 2 launch at Electric City this Thursday, Dave Clarke chats exclusively to Novadance.com about the joys of EBM, electro and Eddie Rockets, and a whole lot more besides.
Its been four long years since Dave Clarke released his seminal World Service mix album, with the 4-disc vinyl release spawning a generation of bedroom copycats up and down the country. Fresh from last year’s live tour to support his debut album on Skint, Devil’s Advocate, the man they once called “the Baron” has ‘gone digital’ for the World Service 2 album and launch tour. World Service 2 is mixed flawlessly on Technics DZ 1200 CD Decks, which, he argues, are ‘far sexier’ than their bestselling Pioneer counterparts…
“They are more tactile, they have a feel,” he explains, “while the Pioneers feel like a cheap USB peripheral. They don't feel sexy, just remote. I like to touch when I DJ, and the Pioneer decks don't make you want to touch them. The Technics do, the Numark and Denon ones do as well. It can be frustrating, because Technics came along so late after the Pioneers and DJs, being creatures of habit, didn't want to give any credence to them despite, in my opinion, them having a much better feel...
“I believe they [Technics] don't understand the market, if they did they would have come out with something 5 years earlier and then progressed to these instead of losing market dominance. I actually prefer working with studio equipment manufacturers than DJ equipment people; it is a far more professional relationship, more rewarding. However, if they were interested I have some great ideas.”
The frenzied electro of David Carretta and The Hacker on cd 1 of WS2 jostles for space with punk-funk classics such as Silicone Soul’s Who Needs Sleep Tonight? and an EBM cover of Sisters of Mercy’s This Corrosion. Cd 2 meanwhile has all the elements of a peak time techno set, with a dollop of booty bass for good measure. Why was he so eager to experiment with different genres?
“I really like the energy in EBM, the crowd always relate to that as well. It’s tough and edgy. I have actually just done a remix of Terence Fixmer and Doug McCarthy [ex frontman of Nitzer Ebb]. Booty, on the other hand, is fun, simple as; it’s good to shake your ass to. Parliament and Bootsy [Collins] were fun and funky, why can't techno be?”
The opening lines of cd2, spoken by Mad Mike Banks, are somewhat prophetic, extolling the listener to “find your strength…and make your transition”. But what kind of ‘transition’ has Dave Clarke made since WS1?
“Detroit always has some great "underdog" accapellas that can be utterly inspirational or spiritual. Mentally quite a lot, my life has changed dramatically in the last few years and I have changed quite a lot. I also finally had some more artist albums come out including a live one which came at the end of over a years worth of touring. Musically, WS2 is quite subtle in its differences but that is evolution, sometimes big steps followed by some smaller equally valid ones.”
The evolution of techno isn’t something Dave shies away from of course; it’s now more than ten years since the Red series first reared its angry head, and only by pushing musical boundaries can ‘veteran’ DJs still sound fresh. Not that it’s necessarily a good idea to do a “Hawtin” and completely revamp your image, however…
“It's funny, but I can't imagine Richie having any irony whatsoever. I think men that have haircuts that need constant looking after are extremely vain (says he who occasionally wears eye shadow!). That shit really isn't for me. I’m also not into minimal in such a way that I play a whole set of it, it’s not my style. I’m not Michael Meyer, for example, he can pull that off really well & convincingly.”
But isn’t he intrigued by Hawtin’s forthcoming DE9 mix project (Transitions, to be released in Autumn 2005), which claims to “explore not only time and amplitude (X and Y) but also depth (Z) in terms of space and perception”?
“He is off on something for sure. I respect people like George Martin who say something like when you go to more channels than mono you can loose the punch of a track. I had a 5:1 surround setup in 1998 then I expanded to 7:1, before going down to stereo again. If films are soundtracked wrong you would have a car pan from L-R on screen then the film angle would change but the audio would stay the same. When you have something visual, and can relate audio to it, it can make sense but it has to be done correctly. If it is just audio then I believe unless it is very anthemic, such as Vangelis or Jarre, and written for 5:1 it is just a gimmick and will alienate most of the public as hardly anyone has 5:1. It’s a DJ album, so none of the tracks were written with surround sound in mind, so I can imagine it arriving in stereo at Abbey Road, and being panned out at the last minute. I think it would have been better if he maybe just went to DVD audio; that can sound really lush in stereo.”
Despite embracing cd technology, Dave is reluctant to take the next digital step and embrace laptop-based programmes such as Ableton, a favourite tool of Surgeon and other notable artists on the techno circuit. Is DJing as much about the performance as the actual music?
“He [Surgeon] will argue it's about the music, and to some extent he is right. It’s far better to have someone play great techno being motionless, than to play trance on vinyl, waving your hands in the air, pretending to do EQ tricks. I don't particularly like Ableton, you are not on edge you don't make perceivable mistakes and therefore I believe your performance is greatly impaired as there is no adrenalin, I also believe the crowd feel this but can't put their finger on why it doesn't feel as good. Computers in clubs are boring for me; give me seat of the pants hardware any day.”
The promotional blurb for WS2 describes it as “a challenging alternative to all the music that bleeds kids dry and doesn't progress anything, the music I call opium music..” But how does he feel about techno being labelled ‘drug music’ in a similar manner?
“It confuses me, it's almost as if it is just habit, I certainly don't need to take drugs when making or listening to it, so to me it is not anything to do with drugs, a lot of people in this scene that make good music also don't take drugs, the people that take coke generally make really lame music though. I remember that ‘Beatlemania’ vibe some DJs were trying to get across by "breaking" America. That is sheer coke fuelled arrogance. What’s my poison? I like white beer in the summer in Amsterdam, anything with gin (sloe gin in the winter, Pimms in the summer) or vodka works, while sake is a passion. I stopped smoking cigars ages ago, I want to be able to kick a football around with my boy and not be breathless.”
A journeyman DJ in the truest sense of the word, 2005 has seen Dave wow 25,000 ravers on a Brazilian beach and pack them in at Belgium’s FUSE club; he also headlined an all-nighter at Fabric only a couple of weeks ago. But every tour sooner or later ends up in Ireland, where a hero’s welcome usually awaits. Dave, meanwhile, has his own reasons for returning time and time again…
“Well I like Eddie Rockets in South Anne Street, great burgers after the hangover the night before, it's also good having a shave at the Grafton Street Barbers as well. There are so many things to like and love about Dublin and Ireland as a visitor (except the weather), the scene has changed a lot regarding promoters; a lot aren't around anymore and sometimes that makes me sad. But then you get new nights like Ten in Waterford where the club is a great size, the sound is really clear and the promoter has a real touchable passion and love for it. I will also say the food has improved countrywide, when I first came over (for Ken Kane) two Millers and a packet of Pringles was all you got, now everywhere there are great restaurants, even in the smaller towns. Besides, the people that come to the gigs are still as open and friendly as ever and that always makes my job easier.”
The Baron is back.
http://www.novadance.com/index.php/...ews/sid/802.htm
what a legend!!!!
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