Dave Clarke
Encyclopedia
Dave Clarke is an English
techno producer
and DJ
, often given the title, 'The Baron of Techno'.
, 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) and the money from his job in a shoe shop. 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.
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. 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. 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.
His sense of rhythm and DJ skills have earned him more respect than most DJ–producers. 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. 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. 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.
"I may be established but I'll never be establishment". (Dave Clarke, March 2005)
ed 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, 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, 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.
His album Devil's Advocate was cut onto 180 gram vinyl, 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.
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
).
Clarke performed many times during John Peel's Radio Show, including Camden Live, Maida Vale and in his own recording studio
.
(his player of choice was the Technics DZ1210). 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.
Clarke has now relocated to the Netherlands
.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
techno producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
and DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
, often given the title, 'The Baron of Techno'.
Life and career
Educated at Brighton CollegeBrighton College
Brighton College is an institution divided between a Senior School known simply as Brighton College, the Prep School and the Pre-Prep School. All of these schools are co-educational independent schools in Brighton, England, sited immediately next to each another. The Senior School caters for...
, 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) and the money from his job in a shoe shop. He soon undertook a DJ set at the Brighton nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
, Toppers. The night became successful and even worried a rival, at which John Digweed
John Digweed
John Digweed is an English DJ, record producer and acclaimed actor.-Biography:John Digweed began DJing around age 4...
held residency.
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
Aphex Twin
Richard David James , best known under the pseudonym Aphex Twin, is an Irish-born electronic musician and composer described as "the most inventive and influential figure in contemporary electronic music"...
.
In the 1990s, he began producing and releasing music using the moniker 'Hardcore'. This project was subsequently licensed to the Belgian label R&S
R&S Records
R&S Records is an independent record label. Founded in 1984 in Ghent, Belgium, it is now based in London and managed by Andy Whittaker and Dan Foat.R&S represents the initials of Renaat Vandepapeliere and Sabine Maes, the couple that created the label...
, enabling Clarke to be one of the first UK based artists to record in the R&S studio in Ghent
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
, and get signed by the label. 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. After the success of the Red series, John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
gave Clarke his moniker, 'The Baron of Techno' (probably derived from The Red Baron), which stuck with him ever since.
His sense of rhythm and DJ skills have earned him more respect than most DJ–producers. He has a longstanding relationship with visceral, intense techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
, and is considered one of the innovators of the genre, even being used as a musical reference point in the German school syllabus. 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
Electro (music)
Electro is a genre of electronic dance music directly influenced by the use of TR-808 drum machines, Moog keytar synthesizers and funk sampling...
sets). Clarke's style is both sinister and energizing, and his live sets are rarely a disappointment. 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
Chicks on Speed
Chicks on Speed is a multi-national musical ensemble, formed in Munich in 1997, when members Melissa Logan, Kiki Moorse and Alex Murray-Leslie met at the Academy of Fine Arts....
and DJ Rush. He also made a relatively experimental John Peel Sessions EP under the name 'Directional Force' on the StrangeFruit label.
Notable quotations
"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"."I may be established but I'll never be establishment". (Dave Clarke, March 2005)
Releases
Clarke has remixRemix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
ed many artists with chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
success from the results. These include the Chemical Brothers, Leftfield
Leftfield
Leftfield are a British duo of electronica artists and record producers, namely Paul Daley and Neil Barnes, who formed in 1990 in London, England...
, Fischerspooner
Fischerspooner
Fischerspooner is an electroclash duo and performance troupe formed in 1998 in New York. The name is a portmanteau of the founders' last names, Warren Fischer and Casey Spooner...
and Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
, with the latter using Clarke's remix of "Dream On
Dream On (Depeche Mode song)
"Dream On" is Depeche Mode's thirty-sixth UK single, released on April 23, 2001 in the UK and April 24 in the U.S. It was the first single from the album Exciter."Dream On" is an electronic based song mixed in with acoustic guitar and rough vocals...
" to open their shows during a world tour.
Felix da Housecat
Felix da Housecat
Felix da Housecat is an American DJ and record producer, mostly known for house music and electroclash. His name was inspired by Felix the Cat....
'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
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Red 1 and Red 2 were originally produced and recorded in 1992 on TDK
TDK
, formerly , is a Japanese company which manufactures electronic materials, electronic components, and recording and data-storage media, and markets them globally. Their motto is "Contribute to culture and industry through creativity"...
MAXG, cassette and transferred to DAT
Digital Audio Tape
Digital Audio Tape is a signal recording and playback medium developed by Sony and introduced in 1987. In appearance it is similar to a compact audio cassette, using 4 mm magnetic tape enclosed in a protective shell, but is roughly half the size at 73 mm × 54 mm × 10.5 mm. As...
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, 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
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
.
In the song "Teachers" by Daft Punk
Daft Punk
Daft Punk are an electronic music duo consisting of French musicians Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter . Daft Punk reached significant popularity in the late 1990s house movement in France and met with continued success in the years following, combining elements of house with synthpop...
, 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.
His album Devil's Advocate was cut onto 180 gram vinyl, 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
Mixmag
Mixmag is a British dance music and clubbing magazine. It styles itself as "the world's biggest selling dance music magazine", with an Audit Bureau of Circulations audited circulation of approximately 21,250...
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.
Radio
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 MuzikMuzik
Muzik was a UK dance music magazine published by IPC Media from June 1995 to August 2003.Muzik was created by two former Melody Maker journalists, Push and Ben Turner. Push was the editor of Muzik from its launch until he left the magazine in 1998, at which point Turner took over as editor...
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
VPRO
The VPRO was established in the Netherlands in 1926 as a religious broadcasting organization. Falling under the Protestant pillar, it represented the Liberal Protestant current...
3fm , called White Noise; this is also broadcast on other stations including Studio Brussel
Studio Brussel
Studio Brussel is a radio station in Belgium, owned by the VRT. The music played is considered more alternative than the other big radio stations, and is aimed mainly at a youth audience....
and Ireland's RTÉ 2fm
RTÉ 2fm
RTÉ 2fm, or 2FM as it is more commonly referred to, is Raidió Teilifís Éireann's second national radio station. It broadcasts popular music programming aimed at a young Irish audience.- History :...
. 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
Annie Nightingale
Anne "Annie" Nightingale MBE is an English radio broadcaster. She is most commonly known by the more informal name of Annie...
).
Clarke performed many times during John Peel's Radio Show, including Camden Live, Maida Vale and in his own recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
.
Other
Clarke stopped playing vinyl completely in clubs at the beginning of the 2000s, and first played digital files on CDCompact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
(his player of choice was the Technics DZ1210). He then used these in conjunction with Serato Scratch Live
Scratch Live
Scratch Live is a vinyl emulation software application created by New Zealand based Serato Audio Research, distributed by and licensed exclusively to Rane Corporation...
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.
Clarke has now relocated to the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
EPs
- Red 1 (1994)
- Red 2 (1994)
- Red 3 (1995)
- Shake Your Booty (1997)
- Before I Was So Rudely Interrupted (2000)
- Compass (2000)
- The Wolf (2002)
Albums
- Archive One (1996) - UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
#36 - Devil's Advocate (2003)
- Remixes & Rarities (2006)
DJ mixes
- Dave Clarke Presents X-Mix - Electro Boogie (1996)
- Muzik Masters (1996)
- Dave Clarke Presents Electro Boogie Vol. 2 - The Throwdown (1998)
- Fuse Presents Dave Clarke (1999)
- World Service (2001)
- World Service 2 (2005)
- I ♥ Techno (2007)
- Back In The Box (2008)
Remixes
- FischerspoonerFischerspoonerFischerspooner is an electroclash duo and performance troupe formed in 1998 in New York. The name is a portmanteau of the founders' last names, Warren Fischer and Casey Spooner...
- ("EmergeEmerge (song)"Emerge" is an electroclash song and the first single from debut album #1 by Fischerspooner. The song was originally released in 2001 through International DeeJay Gigolo Records and later jointly rereleased in 2002 by Fischerspooner's imprint label FS Studios and Ministry of Sound...
") (2001) - Chicks on SpeedChicks on SpeedChicks on Speed is a multi-national musical ensemble, formed in Munich in 1997, when members Melissa Logan, Kiki Moorse and Alex Murray-Leslie met at the Academy of Fine Arts....
- ("Wordy Rappinghood") (2003)
Chart singles
- "Red Three: Thunder / Storm" (1995) - UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
#45 - "Southside" (1996) - UK #34
- "No One's Driving" (1996) - UK #37
- "The Compass" (2001) - UK #46
- "The Wolf" (2002) - UK #66
- "Way of Life" (2003) - UK #59
- "What Was Her Name?" (2004) (Dave Clarke featuring Chicks on SpeedChicks on SpeedChicks on Speed is a multi-national musical ensemble, formed in Munich in 1997, when members Melissa Logan, Kiki Moorse and Alex Murray-Leslie met at the Academy of Fine Arts....
) - UK #50
External links
- daveclarke.com - official website
- White Noise Radio Show
- Dave Clarke at Last.fmLast.fmLast.fm is a music website, founded in the United Kingdom in 2002. It has claimed 30 million active users in March 2009. On 30 May 2007, CBS Interactive acquired Last.fm for UK£140m ....