Dave Clarke speaks

Love him or hate him, few people are indifferent about Dave Clarke. The man behind one of the UK's finest underground labels - Magnetic North - and one of the all-time classic techno records - 'Red 2' - has worn many hats, but it's as a quick mixing, dynamic techno and electro DJ that he is best known. Never one to keep his opinions or his less documented black sense of humour to himself, in advance of his appearance at the Bloc Weekend, he talks about the benefits of digital DJing, 'tabloid' radio, his involvement with I Love Techno and the search for techno's soul.

Why did you move from the UK to Amsterdam ? Do you feel that it's a better place to be based than London?
"I still live in the UK but I also chose to spend time in the Netherlands for a variety of reasons, better society as a whole, an airport that is efficient and doesn't treat you like a criminal (too many issues flying in and out the UK now), generally a better quality of life, no need for a car, and a stunningly beautiful city that always inspires me. Some aspects of the scene in the UK doesn't inspire me anymore, the magazines are boring, the radio is too commercial, you know the sort of thing."

Are there any downsides to being based there ? Have you taken full advantage of Dutch society's permissiveness - and do you miss your family and friends, the English sense of humour and brown sauce?
"Wow, is that you admitting I have a sense of humour? Maybe things are looking up! Yes, I miss the fast talk, the playing with words, the humour that is in our bones, sarcasm without it being personal, but I get it when I come back. But let me tell you a disturbing little secret: HP brown sauce is no longer made in the UK but in Holland (which is strange as it is hard to find good bacon there)."

You have been notably quiet in releasing music in the past few years; to quote Blake Baxter "what happened?" and when can we expect a follow up to 'Devil's Advocate'?
"I'm not sure, I enjoyed elements of making my last album and I have no bad blood with Skint at all, but I felt extremely pressured, I didn't like how it made me feel as a person, I felt like a commodity with management pushing me, it didn't feel like art but hard work in the end. I also don't believe in the music "industry" as it stands anymore, it's a strange but exciting time, I'm lucky enough to be established so maybe I will give my future music away, who knows. But I prefer being more relaxed than under commercial pressure."

A few years ago, you said to me that techno had become "too white". Do you still think this is the case or is it more white now that it was then?
"Minimal is even whiter, it's like they never read the handbook to soul and it has no attitude like punk either. Plus you have to have a facist inspired haircut to make it work. It seems to be about the search for some sterile fake oblivion, a lot of the techno I play on White Noise has soul and funkyness and attitude, I just wish that black artists got more respect for their historical input across the board, they inspired me and I learnt a lot from black Chicago house/ booty and Detroit techno/eectro. I owe those scenes a lot, a hell of a lot, and more importantly, they still inspire me."

You also bemoaned the lack of decent electro records in the same interview (2004). Do you think that this situation has changed?
"Satamile still blows up and I am lucky enough to have been sent rather a lot of good electro this year, so it's swings and roundabouts really. Now the hype of the name of the genre has subsided, the music comes out again."

You have been an ardent supporter of digital DJing: do you find Serato compatible with your cut'n'paste and scratching style?
"It has changed my style, but it has also liberated me in many ways. It's great to not be limited to 80 or so records on the road now, if I feel like dropping a past classic like "Space Invaders" I can and the
musical content isn't changed by pitching up the tempo anymore. It also stops me being asked "am I a DJ?" by security staff at the airport four times a week. It has also matured as a technology just at the right time when airports in the UK became so hostile to frequent travellers."

Apart from the fact that you can play brand new music, what are the other advantages of digital DJing: seeing as using Serato is a digital vinyl emulator, would you not still be as well off still playing records?
"Nope, I find it interesting that I got slated when I changed over and talked about the benefits a few years back, and now people like Mr C Hell and Sven get slated for talking about vinyl in a high way. Moral of the story: just do what makes sense for you. Digital DJing has an incredibly free feeling, it has so many benefits and a few romantic drawbacks. I'm lucky enough to get most music sent to me just after it is finished, sometimes before the label gets it or even the remixed artist, everything now is just like
in a car factory, and that is quite exciting. I also don't have to deal with moody record assistants in snobby shops in the UK anymore, that used to piss me off no end. It was like 'Hi Fidelity' but with too much insecure testesterone floating around the system. It wasn't always like that, but in the 90s it felt like that way too much. The ability to back up your whole collection is also an amazing feeling, and having 2500 Wavs available at the flick of a switch, it's almost like Bow Wow Wow said in c60: "I carry my whole collection on my back". It's something most DJs dreamed about. The downside is being a system administrator and an archivist at the same time."

Has the White Noise radio show given you a fresh outlet for your DJIng in that you can play music that doesn't necessarily fit into a dance floor set?
"Yes, absolutely, it can be incredibly cathartic. I also do it to give something back to the scene, a lot of DJs (maybe without realising) seem to take the ladder away after they have climbed it. I just want to play, find
and air good (IMHO) new music from young artists as well as those that still do it. I would never be given that chance in the UK, the dance radio scene had so much promise in the beginning, but now it's just tabloid in 95% of its output. There is no cultural gain from dance radio on almost all of the UK national (licence paid) output, you have DJs just talking about their money in newspapers and those are the ones holding back the scene for their own benefit, actually it's damn right disgusting. The whole point of a specialist radio DJ is to be a catalytic convertor not for their own money but for getting oxygen and jest into the scene."

Do you think that radio programming is more forward-thinking in Holland than in the UK?
"See above. I would never have been given a chance in the UK because it's run by old farts with no attitude and foresight, it's a con. I said after John Peel died I would never be invited back. I was right."

How did your involvement with I Love Techno start? Do they let you pick whom you want to play your room?
"I think it was from the second edition when Peter (formerly of Fuse) was running it. I have been involved ever since. I don't usually have any problems in booking what I want, sometimes we disagree, I wanted a heritage act this year, but it wasn't to be."

You mixed their CD this year - why didn't you do it sooner?
"I'm the first international to be offered, I never really thought about it before."

Do you feel that techno loses its impact at such a huge event or is this the ideal place to experience it? What about small basements or smaller festivals like Bloc?
"Techno is great for big events, minimal doesn't work which is why it was shelved, when a crowd that big is as one it can be quite awe inspiring. Small festivals can be very intense if done correctly, so let's wait and see, but I'm looking forward to Bloc, I think it has a great line up that gives credit to a lot of long serving artists."

Comments

[hum3]

Splendid Q&A. Dave Clarke's one of the few artists who has an honest opinion and approach to techno. In great part, I think that stems from his interest in all kinds of music - and that's the way it should be.

Though the general scene over here really isn't that inspiring anymore, he certainly keeps it alive with his raw, unorthodox radio show. (God, his view on the UK really makes me cringe how bad it must be over there!)

It's an overused expression for sure, but let it be said once more: he keeps it real.

[chrisdisco]

another nice interview. would love to go to bloc. so many good artists...

[GeorgeBLOC]

I know people in the 'scene' have mixed opinions on DC but i'm personally really chuffed that he bigged us up at the end of this interview.

It was the world service (1) that got us into all of this music in the first place and that's why we put on bloc.

So thanks for the music Dave.

[B]

Same over here on World Service 1...I went to school in Belgium and when that came out it turned my friends and I into total techno and electro fiends...I wonder if there will ever be a World Service 3?

[zuckermann]

i wish, we, in berlin, ex-technoland, now minimal world headquarters, had such an outspoken artist. fresh!
although personally, i totally disagree with his views on "minimal, my ass" (as a british!-, t-shirt designer and artist has put it). minimal is a still pretty fresh sounding evolution of what once was techno - the latter by now being at least as dead as monty pythons famous "dead parrot". don't we all know the stories of the good old days, the great heroes of those times, and the still inspiring spirit of their ideas? - may they rest in peace.
imho, it's just a sign that the "scene" (whatever that is) is aging - and many of them will rather stick with their past instead of moving on - isn't that, what we hated about our parents? so c'mon dave, go out and open up for something new. even if it's only the latest house revival, not to speak of those wonderful (danceble!) eclecticists like Hot Chip or Noze.
cheers

[chinstroking.com]

Nice interview.

I disagree slightly with his comments on black influence on techno - it's good to pay homage to the people who have shaped a scene, but not because of the colour of their skin. Besides, white people can do funk and soul too when it suits them.

Also, as he said, being able to back up your music collection these days is great with a capital "G". I just bought a 500GB external hard drive for this purpose and look forward to not needing a new one at least for 5 years or so.

[A Friend]

I thank Dave for keeping true to his style of Techno. It's true, all these purist follow each other and fads "Minimal" etc. Although I respect what dave has to say, I don't think Techno has a color to it, It's Universal, from Chicago, Detroit, Sweden to Birmigham, if it's good then it's good regardless of what style of techno! Kudos on your success Dave Clake, and thanks for looking out for those who don't have a voice.

[a man]

Techno will never die, I am born 10 years too late and I hope it will come back.

[tom/pipecock]

good to see a prominant white artist say these things about Detroit and Chicago when they have a chance to talk. Sadly, that is probably the only way things will get to change.

the commenter who talks about techno being dead is obviously listening to the wrong records. also, not everyone "knows all the stories", as if all the old school guys who deserve the props have received them. ha.

[tom/pipecock]

good to see a prominant white artist say these things about Detroit and Chicago when they have a chance to talk. Sadly, that is probably the only way things will get to change.

the commenter who talks about techno being dead is obviously listening to the wrong records. also, not everyone "knows all the stories", as if all the old school guys who deserve the props have received them. ha.

[SteLewis]

Dave is the man. Bollocks to all this pretentious minimal shite.

[nuno]

as long theres humans and machines techno will never be dead camera `s ready prepAARE TO FLLLLAAAASSSHHHH
TRANCE HOUSE MINIMAL ..... BUT TECHNO IZ DA BEST

[Alizarin]

Interesting to suggest minimal is an evolution of techno - surely a step towards frigid simplicity is a step back?

[DJ Barney]

Believe me, I'm only just finding out what happened in the late 80's / early 90's that I lived through. A crucial time. The end of the Cold War, and much more ... reflected in the music of course. Don't listen to the boring exec's who want to tell you that everything is "dead" so they can ram the next sales opportunity down your throat. Techno, EBM, or ... what ever you want to call it ... has only just begun.

DJ Barney

[PjT (T5ECHNO)]

Your a living legend, Your show is quality, its on late so I record and then listen to it on 2fm Ireland (I'm not a pirate by the way)it should be on every day,the breakfast show(in a non commercial format) dave clarke the world would be a happier place waking up to quality,I really appreciate what you do, nobody has ever rocked the redbox like Dave Clarke. Long live Electronic music. It will only get better. I like what you said about being able to drop the classic track that you want in a set with serato, look forward to hearing some rare gems. Digitalism (to quote a name of a band) is definitely the way forward.

[Slip]

Dave Clarke- I am still bangin the remix you did ofor groovetech. sounds like blades and proper well produced huge electro!!! That remx IMOP is bigger than red2 but Damn- What a great time for that to get redone. I am waiting on some new gear and inspiration. I don't think minimal neccessarily doesn't work at a festival. I don't know what is happening over there uhh. as i have my own problems over here uhhh but hey, this man is still standing- your gonna witness a man with fitnesssss deaf to all the other mc's who bit thisssss., puttin heads to bed and bodies to sleeep, I'm huntin for peace so baby, read it and weeep, you better step or get stomped... DC Proper- Never-

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