Interview w/ Dave Clarke

July 22, 2007 | Filed Under Artists, Interviews |

Our friends from jacbri.com did a small interview with Dave Clarke, who is headlining biggest croatian fest Rabac Summer Festival next Saturday. Check it out!

Are you satisfied how things are going with the radio show?

Yes, it’s a thoroughly enjoyable experience, playing new music on radio makes me feel extremely fulfilled and as I write this my show will be broadcast for the first time nationally in Portugal (alongside the other territories). I would love for it to be available as a podcast furthermore it would be rather cool for it to be broadcast nationally in Croatia (hint hint;-).

Some DJs are saying radio shows are great for playing music which they couldn’t play on a party. But when I check your playlists, I can’t think of many DJs who would dare to play some of those tracks even on a radio. Why is that, since when is DJing = playing safe only?

I never understood that playing safe thing, I have seen many dj’s who have an undeniable talent decide to play safe, I think the financial rewards become more important than the artistic side or the progression of music for those individuals, for me I love getting a demo through myspace/yousendit and playing it and seeing it grow, it’s audio horticulturism I suppose.

How did you get the chance to program some tents of few european festivals?

I was asked, I have worked with some promoters now for many years, you build up a good rapport, last week I did Dour (in Belgium) and the tent had an amazing atmosphere to………. ZZZ, Adult. , Blackstrobe Live and DJ 3000, the crowd really got the music, I do this as a fan, some artists that do their “own” tent have other acts on that don’t threaten them, then have their own volume higher than everyone else so they can be the hero by subliminal means, I love music and therefore want to profile artist I respect equally. I’m still a fan foremost and like to get signed cd’s if possible!

Since you know some many people and with quite a lot of them are friends, I guess its sometimes hard to choose who to call in those tents?

Nope, I always seperate the two, nepatism isn’t my vibe, I don’t have groupies onstage supporting a defleated and fragile ego, so why have friends on stage with me, anyone that is on my tent is there for music first, every time, no question.

Minimal craze is still going on, you arent one of those who followed that path. On the other hand, many DJs complain there isnt much going on in techno nowadays, except minimal and hard techno / schranz. So tell me, how do you manage to get your hands on proper techno and they dont, is it just lazyness?

I am not a bandwagon jumper, that kind of behaviour is almost acceptable when you are starting off, when you are finding your feet, but not when you “believe” in what you do. possibly the situation is like this…..Artist lives in city with other artists, artist lives so close to other artist that they can say hi when they buy their milk in the morning, artist goes back to bed and sleeps with partner that previously possibly went out with the other artist that was seen buying milk, artist goes to same clubs as other artists, artist is essentially insecure and wants to be a sheep, artist can afford to stay in same town as other artist because it is so cheap, however artist needs to be respected by other insecure artists due to large drug intake. That’s my take anyway.

Is there anything you are missing in todays techno?

The influence from the US, for me I look back and get sad about what happened to the scene in chicago and detroit.

Artists are sometimes releasing mix CDs and albums only because a label asks them to. Do I even have to ask you why arent you doing the same? And will there be any more CDs from you anyway, since the industry is slowly but surely going digital?

Yep, I have been asked to do ILT compilation this year, for me this makes a lot of sense because it will tie in with my radio show, and i have played very regularly at I Love Techno, I turn a lot of comps down though. I feel strange inbetween times and look forward to digital distibution being completely sorted, I’m not great at living in grey areas.

I read somewhere you worked in a classical record shop a long time ago. That was probably an interesting experience?

Yep, the snobbery was similar to then techno shops! But yes, it’s always good to dabble and learn different music.

I saw that topic on Discogs a while ago, with F. Bones. I was a bit suprised at first, but then again - why not? We are all flesh & blood and have a right to react when we think something is not right. Plus, you are already known to speak you mind, maybe the scene would be healthier today if more people would do the same, dont you think? Instead of pretending that everything and everyone is great. The only problem is, people then take you for a difficult / controversive / cynical or whatever person, although I dont think that bugs you a lot.

I was upset and felt betrayed, and yes I am human. The world would be a far easier and initially tougher place if people had the minerals to speak their mind, no one is right all the time but it’s far better to get a position than have to guess it and tread softly softly. I am a cynic and I can be difficult but I believe I am being honest and upfront.

Can you see yourself leaving the scene one day and getting involved in some, lets say, punk project? At least as a producer. Or maybe you might engage in politics, you’ve been talking about enviroment quite a lot in your interviews.

I have no idea, I would like to expand with my radio and events , I have an exciting project next year that involves classical music, as for politics, it’s far better to comment on them than be in the middle of bullshit city where diplomacy is a byword for spin and deception.

Now when we mentioned politics & enviroment, isnt it a bit sad when people see techno only as a dance music and nothing beyond that? Not many use it as a way to get their message out, some are even explicitly against that.

A large part of the people that are left making techno and playing it are very savvy politically, it’s not so about personal hedonism and oblivion like other scenes, I would far rather talk to a techno producer about politics than some trance nonce. outside the scene I can imagine people not getting to grips with it’s intellectual intent, but that is more to do with journalistic misinterpretation than anything else.

Can you reveal some of your future projects?

I will not under any circumstance move to Berlin despite the rumours that proliferate to the contary around me.

For the end, tell us something about yourself we’d never know otherwise.

I love fresh carrot juice with a touch of celery a few apples and some ginger.

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