Claptone has become one of the most beloved names in the dance music space, having produced countless bangers, including No Eyes, Heartbeat, and that well-known remix of Liquid Spirit by the legendary singer-songwriter Gregory Porter. In our latest catch up, Claptone joined us for an interview to talk about his record label Golden Recordings, and his Ibiza residency.
Firstly, how are you?
I’m well! I just had a very strong coffee and two crumpets – so feeling surprisingly british.
You’ve recently announced your moving your Ibiza residency of ‘The Masquerade to Amnesia. Are you excited?
Excited is an understatement! This year I think The Masquerade is going to be greater than ever as we take over the Terrace between the 25th June and the 17th August. I am bringing back some of my favourite past guests from Solardo to Purple Disco Machine to Groove Armada to Paul Woolford to Hugel to Hannah Wants – to name just a few! Alongside this, I am excited to invite new guests to the season making their The Masquerade debut on the island including a DJ set by the Brit award winning band Jungle, Eats Everything, Boys Noize and Arielle Free as well as over 20+ exclusive B2Bs across the season! I have also seen the amazing production plans, the incredible dancers and of course we are joined by HE.SHE.THEY. in the main room too. I am sure we are going to bring something quite different to Tuesday nights on the white isle and nights certainly not to be missed!
You’ve been touring worldwide, and you’re next coming to the UK for a show at London’s amazing new venue Drumsheds. Are you excited for the show and to be back in London?
It’s always great to visit the UK – especially if I can get some fish and chips before my set or some good sushi. Last time I was in the UK, I had a deep fried mars bar and let’s just say I was not convinced but always good to try new things! Only downside to London is the weather…as long as I remember to pack my umbrella to stop my nose from getting wet we should be good!
Well, last time I played Drumsheds it was for the sold out Elrow show and I must say it was an experience – UK crowds go hard and I love that – last time a group of girls had written ‘WE LOVE YOU CLAPTONE’ across their foreheads and stood in a row at the front which made me laugh! So, I can’t wait to be back for Our House on the 27th April supporting my good friends James Hype and Meduza – I am sure it is going to be a brilliant show.
What’s one thing you think the music industry should do better?
Where do I begin? I think greater inclusivity, variety and diversity. It’s great to see more women DJs coming through as the gender balance in the industry has always not been great but would be brilliant to see even greater diversity for sure. Something I think HE.SHE.THEY are doing a great job at promoting.
Also a pet peeve is plastic – there is plastic everywhere! My rider is completely plastic-free and it would be great to see all DJs adopt this so we can reduce our impact on the environment.
You launched your record label, Golden Recordings, not too long ago. What was the motivation for the label?
We’ve always been driven by house music and we wanted to be able to support house music releasing DJs whether big or small have a great outlet. It is always a dream for an artist to have their own label and release what really makes them tick. For example, when I first heard CASSIMM’s ‘Love Desire’, the first track released on the label that wasn’t my own, I knew it was going to be great and it has seen incredible success! Just last week I heard Diplo play ‘Love Desire’ from the green room at The Masquerade Madrid and it always makes me smile! Within the first year, we were the third biggest house label releasing on Beatport and we just want to keep growing it with music that you can’t help but dance to but also stays true to me as a DJ that I would play in a set!
Are you planning to sign any new artists to the label? If so, are there any names you’d love to have on?
Always! We just released our second non-Claptone release on the label ‘La Murga’ by Tony Cortez and have a third due this summer! To be honest, the name is not really the first thing I look for when demos come through. I am looking for the music to send an impulse through me to make me dance! Once, that has been achieved – I try out the music in my sets and see if my audiences agree with me.
If you could give any advice to up-and-coming music producers who are starting out, what would it be?
It’s probably the most cliched answer but it’s the reason why everyone says it… keep going, but only if you love it and are really passionate about music. Perfect your craft in the studio – if you want to be a touring international DJ you need to be able to produce and have a handful of good releases to your name to build on, work on your mixing and transitions to be crisp but also make sure you’re having fun while you do it. There can be no denying it is a hard industry to crack, just keep your head down. Despite how social media might picture it, there is no such thing as overnight success – those people will have been grafting for years behind the scenes. But hey! If you think you’re on to a winning track send it to [email protected]!