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TheBeatRanch.com - Interviews - Mr Clarke


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Starting off our May interviews we have Mr. Clarke.

Worcester, UK is well known for its "Lea & Perrins Worcester Sauce", its tasty sauce is great in a wide range of dishes, however what it should be known for is its even tastier hard house tracks, courtesy of Mr Clarke. Having releases on major labels such as Deprivation, Kaktai, Madcow, Tinrib, Tidy, Twisted Filth, Spin Hard, Toolbox, Tonka Trax and Spinball to name a few, Mr Clarke has really cooked up a storm in hard house.

Now with out any further ado, Mr. Clarke

Welcome to The Beat Ranch, Mr Clarke. Thank you for taking your time out to do this interview and mix for us. This being your first time here, can you give us a bit of your background. Where are you from and what is the scene like out there at the moment?

Yeah sure, parents met each other, had a little fiddle and out I popped, was born with ginger hair and before my mum could say “send him back” it all fell out.

I’m based in Worcester in the West Midlands, UK. Where the Lea & Perrins sauce comes from, excellent for cheese on toast. Started getting into the scene in the late 90’s, Dj’d a little then started producing on Music 2000 with me mate Sam Hudson. We then moved onto Reason, a little bit later Jukesy tapped-up Sam and took him to Colin Barratt’s for shits and giggles and Masmada was born. One day Sam couldn’t make the booking so I went up with Adam and I made my first proper track “Demons” which came out on Deprivation Limited.

After that I got the bug and self-taught myself, but I did still want to learn off the pro’s so when I got the chance I went up to Alex Calver’s and in the end we 4 tracks together, “Rabid”, “Bush N Chips”, “Roadrunner” and “Take Control”, the guys a genius. A couple of years ago me and Sam got back together and entered a remix competition toe remix “You Ain’t Winnin” on Kaktai, imagine my surprise at work when Oz rang up and told me we’d won, you couldn’t take the smile off my face, most of my work colleagues thought I had wind!!!

Then I found out Dom had moved to within half an hour of me and soon got on the case with some studio bookings, weve made some (IMO) really good tracks together and he’s taught me a lot, the most important being how to create obscure track names!!!

Last year myself, Sam Hudson and Flymo decided to create our own label to release our own tracks plus others we really like. We have had a fair amount of releases between us both on Vinyl and CD formats plus downloads, so we thought now was the time to do our own thing. It took a while to setup but now I think were in the right groove to put out solid releases on a regular basis.

The scene is the scene, a lot of bitching and moaning but that’s what we do innit. If nobody moaned and stuck to the rules the world would be a boring place.

How long ago did you get into clubbing?

I started when I was 16/17, I left school after G.C.S.E’s and started a modern apprenticeship in Engineering, during my first year’s “off the job” training I met some guys who were into “proper rocking” and they invited me out with them. We went to the Crystal Rooms in Hereford, and my first ever night out I saw the late TDV play, I pretty much knew then and there that I wanted to be him lol. We went to the same club every month and I saw the likes of Andy Farley, Scott Bond, Jon “OO” Fleming, Jon the Dentist etc before they made it as it were, they were used more as warm-up DJ’s back then.

What came first for you DJing or Production?

Djing, I got my first set of decks second hand when I was about 17/18. They were the shittest belt drives ever, but the guy I bought them off slipped in some vinyls so I could practise with, I spotted a few Adam Beyer tracks which was pretty cool.

Do you remember your first record that you bought, and if so do you still have it?

I think it was Paul Van Dyk “For An Angel”, and yes I still have it and still love the E-Werk club mix of it, but you really want to know about Hard House right? Well I believe it was OD404 – Ninebar, still have it.

What was the last record you bought?

Hmm, hold on a sec I’ll just check my orders on Banging Tunes. It was the Sexy Future EP on Patterns by Elton D and Snoo. I only really by techno on vinyl these days, and only from BT!!!

Whats been your favorite event to play at in the last year?

Um, to be honest I’ve only played at one event in the last year, so it will have to be that one. The BT night in Peterborough, from what I can remember it was a pretty decent night, and definitely good fun to meet a lot of like-minded ppl.

Do you have any gigs coming up that people should know about?

In a word, no!!

Can you give us a run-down of your studio?

Yup, a PC I bought from Inta-Audio a while ago, with Reason 4, Recycle and Sound Forge 8 I think. Loads of samples, accapellas etc. Shocking I know, but I’m currently investing in an Imac/Logic setup very soon, just need to finish off my 3rd bedroom/studio room in my house.

Whats your favorite VST or Plug-in that you couldn't live without?

Glades are good for getting rid of the smell of weed.

Who or what have been your production influences?

The usual crowd, OD404, Equinox, Paul Maddox, Paul Janes, Paul King, Karim, TDV, RR Fierce etc. Outside the world of Hard House I would say the Prodigy, Daft Punk, Herve, Aphex Twin, Squarepusher, BT, Umek, Cave, Boriqua Tribez, Elton D, Carl Falk etc etc, I could go on!!!

You have had releases on labels such as Spin Hard, Toolbox, Tonka Trax, Spinball and your new label Slave 7, What can people expect from Slave 7 in the coming months?

You forgot to mention Deprivation, Kaktai, Madcow, Tinrib, Tidy, Twisted Filth etc lol. Na for Slave 7 we have a few exciting projects coming up. Next up, just doing the promos and getting really good feedback is triple header from Dom Sweeten in the form of Dom Sweeten Vs Episode 1 – 1. Tomcat Vs Ambre Solaire (me and Linear off BT) – Factor 5, 2. Is a Scott Foshaw remix of Factor 5, 3. Base Grafitti Vs Mr Clarke – Baseline Biscotti. Then we have a Flymo E.P. 4 quality tracks from the laziest producer in Swindon, very nice synthage if I must say so myself. Also lined up is an E.P from newcomer Jon Fisher, a couple of quality techier tracks with a remix from Neal Thomas (who seems to be doing very well lately). I’ve also got Amp Attack lined up for an E.P. later on in the year which I’m very excited about, these guys rock!!! Also we have Dom Sweeten Vs Episode 2 to squeeze in at some point with a cracking producer lined-up for remix. That’s enough for now!!!

What is your top tune of all time, and what tunes are doing it for you at the moment?

That’s a very difficult question to answer, purely on the fact it changes depending on the mood. Currently it’s Dyewitness – What Would You Like To Hear Again – Ian M Trade remix, I’ve been going through some old records for ideas recently and this track has stayed on the deck.

Tracks doing it for me at the mo… obviously the Slave 7 ones, as a guy who doesn’t get sent many tracks (or find cd’s on the floor outside clubs in Brum) all the new tracks I hear are through online mixes, so instead of tracks I’ll just say everything I’ve heard recently on Rodi’s show, Farley’s show, the Hard Eire shows etc.

When you are not djing or producing, what do you like to do for fun?

Getting pissed whilst watching football and boxing, food.. I like food. Also Tiger Woods ’09 on the Wii is rocking, although I’m always getting out the sandwich..wedge. Big fan of comedy in all guises, sitcom, stand-up etc, hated US comedy until they remade the Office, Carell is class. Most of time is spent doing-up my house which I bought for about 20% more than it’s worth now, cheers to the banks!!! Oh and going to festivals, I’m booked up for my 4th Glastonbury in a row this year, plus I’m off to the 10th Birthday of Exit in Novi-Sad, the line-up is outstanding!!

Any last words?

That’s what she said!!!