It’s only April and it has already been a fantastic year for the Bristol based Will Clarke. After his DIRTYBIRD introduction early in the year when “Badness” was given a coveted spot on DIRTYBIRD 10, Will Clarke returned last month with his debut EP on the venerated label, The Boogie Woogie. Melding the bass of Bristol with the refined house of Ibiza, Will Clarke has found his place amongst the DIRTYBIRD crew. This week, we were able to catch up to Will Clarke for an interview and an exclusive mix just for EARMILK. Check them both out below and pick up a copy of The Boogie Woogie on Beatport today!
EARMILK: With this being your second release on Dirtybird, how does it feel to be working with such a venerated label?
Will Clarke: Its a great feeling to finally be recognised as an artist from my favourite label in the world also working along side some artist that have inspired from very early stages of my production life.
EM: The Dirtybird crew are known for collaborating with each other. Who is one Dirtybird artist you would like to work with in the future?
WC: I don’t think I can say just one really there are three and thats Claude, Justin and Kill Frenzy literally every release these lads do is untouchable.
EM: How did your interest in dance music start at such a young age?
WC: Ive always been brought up around music with my parents being avid music listeners but it was when my brother showed me a ‘Dance 95’ CD that got me hooked i think i was around 8 or 9, from then on my dad would take me to see Faithless live and we would go watch Fatboy Slim, Chemical Brothers etc at Glastonbury festival. By the age of 12 i knew what i wanted to do and learnt how to DJ.
EM: How did growing up in Bristol, with its roots in bass music, influence your music?
WC: Its always a funny question that as Bristol when i was growing up was going through the dubstep period and if I’m honest thats one style of music i was never in to. Also all of my mates i grew up with would listen to D’n’B so I would just rebel and listen to house trying to convert all my mates in to house heads hahaha. As i got older i started to enjoy the drum n bass scene but would never really go out to club nights i would stick to the house scene. Although i do think with Bristol being the bass capital of the UK maybe even the world, it has defiantly influenced me to make more bass driven house.
P.S. I did convert my mates, it just took time.
EM: Getting a residency in Ibiza at only 17 is no small feat, how did that come about?
WC: Yeah its kind of crazy if you say it like that, my first gig in ibiza was when i was 15/16 i can’t really remember i was asked to play a cool little bar called Hush from Sam Divine from defected however this was before her Defected days. I used to buy my records from her in the local record shop. Anyway the year after i moved out there for 2 months to network my ass off and be that annoying kid that would ask to play everywhere. However it seemed to have paid off about a month before i was planning to go out there the following year I got an email to offer me the residency. It was crazy really looking back, still some of the best memories of my life are from those days.
EM: For your new EP, what was the inspiration for the vocals on "The Goog?”
WC: Hmmm I’m trying to think of some amazing answer for this one but there really isn’t haha. Probably about 7 years ago my piano teacher at the time was given stack load of old sample CD’s dating back to the 90’s and she didn’t have a clue what to do with them so gave them to me. Not so long a go i loaded them all in to computer and spent days just hunting through crappy old school samples. However I found a few gems and this was one of them… Winner winner chicken dinner.
EM: You've said that you have a new EP coming out on Dirtybird in the future. Can you tell us anything about it?
WC: I was talking with Barclay (Claude VonStroke) the other day and I did have a single ready which we were both stoked about but we’ve decided to hold back on that one so I can’t really give you any more information apart from I have a stack load of tracks that are being cooked up in the studio. Also some very interesting remixes that will be circulating very very soon.
EM: Who are a few of your current musical inspirations?
WC: I think outside of the Dirtybird crew, I love listening to Green Velvet, Tiga, DJ Deeon, DJ Slugo but also love listening to other genres outside of House/Techno. For the last couple of years I’ve been loving what London Grammar have been doing.
EM: Where is one place in the world you have wanted to play but have not yet had the opportunity?
WC: Ooooo thats a tough one when there are so many, however i think BPM festival in Mexico that place looks unreal, and I love the idea of loads of parties dotted about the place that just go on for days.
WIll Clarke
Dirtybird Mix [EARMILK Exclusive]
- 16-04-2015
