Four Over Four had the chance to sit down with UK techno DJ Will Clarke before his Schimanski show in April and before he played at Coachella on the Do LaB stage.
You can view the interview in its entirety here or read the full transcript below.
What drove your initial interest in music?
I’ve always been into music. It’s kind of a standard thing like always brought up around music with family.
My brother was the first person to introduce me to house music when I was around six or seven and it’s just started from there, really. Especially around my area from where I’m from, there’s been a lot of people in drum and bass and hard dance. I never wanted to do drum and bass. I was like kind of anti-hard dance and all that. I was kind of a neighborhood rebellion so I went to college and when everyone wanted to write drum and bass just stuck to techno.
What’s the best part about touring?
I think just being able to play in so many different venues. I’m super lucky to be able to travel the world, but you don’t really see much of the world because you’re in a city for like six to twelve hours and then you’re in an airport. So I think the amazing thing is just being able to go to a club and make people happy – it’s the best feeling ever.
Do you have a favorite tour or travel story?
There’s loads. There’s always the crazy nights, like I’d played in Miami a few weeks ago we did six shows in three days, and then had to fly somewhere, then we went to Australia – it’s always crazy traveling that much.
I think one of the most crazy times occurred when me and Kill Frenzy were on tour in Australia, and we were playing in Brisbane. Then our flight got canceled to Melbourne, where we were supposed to be playing at a place called Revolver. Revolver is really famous place in Melbourne that just goes on all weekend. It doesn’t stop until Monday morning.
We ended up getting flights to Melbourne, landing at 12 [PM] in the afternoon when we were supposed to play at 1 [PM], and we were only scheduled to play like an hour each, but we ended up playing for eight or nine hours back to back. That means we got into the club when it was light and left when it was pitch black. It was fucking crazy, people were like climbing onto the ceiling. It was just mental – I think that was one of those days where like sometimes you don’t particularly want to play.
Sometimes you’re like “I just want to sleep like I just want to get some shut eye,” and that was one of those days. We hadn’t slept all night, and we had a long flight, and then when we got there wanted to only play for an hour and leave, but the energy was so contagious we stayed.
How’s working with the Dirtybird team and Claude VonStroke? Has it helped push your career forward?
One hundred percent, Claude and the Dirtybird crew are like family. I would definitely be successful if it wasn’t for them because I’d make sure I was, but they are one hundred percent the biggest reason why I’m successful. They’re amazing. It’s just like having family in music. I love them.
What’s next?
I’ve just had a release come out on [unintelligible] music, which is with me and Bot called Techno Not Techno that’s doing the rounds at the moment. I’ve got another three weeks left on tour, playing in New York on Thursday, then Friday Reno, Saturday Coachella, Saturday night Exchange in L.A., and then next week I don’t even know.
I get back to England on the seventh of May, and then got a couple weeks in the studio there. Then I’m back out here for a mini-tour.
I have another release coming out on Dirtybird which is a collaboration between me and Shiba San, so kind of following up from our track last year. I have a release coming out on Green Velvet’s label. I’m super excited to be part of his label as well as Dirtybird. It’s going to be my first release on there which is actually a collaboration between me and [unintelligible] and [unintelligible]. Then summer, meaning summer gigs, and insanity. There’s more releases in the distance and remixes.
Anything else?
No, let’s party!
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