How’s it going?: Dave Clarke

How are you doing and how are things going for you right now?

I’m ok, I saw this coming early Feb, asked governments to take action and cancel events via FB (because I’m sure they read my feed hahaha not) I was told by a few I am a lunatic, but now people do understand. I think travelling the world extensively for 25 years gives you an insight as to how politics happen, so this wasn’t a surprise. They should have locked down China instantly (not because of latent racism but common sense) but I think many people were hoping for it to “only” be Sars and that it would stay contained in Asia.

What are some of the key pieces of gear in your arsenal to help you stay active through this period, and why?

New Mac Pro, because it is absolutely awesome, so powerful and quiet. I bought some cheeky TC plug in controllers for FX, they are quite useful and my new rowing machine, managed to get the same one as in the gym, feels healthy.

What are your top 3 watches right now? Movies, TV shows, Documentaries. Anything.

Adored Picard, I know it splits peoples opinions, but thought it was well written. I’m saving the latest series of Altered Carbon for the darker days of lockdown and I enjoyed “Emma” precisely because it was not dystopian, there is too much of that in real life right now.

What’s your secret in staying productive and getting stuff done when you’re just at home all day?

Well I can still go to my studio as Lockdown is not severe here yet. It is hard to be productive at the beginning as I was mourning the change in life. But now I feel fully adjusted and fully functional again. Plus, I am really really really enjoying catching up with 25 years of lost sleep, waking up with the sun in the windows and the birds chirping, this was really needed.

What would your advice be to younger DJs/producers who are struggling to find a direction and feel a bit lost through this period?

Struggles are good for artistry, you now have something to say, to feel about. But please do not send me a 15 track banging techno album, think…… it will be some time before clubs will re-open, perhaps a few years before festivals approach 60 % of what has been, so be critical, finish off your projects but only send out the best track, keep the others back. My promo emails now amount to over 250 a week, with some of those 15 track albums being in there.

How do you think this period is going to impact the DJ community in the near future?

Well, the “community” of dj’ing (Techno, not Electro) dropped massively over the last few years, on the circuit it only became about money for a lot of people, guys lost in status and pretending to care about the environment. I honestly still love the music, but the scene, not really, very selfish, back stabbing, we started off by being against Apartheid and Racism and other political issues of the day and then it ended up very Thatcherite. So I hope this reset helps people re-centre. I see this virus having massive effect, RA’s “Save Our Scene” should have been called “Save the Hierarchy” there was no real concern for the customers, they presented an utterly childish understanding of how the economy works…….. The people that came to our gigs, a vast majority of them are now unemployed, if the economy comes back it will be different, there will not be the disposable income in which this industry relies on, priorities are about real world things now. If this takes over the whole of 2020 festivals will be smaller, less international acts, less international fans, clubbing happily should see a massive resurgence and a return to core values, I would also like to see “The Artisan DJ” . There are many many talented local dj’s and I hope that the scene supports them in the future. Also Social Media with all it’s fake aspirational plastic surgery bullshit may, just may, have a smaller impact on the scene. Every difficulty can provide exciting solutions and there are still lots of people with something to say musically…….so let’s support the mood of the unemployed, the bin collectors, shop workers, health staff with good music if they want it, but please no “pay streams!”