Clarke Life

Dave Clarke is one of the hardest working, most widely traveled and influential DJs around. Renowned for his unique take on techno Djing and the groundbreaking Red trilogy, Clarke is also one of dance music's most colourful characters. Outspoken, straight talking and at times refreshingly honest, his refusal to play the game has marked him as a moody outsider.
The reality is that Clarke wants no truck with the back-slapping mentality of his peers. He prefers to bring his hip-hop influenced techno sets to a worldwide audience and is as comfortable discussing the intricacies of EU trade as the new DJ Rush 12". While we await his second album, the follow up to 1996's Archive One, Clarke has provided us with the 'Fuse' mix CD, a document of his dizzying, whirlwind decks skills.

You've become busier DJing, but apart from a few remixes for the likes of Underworld, Leftfield, DJ Rush and Christopher Just, your own releases have been few and far between. What's happened?
"I can't talk about it in its entirety right now, because I'm still trying to sort it out. Basically, Bush, my old label, didn't pay me for the work I'd done for them, and I had to issue legal proceedings against them. I recently won my case against them, but believe me, it wasn't the best circumstances to start making my new album under. At the same time, it feels like I've had a giant shit and now I can run again. I can't even begin to tell you how good it feels."
You're often portrayed as the unapproachable 'Moody Baron Of Techno'. Do you think it's an unfair image?
"I'm not moody, it's just a lack of sleep and too much time spent in British Airways departure lounges. If I seem unfriendly, it's because it takes me a while to warm to people. I've got to cut through the bullshit that most DJs come out with. I can appreciate it if someone is genuinely trying to be friendly towards me, but most of the time I'm faced with friendliness that immediately smacks of 'you're my friend, now where can you take my career'. When I get close to someone, I'll help them if they need help, that's what friendship is about: being there for your friends when they really need you, which is completely different to the kind of self-seeking bullshit most people in my profession throw at you."
The UK dance scene has become subsumed by trance lite or disco house over the last year, yet you still spin uncompromising techno sets, documented on the new 'Fuse' CD. Ever feel like you're on a bit of a mission?
"I'm definitely not workshy, and believe me, after what I've been through, DJing is far less hassle than recording! I'll play anywhere people will have me, because I get a massive buzz out of DJing and playing decent music. I play an electro set, which is like my alternative, jazz set, but in the main I still play techno because it's still challenging music, whereas DJing trance is like tipping your toes into the depths of hell.
"There's a serious misconception about techno, that people don't want to hear it anymore. Maybe that's the case in the UK, but on the continent it's still the most popular form of dance music. Anyway, even if trance is the music of the moment, do you really think there's only room for one McDonalds and no a la carte restaurants in a town?
Ironically, trance evolved from techno during the early nineties, but it hasn't progressed at all since then. Techno is constantly moving forward. I listen to new records by producers like Joey Beltram or Juan Atkins and they still blow my mind. These guys have been making music for nearly twenty years and they still sound great. Do you really think we'll be able to say the same about today's trance producers in ten years time?"
You used to have an obsession with extremely fast cars. Do you still let off steam in the same way?
"I used to hare around the countryside at 250 miles per hour, until I nearly got myself and my wife killed one day. I might re-kindle my passion for cars when I'm fifty, but at the moment, I'm concentrating on my radio show and my website (www.daveclarke.com), which is the best way of keeping tabs on where I'm playing. I also love using e-mail as a means of communication, it's the most direct way of contacting me."
Finally, you're also known for your anti-drug stance. Isn't that slightly hypocritical given that most of the people who go to hear you play take E?
"I think people take drugs in clubs because of the poor quality of most of the DJs, who have failed to entertain them. It means people can't hear the music properly, but hey, it looks better!
I reckon Ecstasy was developed by the government, they allowed it to become widespread in inner city, deprived areas, to stop riots and general unrest. How many fights do you see when people are E'd up? The government probably feels that if they can't educate then they should sedate, and E is a great way of controlling people. I experienced it in Brighton, where people would become completely introverted, paranoid and unable to communicate after a few years of E abuse.
Maybe I should write a book about it or run for Parliament to stop it, but I couldn't really be bothered. The backstabbing would be far worse than the industry I work in at the moment!" n
* Dave Clarke Presents: 'Fuse' is out now on Music Man.