CLAPTONE IS COMING TO ABU DHABI THIS NOVEMBER

You've managed to maintain one of electronic music's most recognisable identities for years. Does wearing the mask give you a sense of freedom that other DJs don't have?

There’s definitely a sense of freedom in the sense that the mask removes the element of celebrity; the focus isn’t on the person but on the music and the experience that creates. It’s also a lot easier travelling to and from shows! 
 

Your sound has always balanced underground house music with more accessible, melodic records. How has your musical taste evolved over the years, and what excites you in the studio today?

My roots are very much in underground house music but I’ve never wanted to put myself in one particular box. That’s one of the reasons why I prefer releasing in an album format - it’s the equivalent of completing a chapter in a novel. Wanderer, for example, has a lot of indie pop influences which, for me, resonated best with the meaning behind the album. Of course, you then get to work on other projects, such as remixes, that are accessible and also help to create a lot of big dancefloor moments - and that’s exciting as well because it’s more of a collaborative process and adding to a world that someone else has already created. Ultimately, it’s all about storytelling!

The UAE's electronic music scene has exploded in recent years, attracting some of the world's biggest artists and brands. How do you see the emirates position on the global clubbing map?

The UAE has definitely become a very exciting destination for electronic music and it’s been interesting to watch its own ‘season’ take shape in the winter months. I think the next step is developing its local identity in tandem with the bigger names, so that the UAE is not just a destination for international artists but somewhere that shapes the electronic music scene. 

You've played everywhere from intimate underground clubs to massive festival stages. Which environment brings out the best in Claptone, and why?

Now that’s a difficult question to answer! For me, it’s not actually about the size of the room but the energy inside it. Having said that, you’re a lot more aware of every single person in a more intimate space… so you could say that it’s higher risk, higher rewards.

Your Masquerade events have become a globally recognised concept. What makes a truly memorable Masquerade party, beyond the music?

A truly memorable Masquerade party is when all the different elements blend to create their own entity. That means the music, the production,  dancers, and the theatrics - they form their own world that you can completely lose yourself in. You should remember the sense of freedom from being part of that world, even if only for one night.

Electronic music is arguably more commercially successful than ever, but do you think something is being lost as the scene becomes bigger and more mainstream?

There’s always a danger that when something becomes commercially successful, the business starts taking priority over the music - but I don’t think that’s a particularly new or groundbreaking concept. Commercial success and artistic integrity can coexist especially when there’s a bigger space or better a universe full of all shapes of electronic music. The underground grows as well. There’s an analog resurgence of people wanting to enjoy music or go to the party for the love of it, not recording every moment for social media or because you think it’s the place to be seen. As long as the artists still love making and playing the music, and the crowd love experiencing that, then it’s very hard to extinguish that passion and the soul of the scene.