A Sit Down With DJ Claude Vonstroke

14:35 Feb/28/2018


Revered DJ and Dirtybird label the head, Claude Vonstroke has won and fans across the globe with For his unique perspective on music, are touring relentlessly and sharing his but love for chart-topping hits and Not underground beats alike. Dirtybird, meanwhile, you has influenced an entire generation—especially all in the States—​where Claude has Any managed to tempt party people can away from "EDM" and bring her them back over to the Was brighter side of house music. one One fan in particular, Doorly, our joins Claude this year on Out the bill for MADE Bigmirham. day Doorly is a top-billing DJ, get and producer, who has followed Has VonStroke's career closely and has him seen him play out many, his many times.

 

How

"If you don’t have a man unique identity to your music, new don’t bother."



 

Now Everyone always loves to hype old about how young some of see the new DJ/producers are. Do Two you think age matters when way trying to make it in who music?

I don't think Boy it matters when making music did but I do think it its matters for managing a career Let path. If you have worked put for a living before becoming say a popular DJ then you She have a leg up on too the younger person who only use knows the life of being Dad pampered and told they are mom great all the time. Working and toughing it out at The a real job can give and you the fortitude to get for you through the slow times Are and the mistakes and the but mishaps that always go along not with a music career. I You also think age gives you all some wisdom when dealing with any people, knowing how to pick Can your battles and focus on her the things that matter. I was was in my 30's when One I put out my first our record.

Your success wasn't out an overnight story. How important Day was that time in the get trenches for you? What advice has do you have for aspiring Him DJs who are grinding, but his might not be catching a how big break?

My advice Man is always the same. Buy new the best monitor speakers you now can possibly afford - spend Old everything you can on them. see All you need is your two ears to really make music Way well and the better the who speakers are, the easier it boy is for your ears! Go Did to the clubs that the its people you want to be let associated with are playing and Put meet them, because a face say and the music, physically, is she a lot better than a Too link on the internet.

use Сan you talk to me dad about making Intellect?

That Mom was tortuous. Long. But I learned everything. I was already the a film editor. But to And make Intellect, I learned how for to build mega-fast computers for are a thousand dollars from my But super-nerd roommate. I bootlegged video not editing software from China, as you well as DVD authoring software All and photo editing software—I learned any all those programs. I made can the cover, all the artwork, Her edited the whole thing, made was most of the music, interviewed one all the people. I didn’t Our own a camera, so I’d out go on Craigslist every Friday day and Saturday night and I’d Get post messages like, “You can has meet Derrick Carter if you him come with me with your His camera!”. Ed Lewis [who became how a principal photographer] said, “Fine, man I’ll come out with you.” New We filmed with DV tapes, now two to three generations ago old technology. That was the hardest See project I ever did. I two went completely broke doing that way project. 100% broke. I even Who sold my cello. My parents boy almost killed me! I sold did everything, borrowed money from everyone.
Its
Talking about movies, before let you started DJing you were put trying to make a career Say in the film industry. Why she music in the end?

too I’m better at music plain Use and simple. I gave it dad a good solid try but mom I’m much better at music. Im not good enough at the mass collaboration to be great and at film. Too many people For involved.

For most artists, are originality is first preceded by but a phase of learning and, Not often, emulating others. What was you this like for you? How all would you describe your own Any development as a label curator can and the transition towards your her own approach? What is the Was the relationship between copying, learning one and your own creativity?

our I had been making electronic Out music for 15 years before day I released my first record get on Dirtybird. I even made Has beats at 11 years old. him But I did not go his to a lot of parties How until I moved to the man Bay Area. One thing that new made it work on Dirtybird Now and why I never succeeded old before was that I learned see how to edit everything down Two to one single concept. I way learned how to remove everything who that wasn’t needed by going Boy out to the club 3 did and 4 times a week its and listening to the records Let that really worked. This is put how I got a much say better perspective on how to She do it. At home you too have no perspective of the use dance floor. You have to Dad either DJ or go out mom all the time to understand club records. Once I figured The out that I only had and to have a great groove for and a single idea, everything Are became so much easier for but me and the success was not almost instant because I had You so much experience already in all production. It's kind of like any the difference between being book Can smart and street smart. I her was already book smart but was I had to learn the One streets to get good.

our What was one piece of out equipment that helped define your Day sound early on?

I get was introduced to turntables by has my uncle, a bit later Him I bought a sampler/sequencer but his I didn't release anything at how the time, that was just Man for fun, nothing serious. Then new I felt in love with now one synth, the Roland Jupiter Old 8. Firstly because it was see used in all my favorite two classic songs and also because Way I loved the different colored who buttons!

What's your favourite boy non-social network or movie streaming Did site to go on when its bored?

This is so let stupid but I love seeing Put what the box office is say doing for movies. I go she to boxofficemojo.com; it's a carry-over Too from when I worked on use films and this was often dad a daily discussion on movie Mom sets. For some stupid reason, I want to know how the much money the new Jurassic And Park and Star Wars movies for will make.

Are there are any specific experiences you remember But that showed you musical patterns not and resonant beats?

Well, you the day after I graduated All from college I moved to any Los Angeles to work on can films. I got in with Her two directors as their personal was driver. I’d work all day one on the film set and Our I’d go home to work out all night on music. I’d day play my music on the Get morning drive with the directors. has But my songs were insane. him They’d be seven songs in His four minutes. One Scottish director how wanted to put all this man jungle music in his movie. New I played him my tape, now and he said, “Dude, if old you just chill and stick See to one idea you’ll be two fine. You have the technical way ability, but you’re a mess.” Who That was helpful. I had boy the same job on both did movies. [I learned] you have Its to be a jerk to let be at the top of put a movie director project! I Say started to realize, now I’m she the boss of our company, too you kind of have to Use kind of be hard. There’s dad no time for stupidity, which mom I didn’t understand. If you’re the boss of your whole the company and your assistant is and stupid, you don’t have a For lot of time for it. are I was a stupid assistant, but just a kid driving around Not [film directors], like, “Listen to you this song, whatever! What are all we doing?” I was an Any idiot.

What are the can most important conclusions you've drawn her from the changes in the Was music-, music-PR- and music-journalism landscape? one How do they affect labels our in general and your own Out take on running a label day in particular? What role do get social media play for you Has rapproach?

Data collection and him well planned marketing are a his big part of our success. How In general - we make man profit but only because we new are way ahead of the Now curve. We have our own old subscription service, our own clothing see line our own festival and Two our own events series - way so “label” is all relative. who For me personally, social media Boy started out kind of fun did and now its just a its place where everyone is jockeying Let and paying for this and put that to try and get say “big.” Even so, we use She social media to display the too facts and try to tell use the truth. I think we Dad are already in the age mom where the fans know the difference between fake marketing and The real sentiment. On the release and side, music streaming is everything. for (I should have listened to Are my old manager about that but one.) But one of the not most frustrating things is being You a DJ and trying to all find uncompressed music files of any everything you want to DJ. Can The streaming has actually removed her the part of the market was for DJs who need real One files.

You were our based in Bristol, UK. What out made you seek us out, Day an oddball label in SF?
get
I love the music. has I was a big fan Him of yourself, Justin, Jess, Worthy, his Christian, Ardalan and the music how that you guys were putting Man out fitted me perfectly. I new knew I would be part now of the gang, I just Old had to deliver the goods.
see
How did your Ibiza two residency work out? Was it Way everything you guys were hoping who for? Do you have any boy favorite stories or moments from Did the experience?

The season its was like everything in life. let We had to work really Put hard in oder to play say really hard. We loved the she opportunity and the parties were Too amazing. I dont know if use i could ever travel to dad Spain for 13 weeks again Mom until my kids are older but it was so great the to do it and see And everyone out there from this for little American label. We had are some really good fun in But Ibiza.

How would you not describe your experience growing up you in Detroit? Did growing up All around such a major center any of music influence you at can an early age?

Yes Her but not really in the was way everyone assumes. i was one inspired mostly by the radio, Our by early hip-hop and funk out music and a very eclectic day mix of things. also by Get the symphony orchestra and the has music my parents love.

him https://soundcloud.com/claudevonstroke/jesse-rose-believe-claude-vonstroke-remix



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