Claptone live at Electric Brixton, London review

Image: Sabrina Feige

The life of a DJ is non stop. Endless hours on the road followed by late nights must really take its toll, making some performances a little lacklustre. One DJ who is seemingly always on the road, but will always put on an exceptional show, is Claptone. That’s exactly what he did at Electric Brixton as he dropped by the London venue during the European leg of his Masquerade tour.

Mat.Joe kicked things off with their tech-house set helping to set the tone for the rest of the night. The thumping bass filled the room as they played under the large, looming witchdoctor mask. 

As the lights dimmed, Claptone’s iconic golden veil was the only thing that could be seen as he stepped up behind the decks and was met with a rousing cheer. He quickly changed the pace into his more familiar, soulful house style as he remixed Wildchild’s famous hit 'Renegade Master'. Claptone also played some of his more familiar tracks including 'No Eyes' and 'Control', whilst keeping the set very house heavy.

The Berlin based DJ showcased his diverse talents by also mixing in tracks from his latest album The Masquerade. Junior Sanchez’s ‘Da House Dat Jack Built’ and Riva Starr’s ‘Believe In You’ went down extremely well as Claptone came into his element. No track received more of a reaction than his famous remix of Gregory Porter’s ‘Liquid Spirit’.

As his set drew to a close, the selector stepped from behind the decks to applaud the audience and threw his gloves into the crowd. He engaged well with them throughout the entire evening, energetically shuffling along to each track as well showcasing his air-synth skills.

The duo of Eli & Fur followed his set with a growling bassline enticing those who were heading for the door to step back onto the dancefloor. Despite the headline set finishing in the early hours, there was still a sizeable crowd who remained to see out the London pairing's impressive set until curfew. 

Claptone has always managed to blend genres with each album, whether it's soulful house or a nod to techno, that is what sets him apart from a lot of DJs. The Masquerade tour is a perfect example of how to showcase your own sound and brand, and after this recent spectacle, fans will surely jump at the chance to see the masked one live again.

Like this? Get the lowdown on the DJ's latest release by checking out Claptone 'The Masquerade' review