Claude VonStroke Interview

Image: Tim Jones

The Bugged Out Weekender is crammed to the rafters with top tier electronic talent, and with the clubbing institution celebrating their twentieth anniversary this year with a selection of DJs and live acts adding to a superior aural experience. We recently shared a misty eyed look back at the clubnight's heritage and will be in attendance at the three day shebang living it large - there's still tickets left if you fancy joining us.

Ahead of the party we spoke with one of the stars of the show, the irrepressible Claude VonStroke (listen to his Essential mix form November 2013 above). As the brains behind the San Francisco record label Dirtybird alongside Justin Martin, the duo and their label have been at the forefront of the more fun side of house music, injecting oddball sounds and samples into the ridges of their beats.

VonStroke will be bringing that groove heavy manifesto to Southport on March, so before hand we caught him waxing lyrical about the Golden Gate parties in his hometown, his excitement at Killfrenzy's production output and the joys of having nice guy Martin around for him.

Are you looking forward to playing the Bugged Out Weekender? What can we expect from your appearance there?

Is there going to be carpet on the dance floor? Is there going to be beer? Then hell yes!!

How do you find playing in the UK?

I love it. The UK has embraced the dirtybird sound more than any other place outside of America.

What do you think makes a great DJ set? How do you approach them?

A great DJ set is subjective by the end user. There are several styles of Djing from chopping it up to smooth transitions. Playing distinct songs over playing a "vibe" all night.  It really depends on the state of the audience. What do they want to hear at that place at that time. If you can get close to that then it is a good set.

DirtyBird has become increasingly pivotal in the underground climate. How do you think yourself and Justin Martin have achieved this?

Justin has achieved it on the production end and honestly sometimes his loving personality is the glue that keeps the family together. Since I do the label I can tend to be abrasive and not as endearing to the crew simply because I have to make hard decisions and say no to people a lot.  

There is another level of stress that I deal with that the rest of the crew doesn't have to think about. So it's very nice having someone like Justin who can just be an artist and the good guy with everyone. It makes the whole dirtybird family more appealing especially when I'm in a mood!  

The label's success comes down to a bunch of little nuances and pieces of the puzzle like this. I pick out the best tracks I can find and the best art I can find, Stacey puts it all together and releases it with our label team. Justin and the rest of the crew play the music and bring the good vibes out to the world as DJ ambassadors of the label and that is basically the system for our success. 

Was there a moment early in your life when you realised that your future lied in dance music? Was there a particular record that made you realise this?

There was a moment when I realized I wanted to be in dance music but that was very, very far away from the moment I knew I could do it for a job. The two points are so far apart and the amount of work that had to be done to get from one to the other was more than anyone could imagine.  

I've said this before but the record that struck me in house and techno was always 'Percolator' by Cajmere (below) . Its the first time I heard someone really cool who was smiling at the party through their music. That dynamic is extremely rare and something I still aspire to. It's such a fine line.

Are there any artists that have really caught your attention recently?

I think Killfrenzy is on a roll at least from the stuff he's been giving me and his level of commitment. He will make it. There are a lot of up and comers. Every 12-18 months it seems like we bring through a monster track or a monster artist. I think we are a great incubator of new talent.

I love singing people's first or second records and then watching them blow up. Even if they don't stay with the crew and they go on to do other stuff i think its amazing to have a platform for new music like this and to never be tied down to anyone. I treat the newest demos with respect - even if I never heard of you I will listen to it. 

 What does the future hold for yourself? Are there any upcoming releases/gigs that have you particularly excited?

yeah I'm working with a couple people it's so exciting but i'm not going to jinx it.  I have a new track on Jaw's album out in May on Circus Company. I have a bunch of remixes coming as well.

And finally, Dream situation time... you can go back to any period in clubland history, and play at any club. Who would you have playing alongside you and what tune would you drop that would define the evening?

Honestly I would just go back to San Francsico, to Golden Gate Park in 2004 to our BBQ party and just savor it a little bit more with the old gang. I don't need much.

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