SPIN First Drop: Will Clarke
Since his first residency in Ibiza at age 17, artist, producer, Grammy-nominated songwriter, DJ and broadcaster Will Clarke has been a defining force in the global dance music scene. To date, he’s had over 100 million streams and has hit the decks at most of the world’s biggest dance festivals. Originally from the UK, then adopting Detroit as his home, Clarke’s techno influences are front and center, often fused with warmer, more organic house elements on the vocal side. His newest track, “Weekend Love“, is a groundbreaking collaboration with the House Gospel Choir, delivering a truly transformative take on Clarke’s trademark house/techno duality.
As a reaction to the stifling demands today’s digital music distribution model can have on artists, Clarke is embarking on a new journey to take back some of that creative control. As he puts it, “In a world where we are being forced to write music that fits playlists, that fits places where people need to listen to our music, I feel like some people have to push back against that and just show that we can’t be controlled by companies to tell us what we need to write to have a successful career.”
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We sat with Will to talk about all things Coachella, the legendary Framework in the Desert afterparty, the current state of techno, where he’s headed creatively, and much more. Step into the DJ booth with Will Clarke and watch his exclusive SPIN First Drop below. To check out more SPIN First Drops, head over to SPINTV.
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