Born just outside of Bristol, Will Clarke’s musical roots run deep, and this is evident in his versatile sounds. He was heavily influenced by the city’s legendary musical history, which led to his first residency in Ibiza at the age of 17. He eventually took up residence in Detroit, where he currently splits his time with Somerset. The exchange between the UK and the Motor City is easily heard through his music.
Photo Credit: Will Clarke – Official
Will Clarke has earned a loyal fan base with his dynamic style and sound, exemplified by recent hits like ‘Searching’ on his label All We Have Is Now and ‘Rock With Me’ on Patrick Topping’s Trick. He has performed at global events including Movement, Electric Daisy Carnival, and Electric Zoo, as well as top clubs in Ibiza like DC10, Amnesia, and Ushuaia. Clarke’s global touring presence has expanded to cities such as Berlin, Madrid, London, and Tulum, where he has played for global brands like El Row, ANTS, Trick, and In the Mood.
Clarke has released records on highly esteemed labels such as Trick, Filth on Acid, Kneaded Pains, and We Are The Brave, and has established his own record label, All We Have Is Now. He is also the host and producer of the weekly Will Clarke Podcast, featuring guests like Stacey Pullen, Alan Fitzpatrick, and Chris Lake.
Will Clarke has collaborated with HoneyLuv to release their new track, ‘Move Your Body,’ featuring vocals from Moxie Knox. The track is a groovy and flirtatious mix of house and techno and is set to be one of the hottest house tracks of the summer.
To celebrate the release of his latest collaboration, Will Clarke shares five studio tips for creating a distinctive sound.
1. Find your sound
This sounds very broad and is easier said than done, however, keeping continuity with the sounds you use can be really helpful to create a distinct “sound” for yourself. Whether that is a specific drum machine and you make all of your drums on that or a specific synth to write all your bass lines and so on.
2. Limit yourself
It’s very easy to download all the plugins that were ever created, buy all the hardware synths, and dare I say it, set up a modular wrack the size of your room. However, the more options you have the more time it takes you to make a decision. By limiting yourself to a couple of synths and a couple of plugins, it will allow you to really work hard on getting the best sound out of those specific units. Therefore making it more likely you are actually going to finish a record and not spend your entire life tinkering in the studio.
3. Have fun
It is so easy to get caught in the rat race of writing music and trying to sound like others, comparing yourself, or worrying about what label you want to sign to or what DJs are going to play your records. However, that being said, if you just have the most amount of fun working on the record and you love the record yourself that’s more important than all of the other factors. Yes, it’s easy for me to say that after having released records and having a career in music but its 100% has been an ethos that I have lived by, and when writing the records in which I have had a slightly hidden agenda, it always ended up feeling slightly more like a production line and not as enjoyable.
4. Get proper feedback
90% of the time if you give your record to your mate or to your parents they are going to say it’s fucking amazing and 90% of the time it’s actually fucking sh..t. So find someone that can give you really strong constructive feedback. It’s not always the easiest to hear and sometimes you can be confident enough that you don’t need to listen, but it can be extremely helpful.
5. Environment
Finding the right location to create the best possible music is really important. For me I used to love a dark studio with no sunlight, however now it’s changed, I need sunlight and Inature around. It’s very easy in this day and age to be able to take your laptop, whack your headphones in, and produce anywhere in the world. Go, do it and you may come up with some of your best work.
Will Clarke’s ‘Move Your Body’ is now available. Stream and buy here.
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