Head of Content
Tuff Questions is our series where we ask artists a selection of incredibly difficult questions.
Mysterious masked producer, Claptone, has emerged from a technicolour mirage to take on the toughest interview in dance music. His esteemed Ibiza residency, The Masquerade is underway on Saturdays at Pacha. The star-studded lineup includes Lee Foss, Fatboy Slim, Hannah Wants, and SG Lewis.
A truly unique figure in music, Claptone plays an astounding 260 shows around the world each year, but why does he know why so many DJs wear masks?
MoS: Describe your press shot in five words or less.
Claptone: Mysterious, colourful, inviting.
House or Techno?
House.
If House is a spiritual thing, who is its prophet?
Roland Clark.
What does your music smell like?
An open field of flowers.
What was the first song/album you bought with your own money
Beatles - White Album
What was your first email address?
claptone@internet.com
Best way to cure a hangover?
Start early don't drink.
If you had your own nightclub, what would you call it, and what’s the dress code?
Claptone's cause it's mine. And I don't like dress codes, just don't look like a douche.
What’s your secret weapon to rescue a dancefloor?
I always carry a defibrillator around with me for this.
Strangest / funniest thing you’ve seen in a club?
A mirror in the bathroom.
What single thing would make your life better?
To be able to beam yourself to places instead of endless travels.
Who’s the biggest party animal in dance music?
I'm in bed by the time that gets decided, don't need to win this one, there are lots of other capable candidates.
You can only ever DJ B2B with one other person for the rest of your life, who is it?
God.
You can only ever play one record again for the rest of your life - what is it?
Whatever I'll answer it'll be wrong, I'll be bored to death by any record after 3 days.
If you could live in any other place and time, when and where would you pick?
surely in the future when I can produce music just in my mind and my thoughts become sound.
Is a hotdog a sandwich?
I can see arguments for both sides.
Teetotal or tearing it up?
Is that code for something? I'm not from the UK, I probably have to be to even understand what this is about...
Why do lots of DJs wear masks? What’s the deal with that?
Do they? I had a closer look just recently and I can confirm we are a minority. 97% of the DJs on planet earth do NOT wear a mask. Either way, I have no clue what the deal is with that at all.
Most regrettable track you’ve dropped in a set?
Few years back in a club in Vienna I dropped some bootleg Remix of Falco - "Vienna Calling". Nobody cared for it. These local references rarely work.
What’s the most expensive thing you own?
My record collection.
Where is the strangest place you’ve DJed?
In heaven.
One piece of advice you would give your younger self?
Grow up.