Andy C
| Andy C | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Andy C in 2011 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Andrew Clarke |
| Also known as | The Executioner, The Armin van Buuren of Drum and Bass, The President, Origin Unknown, Desired State, Ram Trilogy, Concept 2, The Machine, The God, The king, The Greatest Drum and Bass DJ Of All Time |
| Born |
April 7, 1973 Walsall, England |
| Genres | Drum and bass |
| Occupation(s) | DJ, record producer, record executive |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Labels | |
| Associated acts | Ram Trilogy, Concept 2, Desired State, Origin Unknown |
| Website | AndyC.cc |
Andrew Clarke (born April 7, 1973) is an English DJ and record producer. He is the co-founder of RAM Records, a pioneering force in the drum and bass genre.[1] In 2011 Andy C won the Best DJ title in the 2011 Drum and Bass Arena Awards,[2] and since the awards' inception in 2009, he has won the people's vote in the awards for Best DJ each year.[3] He specialises in fast mixing, often employing three turntables.[4][5][6] A signature mixing style of Andy is what he refers to as "The Double Drop": lining up 2 tunes so that both basslines drop at the same time.[7] Andy C has often organised events where he DJs continuously for 6 hours. In January 2011 Mixmag UK announced the result of 14 month global poll from 35 nominations chosen by other big names in dance music: the survey asked global voters to decide Who is the Greatest DJ of All Time Andy C was ranked number 4 on it and the highest British DJ on the list.[8] Andy C is considered by the popular culture of Britain and the extended population of the world to be the "Most influential Drum & Bass DJ to ever live." Having the most successful record label in the genre, and also the greatest number of 'Best DJ' titles. He is the only DJ in history to receive in excess of 20 annual 'Best DJ' titles in any genre.[9]
Music career
Early years
Andy C was a DJ in his own right but gained a strong reputation and more bookings off the back of the hugely successful "Valley of The Shadows" track, an early drum and bass track that walked the line perfectly between hardcore and drum and bass just as the genres were starting to split. The track, created and released by Origin Unknown (made up of Andy C and Ant Miles)—often referred to as "31 Seconds" or "Long Dark Tunnel" because of the samples it incorporates—made use of a heavy bassline, bell samples and a rolling drum track to produce a popular, easy to recognise track that was easy to mix and became a favourite in dance floors at raves across the UK and beyond. The track was released as an EP in 1993[10] and has been remixed and re-released several times, and is widely recognised as one of the most influential drum and bass tunes of the early 90s. His signature look (Andy C is rarely seen without a baseball cap) and energetic movement behind the decks when playing make him a recognisable figure.
In 2001, he collaborated with Shimon on the single "Body Rock", which reached number 28 on the UK Singles Chart in January 2002 and became one of the most popular drum and bass songs of the year. However, it also polarized some fans of the genre due to its unusual sound; it utilized a swinging rhythm and "clownish" synthesizer leads, leading to the pejorative term "clownstep" to describe similar tracks that were released in the wake of its success.
Andy C has continued to produce strong selling records released on his label RAM Records throughout the duration of his career, and has earned extensive respect both as a producer and as a DJ. Due to its success as a label, Ram Records has been able to attract and nurture other artists of high calibre, including Chase & Status, Loadstar, Sub Focus and Wilkinson. Showcasing their label and DJ talents, Andy has secured headline acts and their own stage at major events including Creamfields, Global Gathering, The Sunbeat Festival and The Electric Daisy Carnival.[11]
2010–2014
In 2012 Andy C launched a new concept – Andy C Alive, where he uses custom made software and settings to mix both audio and visuals, creating stunning light and laser shows. At the heart of the setup are 3 deck mixing desks, audio and image editing suites and a setup that allows Andy to custom mix content on the fly. These sets need to be custom made for each venue, and to this date Andy C has already had bookings at SXSW in Texas, Beyond Wonderland in California, Vooruit in Gent Belgium and Melkweg in Amsterdam, as well as Brixton Academy and Cambridge Junction.[12]
His talent as a producer and a DJ have earned him extensive respect from his peers, sites as a musical influence and inspiration by some of the biggest names in drum and bass; so diverse is his style that Andy C has played for events run by LTJ Bukem's Good Looking Records, Goldie's Metalheadz and jump up parties like JungleMania and Desire 2000AD. DMC World DJ Championships Hall of Fame Inductee DJ Craze retains that Andy C is his favorite DJ to hear play drum and bass.[13]
His first single in ten years, "Haunting / Workout", was released as a promotional double A-side from the Nightlife 6 compilation on 3 November 2013. It entered the UK Singles Chart at number 188. His next single, "Heartbeat Loud" (with Fiora), was released in November 2014 and entered the UK Singles Chart at number 50.
Awards and nominations
Andy C ranked #61 in DJ Magazine's 2010 Top 100 DJs annual poll announced 27 October 2010.[14]
On 1 December 2011 Andy C won the Best DJ title in the 2011 Drum and Bass Arena Awards.[2]
On 29 November 2013, Andy C won Ambassador of Bass Music in the 2013 Bass Music Awards, and his label Ram Records was nominated for Best Label.[15]
Since its inception in 2009, the peoples vote each year for the annual awards for best DJ at The Drum and Bass Arena Awards has been won each year by Andy C.[3]
Musical style and influence
He is considered a pioneering force in the drum and bass genre.[1] He specialises in fast mixing, often employing three turntables.[4][5][6] A signature mixing style of Andy is what he refers to as "The Double Drop" – lining up 2 tunes so their heaviest basslines drop at the same time.[7]
Personal life
Andy C is a self-confessed tech freak, a lifelong fan of West Ham United.[16]
Discography
Extended plays
| Year | Release | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Sour Mash[17] | RAM Records |
| 1993 | Bass Logic[18] |
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [19] |
UK Dance [20] | ||||||||||||
| "Slip N' Slide" / "Bass Constructor" (Remix)[21] | 1993 | — | — | Non-album singles | |||||||||
| "Sound Control" / "Feel It"[22] (with Randall) |
1994 | — | — | ||||||||||
| "Cool Down" / "Roll On"[23] | 1995 | — | — | ||||||||||
| "Sound Control" (Remix) / "Feel It" (Remix) (with Randall) |
— | — | |||||||||||
| "Quest" (with Shimon) |
1996 | 95 | — | ||||||||||
| "Body Rock" (with Shimon) |
2001 | 28 | 1 | Ram Raiders – The Mix | |||||||||
| "Haunting" / "Workout"[24] | 2013 | — | — | Nightlife 6 | |||||||||
| "Workout" | 188 | 26 | |||||||||||
| "Heartbeat Loud" (with Fiora) |
2014 | 50 | 10 | Non-album singles | |||||||||
| "New Era" | 2016 | — | — | ||||||||||
| "What Bass" | 2017 | — | — | ||||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||
Mix CDs
| Year | Release | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Pure Rollers | Sub Base Records USA |
| 2001 | RAM Raiders – The Mix | RAM Records |
| 2002 | World Dance: XPRS YRSLF | Ministry of Sound |
| 2002 | Nightlife | RAM Records |
| Andy C – Drum & Bass Arena | React | |
| Andy C – Drum & Bass Arena, Version 2 | ||
| 2004 | FabricLive.18 (with DJ Hype) | Fabric |
| Nightlife 2 | RAM Records | |
| 2006 | Nightlife 3 | |
| 2007 | Andy C – Drum & Bass Arena: Babylon | Mixmag |
| Andy C & Grooverider – Drum & Bass Arena | Resist Music | |
| 2008 | Nightlife 4 | RAM Records |
| 2010 | Nightlife 5 | |
| 2013 | Nightlife 6 |
Remixes
| Year | Artist | Remix | Appears On |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Shimon | Jazzfreak (Andy C Remix) | |
| 2012 | Major Lazer feat. Amber Coffman | Get Free (Andy C Remix) | Nightlife 6 |
| DJ Fresh feat. Dizzee Rascal | The Power (Andy C Remix) | The Power (Remixes) | |
| Plan B | Deepest Shame (Andy C Remix) | Deepest Shame (Remixes) | |
| Eric Prydz | Every Day (Andy C Remix) | Every Day (Remixes) | |
| 2013 | Mat Zo & Porter Robinson | Easy (Andy C Remix) | Easy (Remixes) |
| Rudimental feat. Foxes | Right Here (Andy C Remix) | Nightlife 6 | |
| Chase & Status feat. Moko | Count on Me (Andy C Remix) | ||
| 2014 | London Grammar | Sights (Andy C Remix) | Drum & Bass Arena: Summer Selection 2014 |
| 2015 | DJ S.K.T feat. Rae | Take Me Away (Andy C Remix) | |
| 2017 | Pegboard Nerds | Speed of Light (Andy C Remix) |
References
- 1 2 Birchmeier, Jason. "Biography: Andy C". Allmusic. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
- 1 2 DNB Arena Awards Winners 2011 Archived 22 December 2011 at the Wayback Machine.. IMO Records, London, 2 December 2011. Retrieved on 2 December 2011.
- 1 2 Winners. Drum and Bass Arena Awards, 2013
- 1 2 http://djtimes.com/andy-c-pioneering-d-n-b/
- 1 2 http://www.musicradar.com/news/tech/interview-andy-c-on-18-years-of-drum-n-bass-282046
- 1 2 https://www.skiddle.com/news/all/Andy-C-interview-Double-drop/28832/
- 1 2 Dancing Astronaut Interview. Simplyneon.com (22 January 2014). Retrieved on 2016-01-19.
- ↑ Howe Ruby, Dave. "Tiesto voted 'The Greatest DJ of All Time". 20 January 2011. In the Mix Webzine, Australia. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
- ↑ https://djmag.com/news/andy-c-wins-dj-mag-top-100-djs-2017-highest-drum-bass
- ↑ Origin Unknown Discography at Discogs. Discogs.com. Retrieved on 19 January 2016.
- ↑ Shop. Ramrecords.com. Retrieved on 19 January 2016.
- ↑ Andyc.cc Archived 5 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ DJ Craze Interview. Wordplaymagazine.com (7 July 2014). Retrieved on 2016-01-19.
- ↑ "DJ Mag". DJ Mag. 23 September 2011. Archived from the original on 9 May 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
- ↑ AMBASSADOR OF BASS MUSIC – ANDY C. Bass Music Awards, London, 29 November 2013.
- ↑ http://realsport101.com/realsport-meets-andy-c-west-ham-edition/
- ↑ https://www.discogs.com/Andy-C-Sour-Mash-EP/release/17263
- ↑ https://www.discogs.com/Andy-C-Bass-Logic-EP/release/48592
- ↑ Peak chart positions for singles in the United Kingdom:
- "Quest" and "Body Rock": "Shimon & Andy C" (select "Singles" tab). Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
- "Workout": Zywietz, Tobias. "Chart Log UK – Weekly Sales Updates 2013". zobbel.de. Tobias Zywietz. Archived from the original on 9 November 2015. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
- "Heartbeat Loud": "Andy C & Fiora" (select "Singles" tab). Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
- ↑ Peak chart positions for singles on the Dance Chart in the United Kingdom:
- "Body Rock": "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40 – 06 January 2002 – 12 January 2002". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
- "Workout": "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40 – 10 November 2013 – 16 November 2013". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
- "Heartbeat Loud": "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40 – 23 November 2014 – 29 November 2014". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
- ↑ Slip N' Slide / Bass Constructor (Media notes). Andy C. RAM Records. 1993. RAMM 006.
- ↑ Sound Control / Feel It (Media notes). Andy C, Randall. RAM Records. 1993. RAMM 11.
- ↑ Cool Down / Roll On (Media notes). Andy C. RAM Records. 1993. RAMM 12.
- ↑ "Haunting / Workout – Single by Andy C". iTunes Store. Apple. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
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