Easily recognizable by his signature golden bird mask,
Claptone is an anonymous Berlin-based DJ and producer who bridges the worlds of deep house and indie dance. His tracks generally feature smooth, DJ-friendly tempos and warm chords, and while they're clearly crafted to soundtrack a joyous night out at a club, there's a tinge of loneliness and heartache to them.
Claptone's singles and albums, including 2015's
Charmer and 2021's
Closer, have included guests such as
Peter Bjorn and John,
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah,
Jimi Tenor, and
Seal.
Claptone first surfaced in 2011 with a series of digital singles on Shir Khan's Exploited label. These tracks were generally built around recognizable samples, such as a cover of "Light My Fire" or the haunting melody from
Wu-Tang Clan's "C.R.E.A.M."
Claptone soon became highly prolific as a remixer, with clients including house producers
George Morel and
Riva Starr as well as pop groups such as
the Pet Shop Boys. In 2013,
Claptone released the single "No Eyes," which featured vocalist
Jaw of French group
dOP. Several more singles followed, all of which appeared on
Claptone's 2015 debut full-length
Charmer. Co-released by the
PIAS-affiliated imprint Different, the album was loaded with guests, including
Peter Bjorn and John,
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah,
Jimi Tenor, and
Young Galaxy. During the same year,
Claptone received acclaim for his remix of
Gregory Porter's "Liquid Spirit." He also remixed songs by
Disclosure,
Faithless,
Róisín Murphy, and others.
Claptone's double-mix CD
The Masquerade was released by
Defected/ITH Records in late 2016, while remixes of
Charmer tracks surfaced into 2017. Also that year,
Claptone released "The Drums," a track based on
George Kranz's 1983 club classic "Din Daa Daa." The artist's second full-length album,
Fantast, followed in June 2018 and featured the single "Birdsong."
Claptone teamed up with
Mylo on a remake of the 2004 hit "Drop the Pressure," and the updated version appeared in 2020. Numerous singles appeared in advance of
Claptone's 2021 full-length
Closer, including collaborations with
Seal and
James Vincent McMorrow. ~ Paul Simpson