{"id":20499,"date":"2022-02-25T17:03:36","date_gmt":"2022-02-26T00:03:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/?p=20499"},"modified":"2022-02-25T17:13:36","modified_gmt":"2022-02-26T00:13:36","slug":"claptone-just-a-ghost-feat-seal-web-exclusive-interview-video-feature","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/2022\/02\/claptone-just-a-ghost-feat-seal-web-exclusive-interview-video-feature\/","title":{"rendered":"CLAPTONE &#8220;Just a Ghost&#8221; (feat. SEAL) &#8211; Web-Exclusive Interview &#038; Video Feature"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Video Feature &amp; Web-Exclusive Interview<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>DJ: <strong>\u00a0CLAPTONE<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h2>Video: \u00a0\u201c<strong>Just a Ghost<\/strong>\u201d featuring <strong>Seal<\/strong> on vocals<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8UvuZceMmnk\" width=\"660\" height=\"340\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>C L A P T O N E<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/h1>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\">Sonic Being Golden-Beaked Birdman Spreads Wings and<br \/>\nSoars To New Heights With Third Studio Effort \u201cCloser\u201d<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Claptone-01-Photo-credit-Andreas-Waldschutz.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20500\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Claptone-01-Photo-credit-Andreas-Waldschutz.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"660\" height=\"440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Claptone-01-Photo-credit-Andreas-Waldschutz.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Claptone-01-Photo-credit-Andreas-Waldschutz-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Lights and shadows mingle together offering the clubbers a glimpse of their shaman in his natural habitat.\u00a0Attired in black, with top hat and golden-beaked mask, this mystery man is one with his audience.\u00a0From behind a mixing console, he beckons with white\u00a0gloved hands which move in synchronicity to bass lines that curl up and reverberate inside the faithful\u2019s rib cages.\u00a0The phantom, known only by a pseudonym\u00a0Claptone, is the\u00a0Pied Piper of electronic, house and dance music who can lead his followers anywhere he wants at this<em>\u00a0Masquerade<\/em>\u00a0live event. The world-famous DJ\u00a0and music producer performs\u00a0this ritual for thousands, 300 times a year in New York,\u00a0LA, Paris and London, and at\u00a0festivals like Coachella and Rock in Rio, to name a few.<\/p>\n<p>Since 2015\u2019s debut release\u00a0<em>Charmer<\/em>,\u00a0Claptone\u2019s imagery has been built around a mystique, and his true identity is unknown. Maintaining a status of anonymity, in the internet\u00a0age of Google and social media platforms,\u00a0is an accomplishment worthy of as much merit as reaching 100 million combined YouTube views of his live stream sets.\u00a0With over a million Facebook followers, sometimes it is easy to forget there is flesh and bone behind the elusive aura, and my reminder comes in the form of a phone call from Germany.\u00a0I ask, \u201cIs this Claptone?\u201d \u201cYes,\u201d responds the nondescript voice.\u00a0Although he is not willing\u00a0to provide any clues to his real identity,\u00a0he is gracious and obliging.\u00a0During our conversation,\u00a0before he flies out\u00a0to the U.S., I\u00a0attempt to peel back the Venetian disguise.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><em>It\u2019s all about the vibe that the DJ creates with the help of music as the form of communication\u2014bringing people together\u2014creating an environment of love.<\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Reflecting on when the artist first became interested in making music, Claptone refers to himself as always being a \u201csonic being.\u201d He traces his music origins to being rooted in enjoying all kinds of sounds in nature that accompany you when you walk through life\u2014the birds, the bees, the wind. At a certain point, it all sounded like music and inspired him to make music of his own.<\/p>\n<p>The mysterious persona with top hat, gloves and golden-beaked mask, a haunting reference to protective clothing worn by doctors during the Bubonic Plague was not chosen by\u00a0Claptone.\u00a0In the beginning, the performer\u2019s image was not explored consciously but rather\u00a0grew with the music and evolved. The mystery associated with\u00a0Claptone is a metaphor.\u00a0Everyone wears a mask, when confronting questions about what\u00a0kind of person he or she is and what his or her soul looks like.\u00a0He makes the point with this quip, \u201cI\u2019m a mystery, as everybody else is.\u00a0If people want to look behind the mask, they\u2019re welcome to try.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Claptone-04-Photo-credit-Andreas-Waldschutz.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20503\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Claptone-04-Photo-credit-Andreas-Waldschutz.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"660\" height=\"990\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Claptone-04-Photo-credit-Andreas-Waldschutz.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Claptone-04-Photo-credit-Andreas-Waldschutz-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Claptone-04-Photo-credit-Andreas-Waldschutz-300x450.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>House, dance and electronic are music genres\u00a0synonymous with a\u00a0DJ.\u00a0Claptone deconstructs the essential function of\u00a0DJs. Offering his\u00a0philosophy, \u201cThe DJ is there\u00a0to bring positivity and joy to the people\u2014and make them dance and have a good time. It\u2019s all about the vibe that the DJ creates with the help of music as the form of communication\u2014bringing people together and having a great time so it\u2019s not functional at all. It\u2019s basically creating an environment of love.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Viewing locations, audiences and the global village\u00a0through a unique lens,\u00a0Claptone\u00a0is\u00a0against the notion of nation. \u201cI don\u2019t like to tell you that the Australians party better than the Germans, or the Brazilians are the best, and the Mexicans are amazing\u2014that\u2019s not how I think. I try to enjoy every night with the people that are there and usually the people who come to my shows are a great and joyful\u00a0lovely crowd. I try to give them the love back and try to make everyone have a great time, no matter what they are and no matter who they love, and no matter where they&#8217;re born, no matter what they think. I try not to discriminate. Create a space and sound where it\u2019s not about discrimination or where you\u2019re from\u2014and if you\u2019re this nation or that nation. It doesn\u2019t matter to me.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><em>I\u2019m a mystery, as everybody else is.\u00a0If people want to look behind the mask, they\u2019re welcome to try.<\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Singles \u201cCream,\u201d \u201cNo Eyes\u201d and \u201cHeartbeat\u201d brought\u00a0Claptone\u00a0chart success. Co-produced by Grammy<em>\u00a0<\/em>winner\u00a0Stuart Price,\u00a0Claptone\u2019s\u00a0third studio effort\u00a0<em>Closer<\/em>\u00a0boasts an eclectic talent roster and collaborations.\u00a0The track \u201cNobody\u201d\u00a0features\u00a0Barry\u00a0Manilow, while\u00a0Seal makes an appearance on \u201cJust a Ghost.\u201d Offering a behind the scenes glimpse of the project,\u00a0Claptone shares what is it about Manilow and Seal that he admires artistically, and\u00a0motivated him to include them on\u00a0<em>Closer.<\/em><em>\u00a0<\/em>\u201cAs you know, I\u2019m very old and have been around forever so I admire legends and people that have also been around forever. Barry Manilow, as far as I can think back, he was there and he\u2019s an icon in American music. Almost the same goes for Seal. What I love about Seal is he started out electronically and then went away from the electronic music. I really wanted to bring him back to the electronic music. With Barry, it was more like I was inspired by all his work and he wanted to sound fresh again and do something that is unexpected\u2014and that thrilled me. It was great to bring this to life with him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Claptone-02-Photo-credit-Andreas-Waldschutz.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20501\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Claptone-02-Photo-credit-Andreas-Waldschutz.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"660\" height=\"990\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Claptone-02-Photo-credit-Andreas-Waldschutz.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Claptone-02-Photo-credit-Andreas-Waldschutz-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Claptone-02-Photo-credit-Andreas-Waldschutz-300x450.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Achieving success both in the recording studio and as a live performer without any education in the classical sense, Claptone seems reluctant to give advice to aspiring professional musicians. With an unwavering sincerity, he opens up\u2014revealing the less glamorous aspects of the music industry and what it takes to succeed. \u201cIf there\u2019s one advice I always give: follow your heart. If you\u2019re passionate about something, whatever it may be\u2014music or building houses\u2014if you\u2019re passionate about that and want to make that your life, do it because the best thing that can happen to you is to be passionate about your job. Make your job, your life and your passion\u2014all one. That\u2019s what happened to me. I don\u2019t really think I would be right in telling young people you have to do music because that\u2019s where the money is and that\u2019s where the girls are. That\u2019s wrong, in my opinion. I feel music is just one field that looks amazing to the outside, especially through social media and everything. It\u2019s probably part of pop music to have the images and we look flashy and great. That\u2019s what makes it attractive. But when you have to fly from one show to the other every day\u2014like 4, 5, 10-hour flights, it\u2019s a tough job. You\u2019ve got to love it. You\u2019ve got to love making music. You\u2019ve got to love traveling to all the DJ gigs. If you\u2019re in it for the money, the girls, the drugs or whatever terrible things\u2014then you won\u2019t make it. It is for love, for the dedicated and the passionate.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><em>Claptone is the Pied Piper of electronic, house and dance music who can lead his followers anywhere he wants.<br \/>\n<\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>With credits that include Sir Elton John and Dua Lipa\u2019s \u201cCold Heart,\u201d Claptone is a\u00a0master of remixing with a unique methodology.\u00a0Before committing to a remix, the song needs to touch him, with potential for perspective\u00a0to be translated to his audience. He elaborates,\u00a0\u201cFirst of all, I get an offer and then I need to love the song already. I need to have a perspective. Most of the time, I\u2019m listening to the song and thinking \u2018Oh, this is amazing; I want to bring this to my crowd. I want to\u00a0bring this to the people where I DJ\u2014to people who probably wouldn\u2019t listen to that song. But I can remix it in a way and translate it to the dance floor, where I have my <em>Masquerade<\/em>\u00a0parties, or where I have a big\u00a0festival or a club where I\u00a0know if I remix it a certain way, I can sell it to the crowd\u2014and they will\u00a0 love it. Whereas, before I remixed it,\u00a0it\u2019s just a great song and most of\u00a0my fans wouldn\u2019t understand it. So that\u2019s mainly how I choose the remix\u2014if I can see a perspective for me to translate it to my audience.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><em>I\u2019m basically against the notion of nation.<\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The golden birdman is poised to spread his wings and soar to even greater heights with another\u00a0Claptone remix coming out soon, and\u00a0more singles from the song-oriented new\u00a0album\u00a0<em>Closer.\u00a0<\/em>He<em>\u00a0<\/em>just remixed Oden &amp; Fatzo\u2019s \u201cLauren\u201d which he describes as a great classic house kind of\u00a0disco in France. He has also been\u00a0offered\u00a0some other very interesting remixes. For the uninitiated, he suggests \u201cmake it a point to check out the\u00a0<em>Closer\u00a0<\/em>album, it\u2019s worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Balancing his<em>\u00a0Clapcast<\/em>\u00a0podcast, work in a recording studio and live shows\u2014offer challenges and rewards, \u201cWhen you\u2019re always touring and playing every day to a crowd, it\u2019s great to also have my <em>Clapcast<\/em> where I can play brand new music and also a little bit of a left field here and there, and introduce new music. Also, of course I love to be in the studio. So when I\u2019m not traveling, it\u2019s a reward for me to be in the studio and make music\u2014then I\u2019m looking forward\u00a0to being on tour again. I guess you need all of this because that\u2019s what makes it a great job.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Claptone-03-Photo-credit-Andreas-Waldschutz.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20502\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Claptone-03-Photo-credit-Andreas-Waldschutz.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"660\" height=\"990\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Claptone-03-Photo-credit-Andreas-Waldschutz.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Claptone-03-Photo-credit-Andreas-Waldschutz-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Claptone-03-Photo-credit-Andreas-Waldschutz-300x450.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>An ultimate mix tape would have\u00a0Claptone\u2019s name scribbled on it. Asking the audio architect what three songs would be included on such a collection, he provides a practical approach, \u201cThey always vary. There\u2019s so much music. It depends who I make the mix tape for. For my parents, it would be different than for my friends or for my audience, or for you. It\u2019s the same with DJs.\u00a0I would look at who the mix tape is for and adjust my personal style accordingly.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><em>I\u2019ve always been a sonic being.<br \/>\n<\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Our conversation now mere words evaporating into the ether, and I\u2019m left with the same feeling as someone who attends a costume ball. There is a sense of familiarity with all the guests in attendance but bubbling underneath the surface,\u00a0new\u00a0mysteries and questions emerge.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Rodeo Marie Hanson<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.Claptone.com\">www.Claptone.com<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.Instagram.com\/claptone.official\">www.Instagram.com\/claptone.official<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.Twitter.com\/Claptone_\">www.Twitter.com\/Claptone_<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.Facebook.com\/claptone.official\">www.Facebook.com\/claptone.official<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.YouTube.com\/Claptone_Official\">www.YouTube.com\/Claptone_Official<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Video Feature &amp; Web-Exclusive Interview DJ: \u00a0CLAPTONE Video: \u00a0\u201cJust a Ghost\u201d featuring Seal on vocals C L A P T O N E Sonic Being Golden-Beaked Birdman Spreads Wings and Soars To New Heights With Third Studio Effort \u201cCloser\u201d Lights and shadows mingle together offering the clubbers a glimpse of their shaman in his natural [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":20508,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[7725],"tags":[13481,13482,13477,13478,13479,13480,2748,13483,4792,13484,13485,13486,13487,13488,13489,13490,8574,13491,1063,13492,13493,13494,13495,13496,13497,13498,7566,13499,3010,7978,13500,13501,13502,13503,13243,13244,13242,11719,13504,9796,13505,13506,13507,13508],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20499"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20499"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20499\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20510,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20499\/revisions\/20510"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20508"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20499"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20499"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20499"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}