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Claude Von Stroke - Don't Call Me A Purist (DJ)

Author: Jonty Skrufff
Friday, October 19, 2007
Us minimal maestro Claude Von Stroke chatted to Skrufff this week and revealed that he's more confident in the studio than on the dancefloor.

"I'm definitely a producer first. I love DJing, of course, but when I'm in the studio I always feel I'm doing exactly what I want, whereas with the DJing, I know I could be better," he admitted.

"There are definitely better DJs out there than me, but production-wise, I feel like I can compete with the best. I also feel like I am not a 'purist' DJ. I like to feature particular tracks in my sets and therefore I don't always build a journey the same way other DJs do.

"I would rather feature all the best tracks I can find which isn't always as smooth as a DJ who just wants to be pure and take the crowd on a specific type of journey. This often requires playing some filler tracks or even beat tools to get you from one point to the other and I can't stand playing any filler tracks," he explained.

The US-based producer and Dirtybirds label chief first cracked the UK club scene with his remix of Fedde Le Grande's 'Put Your Hands Up' for Detroit and his own tracks 'The Whistler' and 'Who's Afraid Of Detroit-' to his own evident delight.

"Truthfully, London and the UK are my bread and butter for touring," Von Stroke confirmed.

"I would be nowhere without the massive support I get from the UK and I really appreciate the dedication of the fans and just how well I've been treated over there.

"London is really a special place for DJs and I have made some really great friends there," he added.

Spinning at London's Cross next weekend - for the Wonky House Halloween Extravaganza - Von Stroke admitted he's unlikely to dress up ('I usually look like a slob in a dirtybird t-shirt and some jeans') or perform DJ Tiesto-style Jesus Christ poses for his adoring fans.

"I dance around a little in the booth but I'm not known for going bananas like that, though sometimes the crowd needs a little kick in the ass, so I'll give a yell and start clapping and stuff like that.

"On the other hand, going mad on every single breakdown when no one is even feeling it in the crowd is really very lame and should be discouraged (except for good laughs)," he laughed.

Christened Barclay Crenshaw, he also shed light on his peculiarly aristocratic DJ name, which he insisted implied no royal connections.

"My friends and I were sitting around thinking of funny minimal techno DJ names and that one stuck out. The next week one of my friends put Claude Von Stroke on her birthday party flyer and it stuck forever," he revealed.

"And no...I don't know if Princess Diana was murdered. Sorry."
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