Dave Clarke

• Genre: U.K./Euro Techno

About

Strangely enough, Dave Clarke started off his career in the mid-'80s as a hip-hop DJ before moving on to Acid House and Detroit Techno in the early '90s. His sense of rhythm and amazingly impressive DJ skills have earned him more respect than most producers. He has a longstanding relationship with visceral, intense Techno, and is considered one of the innovators of the genre. He's an especially big fan of the minimal Detroit Techno sound, focusing on mechanical pulse and underlying Funk. He's probably best-known for his full-length debut Archive 1(1996), which included one of Techno's best anthems, "Red 2.'' Clarke's style is both sinister and energizing, and his live sets are rarely a disappointment.

- Tim Pratt