Andy C

Andy C
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
Born Walsall, England
Origin Unknown
Genres Drum and Bass, Dubstep
Occupation(s) DJ, record producer, record executive
Years active 1989–present
Labels RAM
Associated acts Ram Trilogy, Concept 2, Desired State, Origin Unknown, Telepathy Crew, Anal Birth Crew, Tyranny
Website AndyC.com

Andrew Clarke, known by his stage name Andy C, is an English DJ, record producer and co-founder of the RAM Records. He is the 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. 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.[4] 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.[5]

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[6] 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.[7]

2010–14

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.[8]

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.[9]

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" (featuring 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.[10]

Andy C is the highest ranking D&B DJ in DJ Magazine's Top 100 DJs.[11]

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.[12]

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. A signature mixing style of Andy is what he refers to as "The Double Drop" – lining up 2 tunes so the baselines heaviest baselines drop at the same time on both tracks.[4]

Personal life

Andy C is a self-confessed tech freak, a lifelong fan of West Ham United.[13]


Discography

Extended plays

Year Release Label
1992 Sour Mash RAM Records
1993 Bass Logic

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions, showing year released and album name
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
UK
[14]		 UK
Dance
[15]
"Slip N' Slide" / "Bass Constructor" (Remix)[16] 1993 — — Non-album singles
"Sound Control" / "Feel It"[17]
(with Randall)		 1994 — —
"Cool Down" / "Roll On"[18] 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"[19] 2013 — — Nightlife 6
"Workout" 188 26
"Heartbeat Loud"
(featuring Fiora)		 2014 50 10 Non-album single
"—" 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)

References

  1. 1 2 Birchmeier, Jason. "Biography: Andy C". Allmusic. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
  2. 1 2 DNB Arena Awards Winners 2011. IMO Records, London, 2 December 2011. Retrieved on 2 December 2011.
  3. 1 2 Winners. Drum and Bass Arena Awards, 2013
  4. 1 2 Dancing Astronaut Interview. Simplyneon.com (22 January 2014). Retrieved on 2016-01-19.
  5. ↑ Howe Ruby, Dave. "Tiesto voted ‘The Greatest DJ of All Time". 20 January 2011. In the Mix Webzine, Australia. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  6. ↑ Origin Unknown Discography at Discogs. Discogs.com. Retrieved on 19 January 2016.
  7. ↑ Shop. Ramrecords.com. Retrieved on 19 January 2016.
  8. ↑ Andyc.cc Archived 5 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine.
  9. ↑ DJ Craze Interview. Wordplaymagazine.com (7 July 2014). Retrieved on 2016-01-19.
  10. ↑ "DJ Mag". DJ Mag. 23 September 2011. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
  11. ↑ "Andy biography". Residentadvisor.net. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
  12. ↑ AMBASSADOR OF BASS MUSIC – ANDY C. Bass Music Awards, London, 29 November 2013.
  13. ↑ http://realsport101.com/realsport-meets-andy-c-west-ham-edition/
  14. ↑ Peak chart positions for singles in the United Kingdom:
  15. ↑ Peak chart positions for singles on the Dance Chart in the United Kingdom:
  16. ↑ Slip N' Slide / Bass Constructor (Media notes). Andy C. RAM Records. 1993. RAMM 006.
  17. ↑ Sound Control / Feel It (Media notes). Andy C, Randall. RAM Records. 1993. RAMM 11.
  18. ↑ Cool Down / Roll On (Media notes). Andy C. RAM Records. 1993. RAMM 12.
  19. ↑ "Haunting / Workout – Single by Andy C". iTunes Store. Apple. Retrieved 12 April 2015.

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