Music

Claptone / special guest Felix da Housecat [late night disco set] / Devon James

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Thu Jul 2 10pm Ages: 21+
ClaptoneDevon JamesFelix Da Housecat

About Claptone / special guest Felix da Housecat [late night disco set] / Devon James


In a now long forgotten world, many generations ago, a bird like shape emerged from wooded dark- ness, floating and fluttering, drifting and dreaming. Backlit by a bright glow of iridescent light, the undecipherable form wore a dazzling golden mask. Its long beak swooped down like an inverted horn and since then, people have referred to the mythical being simply as Claptone.

Years spending wandering medieval landscapes have informed Claptone's view of the world, experi- encing both magical mystery and muted melancholy he enchanted onlookers with occult instruments and beguiling sounds. Forever surrounded by a sense of intrigue, the world soon cottoned on to the elusive yet enchanting musical powers of this otherworldly beast. The results are that today his sha- manistic sonic powers take him all around the world.

Whilst Claptone has continued to roam in his own circles, 2012AD proved to be a year dominatedby his infectious 'Cream' track. It became an immediate hit, topping new world charts at Beatport and RA, whilst the sonic conjuring of the 'Night On Fire' EP also lured all those who heard it, with the result another Top 20 hit. But that's not all, for the creativity flows freely in our hero, and his 'Another Night' also proved to be just as successful on the dancefloor. Deep and woozy, the Claptone sound pairs theatre with tragedy, feel good vibes with acute melancholia and imbues each groove with a Rhodes laced funk, an organic string hook and myriad earthy elements.

Up to the present day, Claptone releases have been birthed on Germany's influential Exploited label, picking up props from the likes of Pete Tong, DJ Sneak, Soul Clap, DJ Hell, Jesse Rose, A-Trak along the way. Who or whatever Claptone is, it is alive, with a life of its own, evolving and revolving in equal measure, exploring new sounds naturally and forever taking inspiration from long gone and occult worlds.
So far, esteemed and influential dancefloors at clubs in Berlin, London, Paris, Melbourne, Shanghai, New York and many others around the world have fallen under the sonic spell of this secretive alche- mist. The future is unpredictable for Claptone, but a new release 'Wrong' including the track 'No Eyes' with the inimitable JAW from French funsters dOP is on the horizon. Beyond that, your guess is as good as ours...


Felix Da Housecat’s 2001 album, Kittenz and thee Glitz, turned the dance music world on its side as his collaborations with the now infamous Miss Kittin on “Silver Screen” and “Madame Hollywood” and Melistar on “Harlot” and “What Does it Feel Like” spawned a synth club revival. Along the way, Felix gained mainstream press acceptance and was heralded by Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone and Spin as one of the most creative artists in music today.

Post-Kittenz, Felix has become one of the most sought after remixers and producers on the planet reinterpreting songs by everyone from the Pet Shop Boys to Kylie Minogue to Nina Simone. In 2003 he was nominated for Grammy Award for his mix of Rinocerose’s “Lost Love," released two mix albums entitled Excursions and Bugged Out and began working with artists like P-Diddy, who were eager to tap his prodigious production skills.

With all that said, one inevitable question remains, where did the name "Devin Dazzle and the Neon Fever” come from? Felix being Felix, has an answer for everything: “Devin Dazzle is a character fascinated by the nightlife," he says "Every time he sees neon lights he gets the fever. But Dazzle has a friend named Neon Fever who’s a bad influence on him and is everything opposite of Devin.” So, might this be an autobiographical album? “It’s something personal” he says, “and I’m not gonna tell.”

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