X-Qlusive Ran-D is only a few days ahead. While others had great interviews with the main man Ran-D, we thought why not catch up with the future: Clockartz!
Hey guys, we are glad to have you here today. Time’s running, X-Qlusive Ran-D is almost here! Are you excited?
Thank you for having us. We are really excited for the party. Since we were young have been great fans of Ran-D. He’s the producer of tracks such as “Living For The Moment” and the anthems of big festivals such as Defqon, Decibel and Q-base and has been of great influence on the scene for nearly a decade with his solotracks but also with his leading role as Ran-D and Gunz4Hire at A² Records and now at Roughstate. It’s really hard to believe that a living legend like him invited us over to play on his event. When he called us and told that we wouldn’t play once but also on the mainstage it really felt like we were dreaming. So you can say that we are beyond excited for Saturday!
You’re lined up for this grand event, taking place in the glorious Heineken Music Hall! You’re even playing in the main hall! How are your preparations going? How did you guys prepare for this very special performance? Can you even prepare for it?
Well there is two parts of preparations that is important. First of all we have been working really hard to finish some new music that we can premier on the event. Then we are also puzzling for months with our tracklists. On the second area we want to play a little more “timemachine” style.
X-Qlusive is party that is about the past, the present and the future. We think it’s important to play some of the older tracks as well so we will start with some really old classics that you don’t hear often and combine them with some newer tracks that everyone still loves and our own tracks.
On the mainstage we are still working things out with Act of Rage and Phuture Noize. We are playing back 2 back so we are searching for the perfect combination of our track. Of course we will play our newest tracks that fit a big area here, we are very curious to the crowd’s reaction.
We saw some videos with Ran-D and you both in the studio. Let us know, how’s working with Ran-D? We are curious – does he act different in private, than in the studio?
Randy is really a professional when it comes to making music. Every sound and every detail needs to be perfect. I think the reason that he got this succesful is that he always goes for the best possible. We have been tweaking and working on kicks and sounds for hours. I don’t even believe that people hear the difference in the things we adjusted. But if you want to work on top-level, the details are making the difference. That’s something we definitely learned at his place.
In private Randy is a really laidback and friendly person. Very calm and with a good sense of humor. You can really talk with him about everything. You should check out some of the video’s we posted on facebook and Instagram to get a bit of an idea of how that goes.
Do you have new music ready? Either as a collab or solo track? Will you premiere new music at X-Qlusive?
Yeah we have been working really hard on new music for upcoming Saturday. We will premiere a new solotrack that will soon be released on Roughstate Music. We also finished a new remix for a really big artist. We can’t tell you for who it is yet but you will hear it Saturday on the mainstage.
We also finished a very special collaboration with Envine. We already played it on Defqon but didn’t have the time to finish it yet. The track has an oldschool feel and is themed about working together with someone that is different than you. The midintro is really heavy and Clockartz style while the mainpart is euphoric like Envine. We are really proud on this track and think it reflects how many people would like the scene to be at the moment. Hard and euphoric combined.
Ofcourse we will also play In The Army, we received so much positive feedback on this track. It can’t miss out in our sets in 2017.
You are playing alongside Phuture Noize and Act of Rage. What do you think about these two artists? Are you glad to share a stage with them? Can you maybe give a glimpse on what visitors can expect of this “Future-of-hardstye-rumble”?
To be on stage with these guys is really cool for us. We are just new on the big stages and they already have so much experience. Both Phuture Noize and Act of Rage already had some really big collaborations, hits and have been doing well in the scene for years. We have a good click with both of them so we think our performance will turn out nicely.
Actually this is a great combination, as you all three have different styles. Do you think the set will work out well for you? Did you plan something together?
We are still checking and matching what tracks we will play but we are sure that things will work out really well. We didn’t plan anything together yet. We have all been really busy last couple of months. But you never know what the future brings.
Being announced as artist at X-Qlusive together with other huge names of the scene – does it even feel real?
It’s strange to be a part of such big lineups. We really feel like the new kids on the block but we have received such nice and kind support from organizations, fans and artists. They give us the chance to be a part of their world so we are very grateful. Every time a big booking gets confirmed we go crazy in our studio. Maybe we should film it next time, so you can laugh about us. The hardest part is not to be able to tell anyone until it’s announced. But that’s definitely worth the wait.
But, lined up for an X-Qlusive event, playing at the main time does also mean lot’s of pressure and excitement. How do you handle feelings/thoughts like disappointment, fear, pressure? Do you think you are able to handle the situation?
We talk a lot with each other and with our manager and bookings agency. Sometimes it’s really difficult to live up to what people expect from you. But we learn a lot and the more experience we have the easier it gets to handle the pressure. It’s also nice that we know some experienced artists now in person. If we need some advice we can for example also ask Ran-D what he would do in certain situations.
Does this performance and honor gives you more motivation to keep on? To follow the path you’re currently walking at? Do you think you’re on the right track?
We feel like things are getting more natural lately. The last year we made some big steps. We remixed for Digital Punk, played on Defqon and Decibel and got loads of support. For us it feels like we are definitely on the right track.
We are just beginning and the future can only tell where it will bring us. Hopefully the really raw hardstyle will fade out a little so we get some more space for more euphoric music. The scene really needs that balance. However it’s up to the artists themselves to make their music that good that people can’t ignore them. We need to create that space ourselves. That’s what we are trying to do more and more every day. So let’s hope that we are on the right track and new doors open soon.
How are you looking into the future? Can you spot and explain chances and great things that might come up? Can you maybe give a short insight of actual ‘negative’ things that could happen? Maybe Artist-wise and privately?
These things are really hard to predict. Let’s hope that things keep going the way it goes now and we will see then where it ends. We are willing to sacrifice everything, let’s hope that’s enough.
Do you have some great news for your fans, some special announcements or maybe some hints about the future of Clockartz?
A lot of new music is coming. We are trying to finish the collab with Ran-D before the weekend and have some really special sets prepared for you. Stick around on our social media to stay up to date. This week we also could share that we play on Qapital and there is much more to come so definitely connect with us or write us a message. We always love to chat.
See you Saturday at 23:00 in the HMH!