Up and Comers: Clockwork

March 1, 2012 By Zona 1,696 Comments

Until recently, not many people have heard of the LA native Clockwork. Now based in New York, the DJ/producer is climbing his way into the forefront of the EDM world by harnessing his big-room-bass sound. He has done countless remixes and bootlegs from Avicii’s “Levels” to the Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage”. He continued his onslaught in the studio with his first single simply titled “Squad Up”. The track’s wide use and global recognition caught the attention of Dim Mak’s very own Steve Aoki. From there, his track bounced off the walls of clubs all across the globe thanks to the support of big name players like Tiesto, Steve Angello and Laidback Luke. This marked a pivotal point in the young Californian’s career, but it has only just begun. His Squad Up EP is set to release in a mere 13 days and is sure to skyrocket Clockwork to an entirely new level of success. Expect big things from this kid because his future is nothing but bright. We had the chance to ask him a few questions and this is how it went…

What inspired you to pursue music?

I started out playing the drums in middle school, and continued to play through my high school jazz band. I took a class on scratching the summer of 2008 and from there, got into DJing and production.

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How would you describe your sound and who would you consider your biggest influences?

I like to describe my sound as “Big Room”, striving for memorable breakdowns, energetic buildups, and innovative, bass-heavy drops. I have always been influenced by hip-hop, especially nowadays as the productions are so incredible. So my influences range from anyone making heavy, creative music, from Bangladesh and Lex Luger to Congorock and Dada Life (to name a few).

On that note who’s your favorite dj?

My favorite DJ set I’ve seen recently was Brodinski B2B with Gessafelstein. Proper techno set, their track selection and crowd control is so on point.

What kind of equipment and software do you like to use for mixing?

For production: Reason 4.0

For live sets: 2 CDJs x DJM800 x Serato

So far, what’s your favorite track of your own that you’ve mixed? Your favorite mix of someone else’s track?

As for my favorite original track I’ve done, I guess it would be “Squad Up”, but I’m really happy with the whole Squad Up EP. I have a few new tracks I’ve been working on that I’m extremely happy with too.

My favorite remix I’ve done so far would be my remix for Steve Aoki’s “Emergency”, coming out soon on Ultra Records!

Any goals you have for this year? Anything new you can tell us about your plans?

This year is going to be my biggest yet. I have my Dim Mak EP coming out in March, with some huge remixes included. I have a bunch of other tracks coming out soon after that, including new originals, collaborations with one of my favorite producers, remixes for Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Mustard Pimp, and a few more. I also have a European tour coming up in March, and a North American tour soon after that.

Are you touring with anyone we should be on the lookout for?

I can’t say right now, but look out for a major tour in April/May with one of my fellow Dim Mak artists J

Thank you for your time you have a bright future ahead and we can’t wait to see what you comes next for you.

To find out what clockwork is playing and what he’s up to check out his Facebook and Twitter pages. Also make sure you check out his music on his soundcloud as well.