Andy C

Last updated

Andy C
Birth nameAndrew Michael Clarke [1]
Also known asThe Executioner
Born (1976-04-07) 7 April 1976 (age 48) [2]
Hornchurch, Greater London, England
Genres Drum and bass
Occupations
Years active1991–present
Labels
Website www.andyc.cc

Andrew Michael Clarke (born 7 April 1976) is an English DJ, record producer and co-founder of RAM Records, a label in the drum and bass genre. [3]

Contents

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 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 [4] 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. [5]

2010–2014

In 2011, Andy C won the Best DJ title in the 2011 Drum & Bass Arena Awards, [6] and since the awards' inception in 2009, he has won the people's vote in the awards for Best DJ each year. [7] He specialises in fast mixing, often employing three turntables. [8] [9] [10] A signature mixing style of Andy is what he refers to as the "Double Drop": lining up two tunes so that both basslines drop at the same time. [11] Andy C has often organised events where he DJs continuously for six 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 four on it and the highest British DJ on the list. [12] He is the only DJ to date, to receive in excess of 20 annual 'Best DJ' titles in any genre. [2]

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. [13]

His talent as a producer and a DJ have earned him extensive respect from his peers, cited 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. [14]

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" (with Fiora), was released in November 2014 and entered the UK Singles Chart at number 50.

2015–present

Andy C released the Singles 'New Era' and 'What Bass?' 2016 and 2017. Throughout 2017 he performed at a string of major festivals. [15]

In 2018 Andy C sold out Wembley Arena in three days, becoming the first Drum and Bass artist to do so. [16] [17]

In 2019, Andy C released the singles 'Till Dawn' [18] (which had been featured in his sets since 2015) and 'Back & Forth'. [19] He also toured extensively and headlined many festivals throughout the year.

Awards and nominations

Andy C ranked #61 in DJ Magazine's 2010 Top 100 DJs annual poll announced 27 October 2010. [20]

On 1 December 2011 Andy C won the Best DJ title in the 2011 Drum and Bass Arena Awards. [6]

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. [21]

In 2019, Andy C won the 'DJ Mag Top 100 DJs - Highest Drum and Bass Award', climbing 11 positions on the previous year to no.79. [22]

Since its inception in 2009, the peoples vote each year for the annual award for best DJ at The Drum and Bass Arena Awards has been won each year by Andy C for 10 consecutive years. [7]

Musical style and influence

He is considered a pioneering force in the drum and bass genre. [3] He specialises in fast mixing, often employing three analogue turntables. [8] [9] [10] A signature mixing style of Andy is what he refers to as "The Double Drop" – lining up 2 tunes so their heaviest basslines drop at the same time. [11]

Personal life

Andy C is a self-confessed tech freak and a lifelong fan of West Ham United. [23]

Discography

Extended plays

YearReleaseLabel
1992Sour Mash [24] RAM Records
1993Bass Logic [25]

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions, showing year released and album name
TitleYearPeak chart positionsCertificationsAlbum
UK
[26] 		UK
Dance
[27] 		LAT
Air.
[28]
"Slip N' Slide" / "Bass Constructor" (Remix) [29] 1993——*Non-album singles
"Sound Control" / "Feel It" [30]
(with Randall)		1994——
"Cool Down" / "Roll On" [31] 1995——
"Sound Control" (Remix) / "Feel It" (Remix)
(with Randall)		——
"Quest"
(with Shimon)		199695—
"Body Rock"
(with Shimon)		2001281Ram Raiders – The Mix
"Haunting" [32] 2013——Nightlife 6
"Workout"18826
"Heartbeat Loud"
(with Fiora)		20145010Non-album singles
"New Era"2016——
"What Bass"2017——
"Till Dawn"2019———
"Back & Forth"———
"Boom"
(featuring Tonn Piper)		2021———
"Ghost"
(featuring DJ Rae)		———
"Indestructible"
(with Becky Hill)		20246697 Believe Me Now?
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
"*" denotes the chart did not exist at that time.

Mix CDs

YearReleaseLabel
1995Pure RollersSub Base Records USA
2001RAM Raiders – The MixRAM Records
2002World Dance: XPRS YRSLFMinistry of Sound
2002NightlifeRAM Records
Andy C – Drum & Bass ArenaReact
Andy C – Drum & Bass Arena, Version 2
2004FabricLive.18 (with DJ Hype)Fabric
Nightlife 2RAM Records
2006Nightlife 3
2007Andy C – Drum & Bass Arena: BabylonMixmag
Andy C & Grooverider – Drum & Bass ArenaResist Music
2008Nightlife 4RAM Records
2010Nightlife 5
2013Nightlife 6

Remixes

YearArtistRemixAppears 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. RaeTake Me Away (Andy C Remix)
2017 Pegboard Nerds Speed of Light (Andy C Remix)
2019 Tom Walker Not Giving In (Andy C Remix)
2020 The Prodigy Firestarter (Andy C Remix)

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References

  1. ↑ "Performance History - Andy C - Andrew Michael Clarke". Party Rock NL. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  2. 1 2 "Andy C wins DJ Mag Top 100 DJs 2017 Highest Drum & Bass Award". DJ Mag . 20 October 2017. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  3. 1 2 Birchmeier, Jason. "Biography: Andy C". Allmusic . Retrieved 15 April 2010.
  4. ↑ Origin Unknown Discography at Discogs. Discogs.com. Retrieved on 19 January 2016.
  5. ↑ Shop. Ramrecords.com. Retrieved on 19 January 2016.
  6. 1 2 DNB Arena Awards Winners 2011 Archived 22 December 2011 at the Wayback Machine . IMO Records, London, 2 December 2011. Retrieved on 2 December 2011.
  7. 1 2 Winners. Drum and Bass Arena Awards, 2013
  8. 1 2 "Andy C: Pioneering D-N-B". Archived from the original on 16 November 2016. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
  9. 1 2 Si Truss (6 October 2010). "Interview: Andy C on 18 years of drum 'n' bass". MusicRadar.com. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  10. 1 2 "Andy C interview: Double drop". Archived from the original on 16 November 2016. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
  11. 1 2 Dancing Astronaut Interview. Simplyneon.com (22 January 2014). Retrieved on 2016-01-19.
  12. ↑ Howe Ruby, Dave. "Tiesto voted 'The Greatest DJ of All Time". 20 January 2011. In the Mix Webzine, Australia. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  13. ↑ Andyc.cc Archived 5 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  14. ↑ DJ Craze Interview Archived 14 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine . Wordplaymagazine.com (7 July 2014). Retrieved on 2016-01-19.
  15. ↑ "Andy C: "Drum'n'bass is truly universal"". redbull.com. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  16. ↑ "Andy C makes history as all-night-long event at Wembley sells out". Mixmag. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  17. ↑ "Andy C at Wembley: 13 insane photos from the drum & bass don's takeover". DJMag.com. 14 November 2018. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  18. ↑ "ANDY C - Till Dawn". YouTube . Archived from the original on 12 December 2021.
  19. ↑ "ANDY C - Back & Forth". YouTube . Archived from the original on 12 December 2021.
  20. ↑ "DJ Mag". DJ Mag. 23 September 2011. Archived from the original on 9 May 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
  21. ↑ AMBASSADOR OF BASS MUSIC – ANDY C Archived 11 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine . Bass Music Awards, London, 29 November 2013.
  22. ↑ "ANDY C WINS DJ MAG TOP 100 DJS 2019 HIGHEST DRUM & BASS AWARD". djmag.com. 20 October 2019. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
  23. ↑ "RealSport Meets... Andy C: West Ham Edition - RealSport – Real People". Archived from the original on 1 February 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  24. ↑ "Andy C - Sour Mash E.P. (1992, Vinyl)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  25. ↑ "Andy C - Bass Logic E.P. (1993, Vinyl)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  26. ↑ Peak chart positions for singles in the United Kingdom:
  27. ↑ Peak chart positions for singles on the Dance Chart in the United Kingdom:
  28. ↑ "Otrajā nedēļā Latvijas dziesmu topā vislabāk veicas duetiem" [Duets do best in Latvia's song chart in second week] (in Latvian). TV Net  [ lv ]. 14 January 2025. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
  29. ↑ Slip N' Slide / Bass Constructor (Media notes). Andy C. RAM Records. 1993. RAMM 006.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  30. ↑ Sound Control / Feel It (Media notes). Andy C, Randall. RAM Records. 1993. RAMM 11.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  31. ↑ Cool Down / Roll On (Media notes). Andy C. RAM Records. 1993. RAMM 12.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  32. ↑ "Haunting / Workout – Single by Andy C". iTunes Store . Apple . Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  33. ↑ "British certifications – Andy C". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 2 April 2023.Type Andy C in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
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