Claptone Encourages New Dance Music Artists to Steer Clear of Creating Albums

Berlin-based DJ and masked icon Claptone (a.k.a. Claus Kleeberger) has shared that not all artists ought to embrace making albums.

Known for his beaked mask and deep house beats, Claptone has continued to enrapture the music world with his enigmatic stage presence. The anonymity created by his golden mask and white gloves creates a sense of intrigue that only furthers the allure. A further testament to this mystique, Claptone only recently delivered his first live interview at ADE sharing his thoughts on making albums.

During the interview, Claptone was candid about the staying power (or lack thereof) of the traditional album format. That is, he flat-out advised newcomers in the industry to generally steer clear of making albums. Specifically, he noted that unless “you see yourself as an artist that also wants to write a ballad, a downtempo tune or an instrumental”, albums are just not the way to go.

Claptone first burst onto the scene in 2011 with his debut single “Cream.” His defining career moment came in 2013 with the release of his hit single “No Eyes,” which now holds over 114 million streams on Spotify. Featuring mesmerizing vocals by Jaw, the track quickly became a club anthem, cementing Claptone‘s place on the international stage. With a career spanning over a decade, Claptone’s ventures beyond traditional “DJing” serve testament to his versatility. In fact, the producer even created a limited edition gin called “Spectacle” with German gin brand Liquormacher.

Despite his admonition towards albums, ‘Charmer’ and ‘Fantast’ are widely lauded for their melodic diversity and storytelling capabilities across audiences. Nonetheless, he has maintained momentum through global performances, namely his immersive Claptone Immortal Live which features a live band. ⁠

Given his longstanding status as a household name, emerging artists should take a page out of Claptone’s playbook. If the success of his masked performances and ventures into live music are any indicator, perhaps his estimations are not far off. To check out Claptone’s tour schedule, click here.

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Having grown up just an earshot from Ultra Miami’s venue Bayfront Park, it was next to impossible for me not to fall in love with electronic music. My love for music was evidently strong enough for me to write my college essay on festival culture and continue attending Ultra for 10+ years now. I have always had a knack for writing and the power of words, which I continued cultivating through a Philosophy degree in college. Now, I am finishing up law school and hope to merge my passions by working in the music industry. I am an avid traveler and am certainly not afraid to hop on a plane for a music event. My next bucket list items to attend are Tomorrowland in Belgium and ADE in the Netherlands. Though the list could go on forever, some of my favorite artists include Franky Wah, Kevin de Vries, Eli Brown, and John Summit.

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