From: “Planet Earth.”

DJ style: “House.”

Best known for: “Being unknown, and for my golden mask, of course.”

Fave tune of 2022: “Claptone, Rune ‘Calabria (Claptone Remix)’.”

Rising star DJ/producer of 2022: “James Hype.”

For the past decade, the masked enigma Claptone has continued to rise, enthralling crowds of thousands with his catchy records and engaging DJ sets. Rising to fame with his early hits ‘Cream’ and ‘No Eyes’ featuring Jaw on Exploited, he’s kept up a consistent run of releases ever since, last year releasing his third studio album ‘Closer’ that featured guest appearances from Seal, James Vincent McMorrow, Like Mike and more. This year he’s kept his foot firmly on the dancefloor, remixing Rune’s iconic ‘Calabria’, and has collaborated with Mylo for a rework of ‘Drop The Pressure’, as well as releasing a single ‘Make Love Not War’ featuring the vocals of Nathan Nicholson.

This summer his renowned Masquerade parties returned for a season at Pacha in Ibiza, inviting the likes of Kerri Chandler, Todd Terry, Paul Woolford and many more to join him. The Masquerade parties have gained worldwide recognition and this year he took the concept round the globe with events in Peru, Bogota, Barcelona, Amsterdam and is heading to Melbourne, Australia in November. 

What’s the best DJ set you’ve seen this year? 

“Fatboy Slim at The Masquerade @ Pacha Ibiza.”
 

Name one great festival you played for the first time this year… 

“Ultra Music Festival, Mainstage.”
 

What’s the longest DJ set you’ve ever played? 

“10 Hours.”
 

What’s one piece of studio hardware you wish you owned? 

“Emerson Moog Modular System.”
 

What’s the last tune you bought? 

“Adelphi Music Factory ‘Rise Again’.”
 

What’s the next big sound? 

“House.”