We interviewed up-and-coming producer and DJ Clearcast in advance of their double-headliner set with Chrissy at Mothership on Saturday, June 22nd. Hear all about their rapid rise, the local artists that inspire them, and what it was like opening for Skrillex and Fred Again at a huge rave at Civic Center in SF.
We can’t wait to lose it on the dance floor with them this weekend, and we hope to see you there!
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It’s been quite a journey for you – from debuting Clearcast to joining Vitamin1000 to opening for Skrillex and Fred Again – Is this what you envisioned for yourself two years ago?
Music has always been a grounding and connecting force throughout my entire life, whether its DJ’ing, producing, or just jamming with others, and its something that I’ve constantly poured myself into without any expectation of results. It just makes me happy that creating and sharing the sounds that bring me joy seem to resonate with other people as well. I could’ve never predicted where these past few years would take me, but I know for a fact that I’m thankful for everyone that has supported me so far and has made it possible.
The creation and sharing of music is such a ridiculously fickle and fluid thing, the beauty in it is that it’s impossible to really know where it’s going until you’ve already arrived there. At this point I’m just stoked to be along for the ride, and looking forward to pushing the sounds I love even further.
Do you have any new releases coming up?
I have a double single of original tunes and a double single of bootlegs both coming out later this summer through some TBA labels that I’ve been wanting to work with for ages. Releasing music is usually a challenge for me, but these tunes are a great representation of where my sound is at now, and I’m so excited to finally share them!
Okay but actually: How was playing with Fred Again and Skrillex?
Unbelievably surreal — it’s an experience I’ll remember for the rest of my life. I definitely had a lot of nerves going up there — learning how to read a crowd that size in real-time was definitely a challenge, but after getting into a flow it felt incredibly free and fun. It meant the world to do it alongside Jess (Vertigo), and having all of our friends and loved ones up on stage with us really took the pressure off and made it easier to just sink into the moment of it all.
Fred and Skrillex were incredibly sweet to us afterward and gassed us up about our set, which really meant the world. We stayed on stage with them and our friends after we finished, and it was really wild getting to see them spin up close. I’ve enjoyed their sets individually in the past, but I was especially in awe this time of how fluid they were together behind the decks — it really seemed like they were sharing a brain at moments!!
Which up and coming local artists are you most excited about?
Farsight, Tom Marsi and Felly Fell are some of my favorite DJs and producers based in the Bay, and are also some of the absolute sweetest people I’ve met in the scene. I really admire the way they appreciate and understand the vulnerability in the goofy and silly, and have the expertise and tact to balance it seamlessly with deep and moving cuts.
Tripleset is a dear friend and my favorite UKG producer here in the Bay, and is making incredible waves both here and across the pond. We’ve worked on tons of tunes together this year that I’m excited to share one day as well!!
I’ve also been really fascinated by kk shucko’s production recently — the way they use texture in their music is so beautiful, and all of their songs feel like a story. I’ve especially been digging the last release them and Pteron put out on Ommaya.
It also absolutely goes without saying that I’m super inspired by Vertigo and my entire fam in Vitamin1000 — every DJ and producer in the collective has a very distinctive sound and deep love for music they spin, and it’s inspiring being surrounded by such a talented and sonically diverse bunch.
Does the Bay Area influence the music you make?
I’ve always been fascinated with how harmony and melody shapes the emotional impact of the music we create, and getting involved and working with producers in the scene here in the Bay has taught me so many important lessons about dance music as a whole, the importance of honoring its roots, and how current cultural context shapes how we compose and experience music. Living here has certainly shaped my sound heavily, and it’s been really fulfilling figuring out how to reconcile these new experiences with that with the sounds I grew up loving.
Do you have any hopes or predictions for the local music scene?
I would love to see more DIY interactive and immersive A/V club experiences. It would be incredible to have more venues that center dance music and its community, allowing the spaces themselves to better be integrated into the experience rather than just having them be neutral containers. New Nostalgia has been doing amazing things pushing this movement forward with their Throw Ur Phone Into a Lake and AI Beacon series here in the Bay, and I truly think these experiments are only the beginning.
See Clearcast play alongside Chrissy this Saturday, June 22 at Mothership.
