Music
Listen to an exclusive peak-time mix from house music great Roland Clark
With a new single on the way, the DJ, producer and vocalist celebrates with an hour-long mix of 4/4 heat to get you moving.
Roland Clark’s voice has carved its own vital path in the history of house music. Woven into some of the biggest tracks of the past few decades, he can swoop in falsetto on tracks like Armand Van Helden’s loved-up hit Flowerz, serve up racy monologues as per Kenny Dope’s Talk Dirty, or deliver classic soulful house vocals, as he does on brand-new single Dance Without A Reason (out 12 June).
You’ll likely know him best for praising the dancefloor on I Get Deep (sampled twice by Fatboy Slim and even by Katy Perry), where he waxes lyrical about filling one’s lungs with rhythm and bass and “Raising both hands in the air as if Jesus was a DJ himself / Spinnin' those funky, funky, funky house beats.”
Listen to Roland Clark's Choice Mix below:
Clark hasn't just influenced the house music scene with his voice, but as a producer, DJ, songwriter and performer too. His accolades in dance music are mighty and many, placing him among the pantheon of US house greats. Donning many aliases, he’s released on labels like Defected and King Street Sounds, collaborated with legends like Todd Terry and Roger Sanchezand pushed new talent forward as the head of his own imprint, Delete Records.
Decades later and he’s still very much on form. On June 12, Clark will release Dance Without A Reason, his latest collaboration with Applique Music label-head Lempo, on classic house label Strictly Rhythm. If the title isn’t enough of a hint, it's one of those irresistibly upbeat tracks that’ll get you moving no matter what mood you're in, with its bright horns and funked-up bass struts exuding that silky-smooth late-night vibe.
US house music legend Roland Clark
© Roland Clark
But what really lifts the single up on to a higher plane is the return of Clark’s soulful vocals. “It had been some time since I actually sang on a song – and in falsetto,” he says of the release. “It was pleasantly refreshing after all of the spoken-word material I’ve released over the years. This tune will be one for the ages.”
Dance Without A Reason opens up a brand-new Choice Mix that Clark has delivered for Red Bull Music. The track draws back the curtains on an hour stacked bumper-to-bumper with Clark’s own productions, remix work and vocals, with tracks from Ant LaRock and Idris Elba worked into the mix. From deep and driving peak-time bangers to glittering house grooves, let this be the reason to get up and get dancing.
Listen to our On The Floor playlist of the very best in house, techno and electronic music.
