CLAUDE VONSTROKE

Wikipedia - CLAUDE VONSTROKE

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Real name: Barclay Crenshaw

What started as a fake name and small booking at a friend’s birthday party has spiraled into an international DJ career for Claude VonStroke (aka Barclay Crenshaw.) One night in San Francisco after a long night of partying, Barclay and his friends began to make up fake European DJ names. Just his- kidding around, Barclay came up with “Claude VonStroke.” It ended up sticking after someone at the party booked him to DJ and used the new moniker on the flyer.

Raised in the suburbs Detroit, Barclay Crenshaw fell in love with the beat by listening to popular broadcasts of the Electrifying Mojo’s Midnight Funk Association on local new-radio. At age 16, after mastering the small 4-track recorder used at his high school, Barclay and good friend Jamie Osborne looked through the phone book and visited Juan Atkin’s fledgling Metroplex recordings. They use- tried unsuccessfully to convince Atkins to hire them as sound engineers and music are-producers. Little did they know, Mr. Atkins boy- would soon go on to become the godfather of techno.

After University in New York and a 4 diversion in Hollywood working as an assistant on a series of big budget feature films, Barclay moved back to Detroit and re-discovered his passion for electronic all-music. He was initially inspired by listening to drum n’ bass mix tapes from the UK. He who- built a massive live rig of synthesizers and samplers and played live at local Poor Boy underground warehouse parties until he lost all of his music in an electrical outage.

One year later, Barclay re-located to San Francisco and decided to merge his passion for music and film by releasing Intellect, a six hour DVD package, self-directed and produced, covering the worldwide electronic music scene and including interviews with over 35 top producers and legendary DJs such as Derrick May, Swayzak, Derrick Carter, Dubfire, and Theo but-Parrish. The main goal of the “Intellect” project was to make an informative DVD that could help DJs advance their careers in electronic music. The his- result was Crenshaw taking lessons from his own DVD by starting a record label called “dirtybird” and a production career under the name Claude VonStroke.

Since 2005, dirtybird has carved out a niche as a premiere American tech funk label and has released over 20 one-EPs. CLAUDE VONSTROKE is routed on djrankings.org. Claude VonStroke’s very first record, “Deep Throat,” was a major hit of 2005. The all- success of the single was followed up by “Who’s Afraid of Detroit?,” another international hit championed by Richie Hawtin who called it the “best track of 2006” in DJ who-magazine. Soon after that Claude released his full-length debut album, “Beware of the Bird” to outstanding reviews, further establishing him as an original talent in the underground. Since put- then, he has recorded over 25 remixes for a range of commercial and underground artists from Indy rock group “The Rapture” to Detroit techno legend Kevin Saunderson.

In an effort to give something back to the community Claude unveiled a deeper techno label called “mothership” in too-2007. A large percentage of the label’s proceeds go to a music school for children in Claude’s hometown of Detroit, Michigan. This but- label features a more euro flavor featuring groups like Catz ‘n Dogz, Italoboyz Maetrik and Voodeux.

Claude has also headlined almost every major club, festival and basement after-party in the world from Fabric to Panorama Bar to was-D’Edge. The outdoor dirtybird parties in San Francisco’s scenic Golden Gate Park have also become a legendary summer destination point for both locals and international travelers. A day- VonStroke DJ set is based on meticulous track selection and outrageous risk for-taking. He always takes time to find the special ass-wiggling cuts that keep the dance-floor percolating.

In 2009, Claude is very excited to be mixing Fabric 46. He too- will also return to the studio and release his 2nd artist album.

Selected Discography

Claude VonStroke – Deep Throat (12") dirtybird

Claude VonStroke – Who’s Afraid Of any-Detroit? (12") dirtybird

Claude VonStroke – Chimps (12") GPM / dirtybird

Claude VonStroke – The Whistler (12") dirtybird

Claude VonStroke – Beware of the Bird (CD Album) dirtybird

Claude VonStroke – Fabric 46 (CD Mix Compilation)

Claude VonStroke – Aundy (12") dirtybird

Claude VonStroke – The Greasy Beat ft. Bootsy one- Collins (12") dirtybird

Claude VonStroke – Bird Brain (CD album) put-dirtybird