When you consider the huge support Dutch producer Man Without A Clue has received as of late, you’d be forgiven for thinking there was some sort of attempt at sarcasm in the coining of the pseudonym. Indeed the popularity of his debut release on DFTD ‘When I Play This Record’ amongst peers and punters alike, attests to the fact that he is far from clueless when it comes to delivering infectious dance floor ready cuts. Yet as Defected’s Hannah Thomas discovers, his alias is a direct and honest reference to a man who was until recently struggling to find his niche.
“Two years ago, I didn’t know where my life was going regarding music” opens the eponymous Man – real name Alex van der Meijden. “One day I was working in the studio and I was working on a new record called ‘Secret Symphony’ and that sound just didn’t match the style I was producing under the other names. I found myself kind of lost in all genres and the name just popped up and just fitted right.”
But despite what he may have thought, the now burgeoning producer wasn’t strictly clueless. One thing he did know was that what he was doing musically just wasn’t sitting quite right.
“I worked under a few aliases but the main one was Alex Sandrino. The Alex Sandrino sound was more upfront tech-house. I got a lot of support from various DJ’s but things never took off and I found myself kind of stuck in a box. But with Man Without A Clue I really love producing new records – it feels like there are no boundaries.”
So Man Without A Clue was a license for freedom in many ways. By creating this persona it has allowed him to find his musical identity. The tech house route didn’t work because it wasn’t a true reflection of him as an individual, but it did teach him about what was important if you want to stand out.
“It’s got to be real. I think the tech house thing was something I had to do to finally get where I am today as an artist. I’ve taken all the experience I gained from that and have moved onto the next step. It’s all about developing yourself as an artist and you’ve got to work hard to get better.” But the transition from Alex Sandrino the producer to his successor Man Without A Clue wasn’t a straightforward one; support and advice from house music legend Roger Sanchez had a key role to play in guiding the evolution of his sound and identity.
“Although it’s ultimately down to the music, Roger’s support was definitely important. I sent him a new record which was produced under Alex Sandrio. He got back to me telling me he wanted to sign it and also asked if I was still producing under the MWAC name. I told him that both aliases blended into one and that I just wanted to move on with Alex Sandrino but with a deeper sound. He came back to me told me to continue with Man Without A Clue instead.
And it seems his advice was right. The Man Without a Clue sound was set and word was spreading.
“At that time I also got in touch with Kenny Dope after my friend recorded a clip of Roger and Kenny playing back to back and spinning ‘When I Play This Record at ADE’. When I found out Kenny had played it, I contacted him to say thanks and now we’re working on tracks together.”
But like Alex recognises, although support and mentoring can do its fair share to help any up and coming artist’s career, it really does come down to the record itself. If the initial hype on local media is anything to go by, it’s got potential to be a big club record. So what is it about the record that works so well?
“I think DJs like it because every DJ knows what it’s like when you’re playing a record you like and people run up to booth requesting a different track. Now DJs have this record on cue for when that requests come in.” A handy DJ tool then? For sure, but as Alex explains, it was intended to have dancefloor appeal to boot. “The whole track is set up for the dancefloor, the vocal is easy and attracts a lot of people. The record just evolved naturally. The whole beat is all around 505, 808 and 909. The vocal just popped into my mind and I recorded it, pitched it right down and the MWAC sounds was born. It sounds really easy when I say it like this but then again, I do believe in simplicity. Life is already too complicated.”
With his obvious penchant for spoken word tracks and simple beats it will come as no surprise to hear that some of Man Without A Clue’s earliest musical influences were very much centred around his older brother’s hip-hop collection.
“Back in the day Ii used to jam with my older brother at home. I was born in 82 so u know i grew up with hip-hop. I think i produced my first hip-hop beat age 11 or so. I went to high school in Schagen and thereI got involved in music –rapping and making beats. I got into house when I was around 21. Before that the UK speed garage came around and I loved the up-tempo clean beats with the grimy bass line MC on top. As far as producing goes, I think I’ve produced every type of house music there is; electro, tech, techno, deep, indie and so on. The problem is, I like it all!
So it’s easy to see how he became “lost in genres” and why Man Without A Clue came about. What’s really admirable however that he’s never given up despite the struggle to find a clear direction. In fact there’s something quite refreshingly ‘laissez-faire’ about this ‘clueless’ man’s attitude to life and his career.
“I just follow my own path and do what I think is right. I know that there will always be people who can mix down the record better or master the record better or whatever, but hey, this is me and this is what I do. I’m just trying to be original and have fun while doing what I am doing. With music people are always coming and going. You see lots of artists having success and the next day they are gone. I am in this for the long term and that’s why it is ok for me to have worked all those years without getting anything back. I’ve always believed that it’s never too late and thoughtoOne day things will turn around”
‘When I Play This Record’ could very well be the break he’s been waiting for…
Words: Hannah Thomas
When I Play This Records is out now – buy from Beatport and Traxsource
