Interview with Joe Claussell as featured in Keep-On Magazine   

The interview

DS3:

Joe, you've just mixed the new Southport Weekender Pt.2 CD along with Blaze. Taking into account the history and variety of such an event like Southport how did you approach this CD. Did you find it difficult to produce something that you were proud of but which also reflected the essence of Southport?

Joe Claussell:

Well firstly I was very happy and excited to have been asked to do this CD, I very rarely do them but to me I found this CD both interesting and difficult, a challenge. It was difficult because I felt there wasn't a lot music available to me at the time, certainly not the type of music I would have considered appropriate to Southport but also there was a lot of music that wasn't released that I couldn't use. But having said that, I'm happy with what I've used and feel that I've created an atmospheric, unconditional CD. I felt that the CD market had become over saturated, the mix CD market in particular. This was another reason I'd more often then not turned down offers to record mix CD's. It was important to me, musically, to come up with something different, which sounds different; it always is for me. Everything I do I try to put my all into, and I believe I've managed to come up with an atmospheric mix, cosmic even, hopefully people will feel that when they hear it. I'm proud and I think that's the important thing.

DS3:

Over the years you've always been proud to express the love for your family and the obvious influence they've been to you. Without them do you think we'd have the musically minded Joe Claussell?

Joe Claussell:

No. Without my family, my upbringing, I wouldn't be sat here now doing what I'm doing. Firstly it was never my goal to be doing this. I think cosmically many different forces, spiritual forces that generated from my family, guided me. My mother, my brothers, they mean everything. Imagine my mother jumping up and down excited because she's got this new stereo! She loved Frank Sinatra, Afro Cuban records, whatever. My brothers, my older brother, Larry, who was in a rock band used to rehearse in the basement at weekends. In fact at home I could never remember a day, or hour when there wasn't music playing, all kinds of music. But the more interesting part, the part I adhere to the most at home is that myself and brother, we slept in the same bed and the way we'd get to sleep was that we'd do this thing, we'd rock, literally rock ourselves to sleep but we'd collaborate together as we were rocking ourselves to sleep! That happened every single night, without fail, so music is in me. It was a never a question of it being all I ever wanted to do, it's inside me like a powerful force. So yes, to answer your question, it ALL comes from my family.

DS3:

You began working at Dance Tracks in the late 1980's when it transformed into one of the leading vinyl stores in NYC. Was this a surprise success?

Joe Claussell:

I remember distinctively the first time I went it there, and it felt like home and like I belonged. When the Paradise Garage ended it seemed that many things ended, like house music, as it was becoming, suffered directly. When I walked into this space I was like, "Wow! This is me!" and before I knew it I'd become a permanent fixture of the store! One day, the owner of the store, Stan, had to run an errand and asked if I'd mind watching the store for him and I was like "yeah, ok!", when Stan came back I'd sold so many records, about $5000 worth, and he was impressed. Then, before I knew what was happening I slowly became his DJ. We became great friends; he started relying on me for my knowledge and we'd go out together picking up records. It was fun! You gotta remember though, at this time I wasn't making any money, this wasn't a 'job'. So in order to do so, I'd start selling used records, often back to the store! It was a great, great time for me, for both of us I'd say. Later though Stan got tired, he wanted to let it go and he wanted me to take it over. Stan left around 1993 and I then designed the whole place with my ex-girlfriend at the time, who was British. I designed it in a very different way, I wanted it to give back, I wanted customers to walk in and feel the love and know that this wasn't just about money. I had the ideas to put sofas in there, coffee tables too so that people didn't feel rushed. You know it was the only store at that time that had that kinda vibe, and of course, we had a major sound system in there! It was my favourite place to DJ in the whole world, that was my club and Dancetrax was born.

DS3:

In 1996, you launched Spiritual Life Music. What did you set out to achieve back then and do you still feel there's work to be done?

Joe Claussell

At that time I felt the importance of keeping the tradition that Stan has laid the foundations for at Dancetrax, I wanted to keep that vibe alive. Actually, for me that become my philosophy as well and never, ever selling out. It was never about the money, only ever about the music. At that time the music that I loved felt lost, like it was disappearing because of progressive house and it became very difficult for us in the music business. So I was faced with two decisions: one was to sell my share of the store, and the other was to try and give something back to the music that I loved, that was the only reason why the record label evolved. It was never some desire inside of me to own a record label, I just felt I owed it to the music and to the people. I suppose to feel like I'd done all I could to keep alive the music I love so much.

DS3:

Perhaps most noticeably you were part of the legendary Body & Soul parties, which ran with undiluted success in the 1990's. By capturing the essence of a 'party' as opposed to a club you, along with Danny Krivit and Francois K, managed to re-capture that vibe first brought to people in the late 1960's by David Mancuso and swiftly followed by nights like the Gallery and the Paradise Garage. What would you say meant the most to you about B&S and what did it give that you'll take to your grave?

Joe Claussell:

The philosophy. Our philosophy was simply about the music and having our arms open at the door to anyone, that for me was what was the biggest success about it. You know, there was a feeling with Body and Soul that when you walked into that place, you belonged. It wasn't about how good you could dance, what clothes you were wearing, it was simply about being, for everyone. It didn't matter what you looked like, big, small, black, white - nothing mattered, just come in, and dance - now THAT was the philosophy. I could go on and give you more glamorous details, say this, say that, but it's all really rather simple. It was a place you could go and be yourself and feel happy with those around you, no one person was special, everyone was special and for me, that is what I'll take to my grave. There is a power that music has in bringing people together and I'm so thankful for that, for my family, the artists, the incredible artists that all showed me and contributed to that way of music. It's about love, and unfortunately in this world, especially today, it's very difficult to get that in the masses, not just from family and friends - a lot of people don't realise that. When you were in this place you could stop, look around and you could be opened up to so many different cultures, it had a domino effect and in total we created more unity. To me, and I include all the wonderful places I've been to all over the world, nothing, and not just because I was involved in it, nothing had or has the heart of Body and Soul. I used to love it so much I'd just leave the DJ booth and go dance!

DS3:

Where do you get your hats from and which is your favourite?!

Joe Claussell

(laughs!) My hats I get from a lot of places, my friends often get them, but my favourite, it's not even a hat, it's a Bandera scarf. It's an orange one that I would always DJ with, it's the... the... magnet for me to zone in whilst I'm DJing, my orange scarf, which unfortunately I don't have with me on this trip!

DS3:

Sum up Joe Claussell in 3 words.

Joe Claussell:

Always, always evolving.

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