Overview
Andy C, real name Andy Clarke, is a highly decorated award-winning DJ and producer from the United Kingdom. Getting his start at the young age of 15 in the early 90s, Andy C is one of the most significant forces in the history of Drum and Bass. His early tracks contributed remarkably to the evolution of the genre and scene, and many credit him for the start of it all.
After falling in love with dance music at the age of 13 after his sister brought him to his first parties, Andy began dabbling in production and soon began working in a recording studio. At this studio, he met frequent collaborator Ant (real name Anthony Davis), who helped nurture him into his grandeur talent. The two worked together in Ant’s garage studio, creating music under their alias Origin Unknown.
Also around this time, in 1992, Andy launched his own record label called RAM— named after his star sign, Aries. He released his solo debut ‘Sour Mash EP’ which, still, decades later remains highly collectible.
At only 15, Andy alongside Ant created the magnum opus ‘Valley of the Shadows (31 Seconds)’ which is touted as the prototype for the darkcore style of music. This track won Best Hardcore Tune at the 1993 Hardcore Dance Awards, where Andy also won the title of Best Newcomer.
From there, Andy’s career progressed rapidly. The young producer and DJ had his own show on pirate station, Cyndicut FM, on top of playing consistently at clubs and festivals across the UK. Early on, Andy could be found performing at clubs such as Imagination, Club Elevation, Dreamscape, Innovation, and Telepathy, where he held a residency. Also from a young age he often collaborated with established producers like DJ Randall, Shimon, and Moving Fusion.
In 1994, Ant and Andy created another alias called Desired State, where they released tracks like “Beyond Bass” and “Here and Now.” The two also continued collaborating under their Origin Unknown alias, releasing ‘Original Unknown Presents…Speed of Sound’ in 1997, which won Best Dance Album at the Kiss FM Dance Awards and Best Album at the Hardcore Dance Awards, where Andy also won Best Producer.
The new and innovative releases continued, leading the young producer to even more awards and accolades. In 1999 and 2000, he took the award for Best DJ at the Knowledge Awards. In 2001 and 2002, he won Best D&B DJ award on Drum & Bass arena, as well as Accelerated Culture's 'People’s Choice Awards’ in 2002. Additionally, he’s remixed tracks like Adam F’s “Circles,” Jay-Z’s “Can’t Knock the Hustle,” and Busta Rhymes “Woo Hah!” which won Best Remix at the 1996 Muzik Magazine Awards.
Still, decades later, Andy C creates new music and performs at festivals and events around the world. Some of his most recent tracks, released in 2021, include “Ghost” with DJ Rae and “Boom” with Tonn Piper. This year, he can be found performing at Creamfields, Secret Project, Nozstock the Hidden Valley, Elektric Park Festival, and much more.
