I would like to explore Bollywood: DJ Claptone

With his signature golden-beaked mask and white gloves, German DJ Claptone’s identity remains a mystery. But his fans, including Indian aficionados of house and tech genres, can easily identify his music. “I have visited India a few times for shows in Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Goa. I have heard of Bollywood and would love to explore that space. I really enjoyed watching Slumdog Millionaire (2008),” says the musician, who has albums like The Masquerade and Closer to his credit. While he’s not quite “familiar with Indian music” yet, he wishes to learn more about it. “Currently, my knowledge about Indian music starts with the zitar (a five-stringed Indian instrument) and stops at Panjabi MC (British Indian musician),” Claptone laughs.

In his decade-long career, the musician has done remixes of tracks by pop stars Dua Lipa, Elton John, Ava Max and Mark Ronson. Ask if he ever received feedback from them, and Claptone says, “Elton wanted to approve of every remix personally and I know that he loved my remixes, which makes me very happy. I never heard any feedback from Dua, but I remixed her twice, so I take it that she didn’t hate what I delivered. Ava came back with detailed feedback.”

The music producer, who released a single, Calabria, recently, is happy playing tech and house genres, because they “bring people together, make them dance and gives them happiness”. He adds, “I also appreciate the extensive history of house, disco and funk. House is so open that you can integrate almost every other genre with it.”

Ask about his mask and why he refrains from coming face-to-face with his fans, and Claptone concludes, “I just don’t want the perception of my music to be intertwined with a picture of me. In a recent interview, Billie Eilish (singer-songwriter) admitted that the celebrity lifestyle is amazing, but at times, she would just want to cross the street without being asked for an autograph or photo. She said she wished for a switch between a superstar and a normal person. I think I found that switch.”