TIM CLARK is a two-time EDMAward-winning DJ/producer based in Las Vegas. Awarded Breakthrough Artist of the Year (Trance) in 2024 by the EDMA committee, consisting of the top FM radio programmers and music industry professionals, TIM CLARK currently hosts a weekly Thursday residency in the heart of Las Vegas’ thumping downtown scene. With releases on Coldharbour Recordings, a weekly Inspire Radio radio program and a stacked tour calendar, TIM CLARK is positively focused on getting his music out to the masses and DJing as many shows as humanly possible. We sat down with TIM CLARK to hear how he keeps all the plates spinning.
It seems your weekly Vegas shows are gaining in popularity. How are you going about building a local following?
TIM CLARK: I don’t play for myself; I play for the crowd. My shows aren’t just gigs to me; I think of them as concerts. I time my transitions, BPM and programming based on what I think the crowd needs, and although I don’t know what the crowd is going to do, I try to take them on a journey with me. I know it sounds a bit cliché by now, taking the crowd “on a journey,” but it’s really what I set out to do, musically. One of the great things about having a weekly residency is that I notice a lot of strangers becoming familiar faces over time. One of the things I like to do is blend different genres during my sets like they’re the same genre. My goal is that everyone who comes to my show leaves satisfied and feeling better than when they arrived.
You were awarded two EDMAwards this year: one for “Breakthrough Artist of the Year,” and one for “Best DJ On Tour” (for Markus Schulz’s ‘Rabbit Hole Circus’ Tour). One of the hardest things to do is be a great support DJ, one who warms-up the crowd just the right amount without overwhelming the headliner. There’s a lot of subtlety involved and give-and-take with the audience. You’ve opened many times for Markus Schulz, but also for MORTEN, ATB, Bassjackers, Aly&Fila, Ferry Corsten, Duke Dumont and many others. How do you prepare?
TIM CLARK: I listen to a lot of DJs, and before I go out on tour with someone or open for them, I listen to their sets. For example, for Bassjackers, I listened to their sets on YouTube and found they frequently began their sets at 140 BPM and I arrange at 130 BPM, so I didn’t have to lay-up in that instance. In other instances, another DJ might usually open at the same BPM as I do, so I’ll make sure to slow down the BPM of my last few tracks so they can have an impactful start. It’s all about making the other DJ(s) look good, when I play support. During my weekly residency, however, I am the headliner. When I play big festivals like EDC LV, I don’t worry about the next DJ because of the way the stages are set-up; I can be myself.
Las Vegas is hands-down the most lucrative city to be in for nightlife and entertainment. What can you tell us about your weekly residency at Troy Liquor Bar (inside the famed Golden Nugget Las Vegas Hotel & Casino)? We hear you saved the venue from closing.
TIM CLARK: From the beginning of my journey as a DJ, I always knew that I wanted to produce my own shows. Troy Liquor Bar met all of my criteria in terms of what I wanted to accomplish: take a second-tier club and create the best Thursday night in all of Vegas, beat out all the top-tier clubs in terms of profit margins and do it on a consistent basis. Kind of like the Oakland A’s beating the New York Yankees to win the World Series. This also allows me to travel around the country and world and play clubs and festivals on the weekends.
Speaking of which, you’ve played all over the country, including multiple return performances at EDC Las Vegas, EDC Orlando, Avalon Hollywood, E11EVEN Miami, M2 Miami, Ora Seattle, Vixen’s Cabaret Fort Lauderdale and aboard the Groove Cruise Miami. Other venues you’ve just started playing or have recently played for the first time, like Pure Nightclub Sunnyvale, HQ2 Atlantic City, Galaxy Station Festival Houston, Musica NYC, Silo Brooklyn, The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Fort Lauderdale and many others. Are you evolving in terms of technique, artistically, or both?
TIM CLARK: I feel as though I’m improving with each set. I always analyze what I did right or wrong afterwards, almost like a professional athlete analyzes film of his performance the day after a game. So, in that regard, each new set is “the best” set I’ve ever played. Musically, it just evolves organically with experience
What are the go-to tracks in your virtual crate?
TIM CLARK: My live sets consist of the songs I play on my radio show and my original productions. My radio show is always evolving, so it’s never the same month after month, obviously. I’d say my original productions are my go-to music. I have dozens of original productions out on different labels: Coldharbour, Black Hole, Perfecto and my own label distributed by Warner Music.
Internationally, you’ve played in Europe in Amsterdam (during Amsterdam Dance Event) and in Wroclaw, Poland. The footage from your show at Transformator Poland shows a very enthusiastic crowd for an intimate venue; people were going off. To what do you owe your European appeal?
TIM CLARK: My melodic-techo, progressive sound appeals to European fans. The fact that my weekly Inspire Radio show is syndicated worldwide also helps. The radio show definitely helps build a fanbase in regions where it’s heard. The fact that I’m part of the Coldharbour family is also a huge plus; the fans I see at these shows are already predisposed to like my tech/progressive sound.
Speaking about Coldharbour Recordings, you’ve been quoted in the media as giving credit to Markus Schulz (Coldharbour label chief and founder) to be a mentor. What’s that relationship like?
TIM CLARK: Without a doubt, I owe my fast rise to Markus Schulz and the whole Coldharbour family with the assist from my amazing manager, Emily Tan. Two-and-a-half years ago, a mutual acquaintance shared a track with Markus, who played it at his open-to-close show at Avalon Hollywood that New Year’s Eve. Emily Tan, who is also Markus Schulz’s publicist, noticed the track and eventually was introduced to me. Emily introduced me formally to Markus and he and I met during Miami Music Week a few months after. We hit it off from the start. One thing led to another, and very soon Markus had given me a huge opportunity by tapping me to be the tour DJ opening for him on what was then his Rabbit Hole Circus Tour. Over the course of many shows in different cities stretching countless miles on endless flights, I’ve learned how to DJ and produce at the highest level, under Markus’ tutelage.
On the topic of your releases, your original productions seem to have in common a high-energy, big room, peak-time sound to them. Some of the tracks of yours that stand-out include, “Gateway,” “Feel You Now,” “Descent,” “Chasing Stars” and “Oasis. How much do your experiences playing in front of a live audience impact the creative process when you’re in the studio?
TIM CLARK: My favorites are “Lose My Breath,” “Feel You Now,” “Wake Up,” “Forgiving Hearts,” and “Come Play With Me Now” going back to some of my earliest ones. I’m constantly releasing new music, and the song I’m most excited about right now is one called, “When I Think of U.” As for my creative process, I come up with a concept and then develop a sound around it. Coldharbour Recordings has the first-right-of-refusal on all my releases. If Markus [Schulz] likes it, he releases it. I shop to other labels or self-release the rest.
What’s next on the horizon for TIM CLARK? What can you tell us that may get music-lovers excited, looking ahead to 2025 and beyond?
TIM CLARK: I have a number of amazing things happening in 2025 that I’m not at liberty to announce just yet, but stay tuned. In the meantime, the song I’ve been working on for a while is due to be released soon, and it’s called “When I Think of You.” That one is a proper song and it’s one of the best releases I’ve ever had! Before that, I have an extremely important song I’m releasing with Markus Schulz that we all feel has the potential to be a hit record. That one’s called “You Belong.” As always, catch my weekly Inspire Radio show and I’ll see you out at all the big festivals and best nightclubs. Life absolutely doesn’t end at age 40!
Follow TIM CLARK online:
Website // Instagram // Facebook // Spotify // YouTube
The post Exclusive Interview With TIM CLARK appeared first on Magnetic Magazine.