VIDEO EXCLUSIVE: DJ Claptone Talks New Upbeat Album ‘Closer’: ‘I Think We Are All Going To Die, Actually!’

After you see him for the first time, he’s unforgettable.

DJ Claptone wears a bird-like mask disguise at all times in public. In the vein of Sia or Orville Peck, no one knows who he is, but many know his music and were excited for his album Closer, which was released last November.

Claptone sat down with uInterview’s Erik Meers to break down his past work and discuss how Closer stands out from his previous albums.

“My first album, Charmer, was more of an introduction and showed people you could bring together deep house with a little bit of pop influence and you could play every song in the club and it could be best of both worlds at the same time,” Claptone said. “Then Fantast, the album four years ago was me trying to find myself in nature and get to know the animalistic side of Claptone. I’m not only human. I look kind of weird and maybe there’s something more. I tried to experience that and went out in nature, and explored musically these kinds of influences and sounds that inspired me and also lyrical themes together with it, like “Animal” and a few other songs. The first albums had more of a melancholic touch, whereas Closer, it’s close to you, closer to the people. More honest and direct, not so mystical as Claptone has always been before and its a little more positive. It sounds a little more ‘yes to life’ in a way.”

While the new album might have a more upbeat tone, it’s presumptuous to assume the audience understands who Claptone really is or that it reflects his personal life.

“I think we will all die very soon… unfortunately,” he said. “But as an artist, you don’t necessarily want to make a statement. You listen to yourself. You feel something and then you express the feeling of it. Sometimes something appears that is completely the opposite of how you feel.”

Listen to Closer on streaming services everywhere.