Dave Clark

( He/ Him )

Boorloo native, family man, DJ for 25+ years, love listening to, talking about and sharing music

The Sound Alternative • The Sound Alternative • The Sound Alternative • The Sound Alternative •

About

Get to know Dave Clark

So many of the good things in my life come from music. As a kid I played some musical instruments, grew up with classical and pop and then a bit of heavy metal (haha) but as a young adult, electronic music was really starting to explode and I pretty much ditched everything else for that. A friend told me about a show on Saturday nights on RTR called Strictly Rhythm (now called Underground Solution and still one of the best radio shows in the world). I didn’t know what house music was, or techno was, didn’t know anything about DJs, but I was LOCKED IN.

I started buying records, got offered a DJ spot down under His Majesty’s Theatre (Greenwich ????) and really loved it. I first came to RTR’s studio when it was in UWA, just a few hours into the new millennium, and ended doing Looney Choons for about 6 years, back when it used to run 1am-6am. Hard work, but I learned how to mix and played out and about at a ton of bars, nightclubs and events. I ran an experimental music night called Aesoteric at the Velvet Lounge and met my amazing wife, who I’m married to 20 years later with two kids. So I not only got a hobby out of music, I got a whole family! And some incredible friends. And RTRFM had so much to do with it. Our station is an incredible source of music, so much variety and authenticity, but it’s also community. I am so grateful for everything that’s happened.

Nowadays I love playing a few different shows because the variety of music I am digging at the moment – to mention a few, hip hop (All City), funky music (Black & Blue), tropical music (El Ritmo), and then the once in a while, the deep listening music of Golden Apples of the Sun. I even go back up to Looney Choons for a proper mix every once in a blue moon.

I feel like every time I turn on the radio, I’m given a gift, and when I present a show on the radio, I’m sharing a gift. It makes me so happy. I’m pretty sure I’ll be keeping it locked… forever.

How did you become involved in the station?

Being a DJ was never my childhood dream, but I used to call up the studio when Underground Solution was on to chat and ask about the tunes, and one day they suggested coming up to the studio. That was a long time ago, but funny enough I only just now feel like I’m getting the hang of it.

Tell us about your most memorable gig, either attending or playing at?

I’ve been to a lot of amazing gigs in my time, I could list them for hours, but I still love exploring new gigs of various shapes and sizes. I love how Boorloo has such an incredible scene, it seems impossible to find everything there is out to find there but what I do find is always worthwhile. The one gig I’d like to go to again is Notting Hill Carnival, which I would happily attend year after year (honestly I would happily attend it every day if I could).

What is your favourite show (other than your own) on RTRFM?

My favourite show is (and probably always will be) Underground Solution. But having said that, Difficult Listening has won a place in my heart and I’d love to explore that world more.