GBallz here and I am very excited to bring you an artist spotlight on one of my favorite producers/DJs: he goes by the name of Barclay Crenshaw, aka Claude Vonstroke (aka Claude Von Powerstoke to us here at MMIBTY). If you’ve never heard of him, chances are you’re not alone. However, after grooving out to his productions on a regular basis and seeing him live at both Electric Zoo and Ultra Music Festival, I can assure you this won’t be your last time turning up the bass and nodding your head to his beats.
So what’s Mr. Powerstroke’s deal? I’m glad you asked. He is a minimal/tech-house/jungle house producer and DJ who owns the underground label dirtybird Records. Originally from Detroit, Michigan, VonStroke now resides in San Francisco, California as a leader of the underground Electronic Dance Music world. He has been featured as a guest DJ on BBC Radio 1’s Essential Mixes, has toured all around the world, and his SoundCloud Page reads:
Claude VonStroke does not scowl and look mean while he DJs. He does not pretend to know everything and he will be nice to you and your friends. He is grateful to be doing music for a living and he knows that the reason people go to parties is to shake their ass and have fun. If you want to act cool and not have any fun then please do not book him.
Claude VonStroke is only coming to see you if you want to enjoy yourself and get sweaty and nasty. If you want to wear a sweater and frown in the VIP section, he is not the right DJ for you.
Minimal/tech-house music gets way less attention than genres such as House, Trance, and Dubstep. This style of music is known for its [mostly] laid-back feel, funky bass-lines, and a driving 4/4 beat. You can’t help but nod your head to it. Vonstroke uses the software program Reason to record his own sound effects and write bass-driven dirty-funky tunes. As you can tell from my selections below, he has an off-the-beaten path sound, but it always keeps me coming back for more. If you ever have the chance to catch him live, do yourself a favor and get there. You won’t stop dancing and that is a GBallz guarantee as he was a personal highlight of both Electric Zoo and Ultra.
Here is a handful of my favorite CVS Tunes:
Justin Martin – Cicada (Claude VonStroke’s Cicada 17 Years Remix)
Claude Vonstroke ft. Justin Martin – Beat That Bird
Claude Vonstroke – Who’s Afraid of Detroit?
BONUS: If this stuff isn’t banger enough for you, check out Vandalism’s remix of his classic “The Whistler”
Claude Vonstroke – The Whistler (Vandalism Remix)
If You Like Claude VonStroke, Be Sure To Check Out:
Justin Martin
Christian Martin
J. Phlip
Booka Shade
Harvard Bass