ERIC D. CLARK
Born beautiful and talented, he mastered piano by 10, at the same age was recruited to play for God at the Allen Chappell A.M.E. Church, leading his own choir of 5-12 year olds ’the Angel Choir‘ in all Sunday processions. during this time he also studied violin, "rather passionlessly" in his own words.
Eric joined the student board of directors at 15, through whom he received his first booking - when asked to hire a band for a school event, our subject suggested a DJ, even better the students suggested him! - the event was successful and soon after he was snatched up to play at the ’Club Can't Tell‘ an old movie theater / live venue in Sacramento where he'd DJ between shows, and mix sound for bands, if, for what ever reason the sound man did not show up.
Introduced to dance music at 15 while simultaneously working part-time for cassio, he'd been subconsciously studying it in the form of Chopins', Polinaise's, Mazurka's, and Waltz's or with Scott Joplin's varying Rag's, since his introduction to playing music. His belief was compounded when he read a Jehovah's Witness ’Watchtower‘ magazine where ’disco‘ was described as ”devil music, fueled by drugs and false euphoria“ -he had found his vocation.
By 21 he'd played practically every important club in northern California - Vortex, The Underground, Dancepark, The K-Street, plus various ’posh‘ private events (’posh‘ in Sacramento???), The 181 Club, Buzzby's, Glashaus, Noh Klub, Dasklüb/1015 Folsom, DNA Lounge, DV8, The Crystal Pistol, Esta Noche along with The End Up.and impromptu cameo's with the Beat Nigs (although never officially a member) and various other Bay Area Artists.
PARIS
Upon arrival in Paris, Eric lands a job at ’Neo Japonesque‘ a small basement club beneath a friend's apartment, this would become his resident club for the next 3 years and under his musical direction, the little club (150 capacity, often ’rubber-walled‘) attracted all sorts of marginal's - celebrities, bankers, students, musicians, other club owners. a plethora of people ready to go until, often, 10:00 am and later during week-ends, guests would fall out onto the busiest market street in paris, Le Rue Montorgueil, as shop merchants set up their wares, the smell of cheese, thick, in the air!
Producing a few things here and there, namely for ‘Yianna Katsoulos‘ (a Varieté singer of much acclaim). an 'off-hand' remix of Bouge de La, for ‘MC Solar‘ (never released?) and a strange frontman job for a song entitled ‘Don't Kill The Elephants‘?! the DJ'ing held up through all this time; he worked; the Kit Kat, co-founded Zoopsie (with Molskee), Le Rex, La Scala, Le Palace, Le Saint, Balajo, L'usine Ephemer, La Grande Halle du la Villette, La Luna, plus, various truly posh events!
By the beginning of the 90's the good parties where fading as was the number of DJ's flying back and forth between new york and paris, a phenomenon existing at least since the jazz year's, hence the supply of innovative dance music was waning.
In search of better records Eric is invited to.
COLOGNE.
.where he meets ‘Hans Niesswandt‘ and does a series of parties known as the legendary ’Whirlpool Parties‘, understanding "Whirlpool" in the sense to be euphemism to a mixture of events and not solely funneled into one mono sensory direction, they join forces with 'Justus Köhncke', to create 'Whirlpool Productions', releasing numerous remixes and ep's, subsequently 4 long player's of cult legend!
BERLIN
At the time of writing Eric is in Berlin, involved with many of the city's most vibrant homo-sapiens! one year ago his partner (Andreas) and he started the now institutionalized after hours club, "Manyc Monday" (www.manymonday.de), yes, monday morning!
co-writing and singing smash hits with the Märtini Brös (Big and Dirty), (Blow) with Tiefschwartz, currently recording with 'Sex in Dallas', also;
producing with and for "Chicks on Speed" Label/Group, writing with Tyree Cooper, Jake Bullit, Angie Reed, Paige Ilise, Justus Köhcnke & Dirk Leyer's.
There is also his New Band "E=dC2"! with an album ready of the same title.
plus he still does, once a month, the Funky Chicken Club-Cologne!
there is sooooooo much more.
Stay tuned
Text: Kent Chestefield
