DJ Clarkey! Now that's a name you haven't seen on our website for a long time! A name you could have seen on the old website more than once, but his mixes have sadly been missed by yours truly. I think the last mix I reviewed was roughly 4 years ago, or even longer ago. I don't know why it has been so long, but thankfully I did find a recently published mix on Soundcloud, and it's a big one. How big you might say? Well, it's Clarkey's set from Westfest 2021! How's that for a set?
Obviously Westfest doesn't need an introduction. Such a big and well known event by all the ravers out there. Everyone knows about Westfest. Not just the UK Hardcore fans, but also fans of Drum & Bass and Jungle. The line-up was ridiculous: here are a few names you might know. And I say it lightly, you might be a tad unexperienced in the music scene... but hopefully you will recognise at least one of these DJs: Chase & Status, Darren Styles, Fresh, SASASAS, Andy Whitby & Klubfiller, Basslayerz, Hazard, Hype B2B Broke, Joey Riot, Hixxy, Sharkey, and many, many more. Oh, and of course Clarkey was there!
I'm guessing he played in the Hardcore Heaven area, right? Can't see his name on the line-up. But it doesn't really matter, right? He was there, and his 73 minute long set can now be found on Soundcloud. Proof that he entertained the masses there. And you can tell he's excited to be there (who wouldn't be?): the mic is often his, and he makes sure the whistle crew is woken up!
He's happy, and so are the people there. I'm guessing he was one of the first DJs of the night, but the crowd are getting ready. Clarkey is doing his best, and succeeds in getting the crowd mad!
Back in the good ol' days I would always think of UK Hardcore when I thought of him, but he's ventured into the harder styles now to, especially Hardstyle. And it suits him well. But besides the crowd loving it, are you going to love what he's got in store for you?
Frontliner x Adaro - Deep In The Night
Da Tweekaz x Refuzion - Because Of You
Dr Phunk - Firebomb
Bon Jovi - It's My Life (Lost Identity Bootleg)
4B x Tees - Whistle (JEFF?! Remix)
TNT & Darren Styles - Wonder
Re-Style - Wildfire (Adaro Remix)
Kronos & Malua - AHAH
Firelite & Deezl - Tears The Walls Down
ID - ID
Wasted Penguinz - I Love You (Jekyll & Clarkey Edit)
Sash! - Ecuador (Macks Wolf Edit)
WW vs Blasterjaxx - Let The Music Take Control (XVLA Remix)
Mad Crow - Hold Me Tonight
Stunt/The Prodigy/Pendulum - I'm Alive/Voodoo People (Petruccio Mashup)
Darren Styles - The Dragon (XVLA Remix)
Gammer x Henry Fong - The Feeling
Olly P - Take It Back
No Hero - Waterfalls
Avi8 - The Forgotten Star (Macks Wolf Remix)
Darren Styles feat Jelle van Dael - Need To Feel Loved
Mike Reverie & Mike Enemy feat Christina Rotondo - Drowning In Your Love
Hixxy - Superhuman (Technikore & JTS Remix)
Darren Styles & Ashley Wallbridge feat Gavin Beach - All My Life
Re-Style feat Dune - Forever Young
I have to give Clarkey credit for this set: obviously he played a lot of Hardstyle anthems, which is always good, but he hasn't forgotten the UK Hardcore scene, and decided to play the big hits, the smashers, the very big anthems. If that was the only set of the night, I would have left content. Such a nice and diverse set, with some serious hitters.
Clarkey grabs the crowd, and doesn't let them go throughout this set. As mentioned before, he does play a bit of everything, but it seems to have worked: you can hear the crowd really liking the tunes he's playing. But they aren't the only ones: I'm sitting here in my room, really enjoying myself. A bit of the new, and a bit of the old. And everything in between.
A fantastic set. And now I've got to pick one record and call it my favourite?! Fuck, can't do that. Too many great anthems selected by Clarkey. OK, what if I choose two? One Hardstyle anthem and one UK Hardcore anthem? How's that for compromise?
'Tear The Walls Down' is a wicked anthem. That's my favourite Hardstyle anthem. And without a shadow of a doubt I had to go for 'All My Life. Fucking hell, still gives me goosebumps. The vocals are just insane!
Clarkey, where have you been? But it's nice to hear you behind the decks, and playing wicked anthems. Not fan of 'Forever Young' (ruined a perfectly cheesy classic) and the Bon Jon Bovi's song. Never liked it anyway. But all the other 23 records are hard as nails, and so is Clarkey!
DJ: Clarkey
Genre/Style: UK Hardcore, Hardstyle, Hardcore
Liveset Info: Recorded @ Westfest 2021
Length Liveset: 01:13:35
Tracks: 25 (twenty-five)
Download/Listen (via Soundcloud): CLICK HERE
File Size: 168 MB
File Type: mp3
Release Year: 2022
Audio: Stereo
Sample Rate: 320kbps
More Information: Clarkey - Soundcloud Channel