Andy C

Andy C
Background information
Birth name	Andrew Clarke
Also known as	The Executioner, The Armin van Buuren of Drum and Bass, The President, Origin Unknown, Desired State, Ram Trilogy, Concept 2, The Machine, The God, The king, The Greatest Drum and Bass DJ Of All Time
Born	Walsall, England
Origin	Unknown
Genres	Drum and bass, dubstep,
Occupation(s)	DJ, record producer, record executive
Years active	1989–present
Labels	RAM
Associated acts	Ram Trilogy, Concept 2, Desired State, Origin Unknown, Telepathy Crew, Anal Birth Crew, Tyranny
Website	AndyC.com

Andrew Clarke, known by his stage name Andy C, is an English DJ, record producer and co-founder of the RAM Records. He is the pioneering force in the drum and bass genre. In 2011 Andy C won the Best DJ title in the 2011 Drum and Bass Arena Awards, and since the awards' inception in 2009, he has won the people's vote in the awards for Best DJ each year. He specialises in fast mixing, often employing three turntables. A signature mixing style of Andy is what he refers to as "The Double Drop": lining up 2 tunes so that both basslines drop at the same time. Andy C has often organised events where he DJs continuously for 6 hours. In January 2011 Mixmag UK announced the result of 14 month global poll from 35 nominations chosen by other big names in dance music: the survey asked global voters to decide Who is the Greatest DJ of All Time Andy C was ranked number 4 on it and the highest British DJ on the list. Andy C is considered amongst the popular culture of Britain and the extended population of the world to be the "Most influential Drum & Bass DJ to ever live." Having the most successful record label in the genre, and also the greatest number of 'Best DJ' titles.

Andy C was a DJ in his own right but gained a strong reputation and more bookings off the back of the hugely successful "Valley of The Shadows" track, an early drum and bass track that walked the line perfectly between hardcore and drum and bass just as the genres were starting to split. The track, created and released by Origin Unknown (made up of Andy C and Ant Miles)—often referred to as "31 Seconds" or "Long Dark Tunnel" because of the samples it incorporates—made use of a heavy bassline, bell samples and a rolling drum track to produce a popular, easy to recognise track that was easy to mix and became a favourite in dance floors at raves across the UK and beyond. The track was released as an EP in 1993 and has been remixed and re-released several times, and is widely recognised as one of the most influential drum and bass tunes of the early 90s. His signature look (Andy C is rarely seen without a baseball cap) and energetic movement behind the decks when playing make him a recognisable figure.

In 2001, he collaborated with Shimon on the single "Body Rock", which reached number 28 on the UK Singles Chart in January 2002 and became one of the most popular drum and bass songs of the year. However, it also polarized some fans of the genre due to its unusual sound; it utilized a swinging rhythm and "clownish" synthesizer leads, leading to the pejorative term "clownstep" to describe similar tracks that were released in the wake of its success.

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