We haven’t featured the work of Paul Frazer Clarke before but if you’re a drum and bass fan, you’re likely to know the name.
By Graeme Smith
Clarke co-produced what is documented to be the first ever album in the genre, 1994’s On A Quest For Intelligence by Fast Floor. He’s a real sleeping giant of the music industry, so with a new collaborative single out, we needed to get to know him.
“My journey started as a major label recording artist for Epic Records in the mid 1980s, signed as part of a pop band,” Clarke explains when I ask him about his journey into music.
From there he moved on to being a writer for Warner Chappell and MCA Music before becoming part of Fast Floor. Another move saw him embrace film and TV compositions. “I’ve had music placed on The Oprah Winfrey Show, the BBC, National Geographic, [and] Dragon’s Den,” he shares. He’s built up a catalogue of over 200 works over 25 years with Sonoton Music, Europe’s largest independent library music company.
Originally from the UK, Clarke now calls Perth, Australia home. His new single, Cloud To Cloud, sees him collaborating remotely with The Hague, Netherlands-based singer, Tara Pasveer.
The track has that soft, dreamy electronica sound that came to prominence in the ‘90s. Think of Morcheeba or Air and you’re in the right coordinates of the musical landscape.
Clarke creates a beautifully nuanced and textured instrumental that mixes earthy percussive beats and cosmic overtones. The addition of Pasveer’s vocal is inspired. She perfectly captures the effortless vibe of the composition while injecting a sense of emotion.
“I wanted to create something that felt genuinely weightless,” says Clarke of the track, “unhurried, like the musical equivalent of drifting.” He’s succeeded. Cloud To Cloud is the perfect chillout tune. It’s steeped in nostalgia while also bringing something new.
So how did a seasoned veteran in Australia end up working with a vocalist in The Netherlands?
“I came across Tara’s work on a professional industry platform and was immediately struck by her voice,” explains Clarke. “There’s a quality to it that’s genuinely rare. Airy and soft on the surface but with real emotional depth underneath.”
He went onto complement her brave approach to songwriting and use of invented language. “[It] tells you everything about the kind of artist she is,” says Clarke, “someone who follows instinct completely.”
Clarke doesn’t see geography as a barrier when it comes to collaborating. In fact, he’s built his latest collection around it. “Five tracks, five international collaborators, five distinct sonic worlds,” is how he explains it when I ask him about his Five Coordinates project.
In our interview, Clarke reveals that a future track will feature Charlie Grant, a songwriter based in Potsdam whose writing credits include work with Simply Red and Spice Girl Melanie C. “This track is more in the Sting/John Mayor vibe,” he teases.
Chatting to Clarke, you get the impression that he’s an artist who will try his hand at most things and probably succeed. It’s clear he has talent, experience, and most importantly an instinct for what’s interesting about music. Cloud To Cloud is a beautiful introduction to what he does, and I look forward to hearing more.
You can keep up to date with all that Paul Frazer Clarke is doing by following him on Facebook, Spotify, YouTube, Instagram, and Bandcamp.
Cloud To Cloud is out now, and you can listen to it below.
Supported by Musosoup #SustainableCurator
