Cloonee Scores his First Beatport Number 1 with his Cassius cover “Sun Goes Down”

Hello David, congratulations on your first overall Beatport number one! Did you already have a chance to celebrate the news?

Thank you very much! Not just yet but I’m recording a live set on the weekend so I’ll be having some celebrations then for sure. If only the pubs were open I’d have been straight in there at 10am this morning when I found out!

“Sun Goes Down” is a cover of a laid-back house classic from Cassius, whose member Philippe Zdar passed away in 2019. What’s your relationship to Cassius and this track in particular? What made you want to do a cover of it?

Yeah the track is an absolute classic and Cassius are just such a legendary act with an incredible back catalogue who have inspired generations of producers! I heard the vocal when I was out somewhere a few years ago and it instantly stuck in my head. It’s weird because the original was released when I was six years old so it was a bit before my time but I instantly recognised the vocals when I heard it all these years later.

Unfortunately I never got the chance to speak to Philippe before his passing, nor have I had the chance to speak to Hubert (Blanc-Francard aka Boom Bass), but, I hope my record has done the original justice and is something they would both be proud of.

This one has been on your hard drive for quite some time. Why did it take two years for it to come out? Did you initially want to wait until the Covid-19 pandemic is over to release it?

It’s been one hell of a wait and I’ve had people messaging me everyday for those two years asking about the record! We never intentionally wanted to wait this long, we had started the clearance process two years ago and it was moving along in the right direction until the tragic passing of Phillipe Zdar. The record went on hold for a while out of respect for those close to him, especially his family, management and Hubert of course. It wasn’t until December 2020 that we finally got the green light.

But yeah I didn’t think the record would ever come out to be honest so I’m really pleased it’s finally here!

I notice that your beats are more percussion-based on “Sun Goes Down” than usual. What sound did you have in mind when working on the track?

I’d say a large part of that is purely down to the record being two years old. My production style has changed a lot since then as I’m only 25 so my sound was still changing a lot. With that being said, I don’t think I’d change anything about the record today if I had another crack at it! The main influence came from the vocal though, it gives off a really outdoor summer vibe so a more percussion-based beat seemed like the most logical option!

The sound of tech house has seen quite a few changes over the last couple of years. Which are some of your favourite producers in the genre?

Oh 100 percent, which I personally think is great as it’s keeping things fresh and exciting! So my favourite ever producer would be Patrick Topping. I remember I went to see him when I was 18 at this dingy club in Sheffield where I went to university. It was the first tech house/techno night I’d ever been to and haven’t looked back since! I even did research to find out the brand of these t-shirts he was wearing to DJ in and bought my own as I thought he looked super fresh. The last few years though Pawsa has been the artist I’ve been listening to the most. Just the simplicity of his beats and catchy hooks, the man’s on another level.

Have you been more productive over the last ten months due to the lack of touring?

I’ve definitely spent more time working on beats and have produced some great records which I’m sitting on for 2021/22. But it’s a weird one because on one hand I’m being really productive in the studio, but on the other there’s zero productivity with touring. I do think though once everything gets back to normal it will be the busiest time on record for clubs, bars and festivals so I’m just thankful for the early nights sleep whilst I have them!