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Andy C

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Drum & bass royalty — the Ram Records founder whose double-drop mixing largely defined what a D&B set sounds like.

Andy C was born Andrew Clarke in 1976 and grew up in Essex, where he set up Ram Records as a teenager in the early 1990s. The label's roster expanded over the years to include Chase & Status, Sub Focus, DC Breaks, Loadstar and Wilkinson, putting Andy C at the centre of the label side of drum & bass as well as the DJ booth.

As a producer he remains best known for Origin Unknown, the project he ran with Ant Miles, whose 1993 track "Valley of the Shadows" is one of the most recognisable records of the jungle era. In 2001 he teamed with Shimon for "Body Rock," a single built on a swinging rhythm and distinctive synth leads that reached number 28 on the UK singles chart the following January.

His reputation rests largely on his mixing: fast, tightly cut blends and layered double and triple drops, often worked across three analogue turntables at once, delivered at high volume. That approach earned him the nickname "The Executioner." He is also known for playing extended solo sets rather than short guest slots, and for the Nightlife series of mix compilations.

In 2012 he introduced Andy C Alive, a live set pairing his DJ mixing with synchronised visual effects, which he has taken to venues and festivals across Europe and North America, including SXSW and Brixton Academy. In 2018 he headlined Wembley Arena, reported as the first drum & bass artist to headline the venue.

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