Clone Quartet - Part 2

United under Henry’s vision, Clone Quartet merge wonderful robotic rhythms, synthetic melodies and raw rock power to create an intoxicating whole. It’s a winning combination, instantly gratifying and also rewarding to those prepared to delve deeper.

“Our songs can be great pop songs, but there is also a level of experimentation that with repeated listens people will discover and be rewarded more by Clone Quartet’s music. Certain songs would make you dance, others will make you think. We want to get a reaction from people, but the type of reaction we’re trying to elicit varies from song to song. It’s taken us a while to realise and define what we’re about – electronica, live power, and stimulating people to think or to dance – as you go along you become better at hitting those criteria.”

Of course Clone Quartet are not the first, or only band, attempting to bring dance and rock into close proximity. Why, right now there is a much lambasted movement called nu rave.

“Nu rave is all one big fashion badge,” snorts Henry. “It started with DFA and The Rapture. Without them bands like Klaxons wouldn’t exist. Simian Mobile Disco, Vitalic, Justice, those are the acts I’m listening to - rock ‘n’ roll colliding with dance in a really abrasive way. I’d be disgusted for Clone Quartet to be grouped alongside the likes of Klaxons.”

Bristling at the mere implication of complicity between his band and the methods of the nu rave contingent, Henry decides to spell out the Clone Quartet manifesto.

“We’re making electronic music alongside the act of being a live rock band. A lot of other musicians have tried to bring electronic music to the live arena, using laptops and backing tracks. Unlike them we try and keep things as live as possible, it’s more fun and people can relate more. Backing tracks are too static. Instead we think of ourselves, the band members as the ‘Well-Oiled Machine’ of the album title, a machine generating this electronic music.”

Clone Quartet have reached a crucial juncture. Their distinct take on electro-rock may have tapped into the zeitgeist, its timeliness and sheer quality propelling the band to ever-greater heights, on the other hand they may plateau, unable to break beyond the loving embrace of a select few. Those are the futures facing Henry and company. No wonder he vacillates between self-doubt and confidence.

“There is always self-doubt but having the label backing us has dispelled quite a bit of that. I believe Clone Quartet are every bit as good as, if not better than, the majority of our contemporaries. You go to festivals and performances, see bands, and think, ‘they’re on the bill?!? We could have done better than that’. There are around forty thousand bands in the UK, that’s a lot. So if opportunities come around you’ve got to be ready to grab them, we’re confident we’ll make the most of whatever comes our way. We’re happy with what we’re doing. We’ve got a good sound and given the right exposure, people will really get into Clone Quartet.”

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Issue #51 - I Told You This Would Be A Good Issue

Featuring Biffy Clyro, Of Montreal, Duke Special, Frightened Rabbit, Cold War Kids, Jay Reatard, Pat Mills, and more.