Mark de Clive-Lowe (MdCL)
One of the most innovative producers and live performers you will find anywhere
Whether you call him artist, producer, composer, pianist, performer, DJ, or selecta, the multi-talented Mark de Clive-Lowe (MdCL) defies easy categorisation.The piano set the course, the keyboard is the vehicle, and with the drum machine as the fuel, the relentless skill of MdCL is underscored by a rare sonic sensibility. He’s an accomplished musician, starting out with straight-ahead jazz, before taking his music far beyond. Anchored by his Japanese and New Zealand parentage and ignited by a love of playing piano at the age of four, it is no wonder this multi-national artist has toured the globe, from NZ to the US, UK, Europe, Asia and Cuba.
A devastating live performer, the MdCL experience is marked by impromptu studio production created on stage from scratch, using drum machines, keyboards, accapella tracks and effects. The end result: live remixes built on stage for each and every gig. With bold chops like this, to call him “prolific” is an understatement, having contributed to over 250 releases and being a first-call collaborator for a wide range of artists, including Jill Scott, Jody Watley, Leon Ware (Marvin Gaye/Michael Jackson/Maxwell), Dame Shirley Bassey, Sandra St. Victor (The Family Stand/Chaka Khan), amongst a slew of others.
Currently based in LA after a decade entrenched in London, MdCL’s new album, Renegades, has guest appearances from Sheila E (Prince), Omar, Tawiah, Pino Palladino (D’Angelo/The Who), and Nia Andrews. The new LP is due for release on 21st November and features club classics flavored from soul and funk, to tech-Afrobeat and Latin twists, all orchestrated by MdCL: a revolutionary Quincy Jones for a new generation, armed with the ability to meld the science of beat-making with composed music. ‘The Why’, featuring Nia Andrews, is the first single to be lifted from the album.
“…the man behind a million great tunes” – Gilles Peterson/Radio 1 Worldwide (UK)
“A Herbie Hancock for the new millennium” – Montreal Jazz Festival (Canada)
“Call it what you want, I’m sticking with the words awesome and genius” – Wax Magazine (UK)
“…the illest dude I have seen live” – Karizma (US)