Monroe & D.Clakes Celebrate Breathtaking Live Set From Yangshuo Mountains In China

Today we head to China alongside Monroe & D.Clakes for a breathtaking, mystical set from the Yangshuo Mountains! Turn it up to hear some delightful melodic and progressive tunes from the likes of Fideles, CamelPhat, Helsloot, Hernan Cattaneo, Jonas Saalbach, Prophecy, Stereo Express & more! Our interview provides an inside look at the duo’s friendship, close work with Choujaa, and of course, deeper insight into this amazing live recording! Enjoy!

Hey guys, we’re stoked to be together today celebrating an outstanding live set! Where did the idea to record from this location in China come from? What makes the area special to you?
Monroe: I was in this insanely beautiful place last year and fell in love with this view. It was a romantic vacation trip to the Yangshuo Mountains. And I had the idea to record a DJ set here.

Take us through the process of turning the idea into reality and some of the challenges of getting set up
Monroe: One day in January of this year we met with my friend D.Clakes and decided to record our performance in this beautiful place. I called the owner of the hotel and they gave us permission to shoot.

The setting is so epic, it almost feels surreal. What was going through your head a few minutes before you started recording, and what was your mindset like for the mix?
Monroe: This place combines a beautiful blue sky in the reflection of the river surrounded by incredibly amazing mountains of the same height.

D.Clakes: To make our idea more epic, we created a special music selection to feel the whole deep atmosphere that words cannot describe.

How would you compare and contrast this set to a set we may hear from you in a club?
Monroe & D.Clakes: For clubs and festivals, we are preparing a longer set. When you see the crowd and their emotions that gives you a hint of the next songs. We select more dance compositions to leave an unforgettable impression of this night.

Looking closer at your track selection, can you each highlight two tracks or artists included in the mix, and why they stand out?
Monroe & D.Clakes: It’s a funny story about our collaborations with Choujaa, we didn’t notice that we both had collabs with him. Both tracks are amazing with incredible vocals and progressive sound. Choujaa & Monroe – “On My Mind” is already out on Panther’s Groove, and Choujaa & D.Clakes ft. EGGSTA – “Faithful” is out on the Deep Universe label.

Talk to us some more about your relationship. Do you remember when you first met the other or heard his music? What was your impression?
Monroe: This is a funny story about how everything got exciting and how the idea turned into reality 🙂 One day at the end of 2019, when the pandemic began, we decided to smoke a hookah at my house and talk about music. It all started with the fact that D.Clakes told me about his journey to Tomorrowland.

D.Clakes: We started watching videos of different DJs performing and our musical tastes coincided. Suddenly we had the idea to try to create music and show the whole world our tracks. And since 2020 we have been successfully releasing music and have made quite a few steps into the music industry.

How did your relationship progress from there? What is it like today?
Monroe & D.Clakes: At the beginning of our career, we released a lot of music to become recognizable. Now we are more focused on quality. Our tracks have received support from many famous artists and topped the charts. We can also perform together and separately. At the moment we are working on creating our own signature sound.

Looking deeper into this summer, what can you share from your plans? Any big releases, live shows, or other events that have you excited?
Monroe: My summer started with big collabs and releases. One of my biggest tracks “Game Over” is already out with radio airplay on Dutch radio! The next big collab is with Mr. Sid at the end of June on Bingo Players’ Hysteria imprint. Also working on a big summer festival anthem with my good friend and producer Eriic and one of the best male singers Jay Mason.

D.Clakes: My collab with Choujaa is already out and has received many streams and keeps going well. We are planning a tour this summer and have some dates already locked in.

And lastly as we look ahead, what’s keeping you excited, motivated, and on track on a daily basis?
Monroe & D.Clakes: We love music, we are highly motivated and hard working musicians. We hope our music can find its listeners. We wish you the best moments in life. See you on the dancefloor!

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