The foundations for Clergy were first built in Manchester in the spring of 2015 with the release of Cleric’s ‘Codes Of Chaos’ EP. It marked the dawn of a new day for the UK techno doyen- whose stock as a DJ and producer was already soaring, but whose inimitable prowess for A&R was still yet to be recognised.
Ten years, 40 releases, and countless performances across the globe later, Cleric’s stock in the industry is now priceless. Ten VAs are already in motion, to celebrate the 10 Years Of Clergy this year, and the second installment titled ‘Beta’ has another 5 original tracks, closing off with a remix from Cleric, for a track from the label’s extensive catalog over the years.
“I like to give unknown artists a chance to rub shoulders with big names on our releases, not pre-judging their music based on the size of their profile. I scouted Stef and gave him his first release, and then followed to give advice over career choices. Something I’m proud to do with a lot of artists I work with” – Cleric
Below, artists from Beta take us into their creative minds, and break down their contribution to the massive project
Rebecca Delle Piane – ‘Ten Dosis Of Melatonin’
My ‘Ten Dosis Of Melatonin’ was born from a very clear concept, few elements which can fit together well; the famous ‘less is more’.
It’s a semi-minimal track and I wanted it to be just like that, it doesn’t follow a precise pattern, it’s repetitive and rhythmic and it was a stylistic choice of mine to make the sound a bit dirty and messy. In fact, the title recalls a natural substance, capable of altering a state of normality in a very light way, but in this case, it is multiplied by ten. Let’s remember that our creativity must not have limits and what we transcribe into music must be a reflection of ourselves and/or how we conceive life, concept or a certain moment, whether it makes sense in a deeper way or not.
To confer this ‘dirtyness’ I had fun with some internal Ableton saturators and a bit of reverb to give that touch of spatiality, the messy background fx’s are part of the main synth, processed with a tape saturator. Even all the drums, percussive elements are a bit crispy, but I didn’t want to overdo it.
Hertz Collision x Programma 101 – ‘Concrete Skin’
Jorden invited us to contribute to this fantastic initiative celebrating clergy’s 10th anniversary, suggesting we use ‘Concrete Skin.’ However, the track felt a bit stale because it was done more than one year ago. So, using the same sonic ingredients as before, we completely deconstructed and rebuilt it, injecting a much catchier and more energetic vibe. This constant drive to evolve and push our creative boundaries helped us break through a bout of creative block—a common foe for producers like us. Reimagining the track, essentially aging it in reverse, was incredibly liberating. Sometimes, change can be scary, but jumping in and shaking things up is exactly what you need.
Temudo – ‘In Chains’ [Cleric 2/10 remix]
This was actually one of the quicker remixes, where everything flowed creatively in a single short session. The mixdown took a bit longer after road-testing the remix a few times.
The original track was released six years ago and is at 134 BPM, which is considered slow by today’s standards. I wanted to give the track more momentum and drive right from the first second, but simply making it faster wouldn’t necessarily achieve that. When listening to the stems, I instantly became a fan of the subtle delay on the off hats. Since I wanted to give the track more energy, I needed to bring them out in the mix and add some subtle percussion to create a more driven, focused groove.
I then slowed this momentum down in certain sections by introducing a unique and distinct callback to the rhythm—specifically, the clap/hat layer. This is prominently placed directly on the second kick, which tends to create the psychological effect of slowing down the tempo for the listener. Remove it from the track, and the feeling of drive returns.
I also wanted to pay homage to the original drone throughout the remix, but with a nastier distortion FX and pitch-shifting layers weaving in and out of the project. There was one moment in the original track where the main synth pitch shifts upwards. I wanted to build a breakdown around that moment, as I feel it adds a different psychological aspect to the track. Subconsciously, that moment changes a lot in the listening experience, especially in a club. It almost snaps you out of the state of euphoria induced by the drones.
Regent – ‘Moorgate’
I produced ‘Moorgate’ in late summer 2024, wanting to create something hypnotic and eerie for the upcoming club season. I’ve always liked having a stack of unreleased tracks to play in my sets you can guarantee exploration and new moments for listeners on the dancefloor, plus you can test your WIPs on the big sound system and see how things feel in real time. ‘Moorgate’ started like many others: about 80% finished, then taken to the club, played out, tweaked, and passed around to fellow DJs for feedback. Over time, I made small refinements, gradually settling into a version that felt right. This was the one I sent out again, including to Dom (Habgud), whose productions I admire and play often. When he got back to me, it wasn’t just with feedback—he mentioned that Jorden (Cleric) was interested in signing one of my tracks for a Clergy release. From there, things fell into place quickly.
The creative process behind ‘Moorgate’ was fairly intuitive. I started with a simple drum pattern on my TR09, just a groove to get things moving and serve as a foundation, and I continued to build from there. Wanting to create something hypnotic and dark, I introduced the eerie, siren-like bleep next, using it as a central element that sings through the entirety of the track, while weaving in evolving soundscapes, pads, and FX around it to bring further motion and depth. I kept stacking drums and supporting elements and ear candies, gradually arranging the track from start to finish and filling any pockets to sculpt a full-bodied and balanced sound design. To give it a final, distinctive touch, I took some vocal recordings from that summer, chopped and skewed them to the point of being unrecognizable – adding another edgy dimension to the hypnotic bleeps and soundscapes to form a final, dystopic six-minute trip. Useful for luring the dancefloor into a darker place without losing momentum. I hope you enjoy.
Disguised – ‘Kaki’
When we started working on Kaki, the idea came together surprisingly fast. The defining element of the track, the driving main synth line was one of the first things we created. It immediately set the tone and dictated the dark, hypnotic energy we wanted to capture. From that point on, everything else naturally fell into place.
We love working with deep, atmospheric elements, so later in the process, we introduced haunting pad melodies that add a sense of mystery and depth. These subtle layers contrast with the raw, pulsating energy of the synth and give the track an evolving, almost cinematic character.
The name Kaki has a funny backstory. When we save new projects for the first time, we often just look around the studio and name them after random objects nearby. That day, a persimmon (Kaki in Japanese) was sitting on our table. Normally, we change these placeholder names before the final release, but since we’ve been working on this track for over a year, Kaki just stuck.
For us, Kaki embodies the kind of sound we love to create dark, driving, and atmospheric. It’s a track that works perfectly in our DJ sets, adding intensity while keeping a hypnotic, almost otherworldly vibe.
Grab your copy of the track here.
The post The Director’s Cut: Clergy Records 10 Years ‘Beta’ appeared first on Magnetic Magazine.