Description

Pete Tong joins Will Clarke to reflect on four decades at the center of dance music, from his early days on BBC Radio 1 to shaping global DJ culture through the Essential Mix. He opens up about DJ burnout, the fear of being forgotten, and what it really takes to survive in an industry that never slows down. Pete also breaks down how the music business has changed, why gatekeepers no longer exist, and how DJs now build their own careers. Who is Pete Tong: Pete Tong is one of the most influential figures in dance music, with a career spanning over four decades as the global voice of electronic music through BBC Radio 1’s Essential Mix, which he has hosted for more than 30 years. A world-renowned DJ and tastemaker, Pete has headlined festivals and arenas across the globe, while his Ibiza Classics project has become a landmark live show, selling out London’s O2 Arena multiple times and performing for historic events including the King’s Coronation. Beyond the stage, he founded the International Music Summit to connect and shape the global dance music industry, and launched the Pete Tong DJ Academy to mentor the next generation of DJs and producers alongside an all-star group of tutors including Carl Cox, Jamie Jones, Diplo, TSHA, Nicole Moudaber, Adam Beyer, Parisi, and more. Songstats: For 10% off lifetime subscription use the code word "WILLCLARKE" or follow the link https://songstats.com/app?ref=WILLCLARKE Pointblank Music School: Use code "WILLCLARKE20" to gain 20% off pointblank LA or Online courses (excluding only degree programmes), link here https://bit.ly/willclarkepb intelligend: 30% off life time subscription use "WILL" at checkout https://go.intellijend.com/will Sign up for the latest podcast info - https://laylo.com/willclarke/uqFWnJKa Join for updates: https://laylo.com/willclarke ⏲ Follow Will Clarke ⏱ https://willclarke.komi.io/ https://djwillclarke.com/ https://open.spotify.com/artist/1OmOdgwIzub8DYPxQYbbbi?si=hEx8GCJAR3mhhhWd_iSuew https://www.instagram.com/djwillclarke https://www.facebook.com/willclarkedj https://twitter.com/djwillclarke https://www.tiktok.com/@djwillclarke 00:00 – Intro 01:38 – Why He Has Not Started A Podcast (He is explicitly answering why he personally has never done one) 06:17 – Early Radio Career And Influences (First clear pivot into his radio beginnings and influences) 09:42 – Illegal Raves And Warehouse Parties (Direct question and answer about the rave era) 11:55 – Joining BBC Radio 1 (Clear career milestone) 13:43 – Human Traffic And Film Soundtracks (Explicit discussion of the film and soundtrack involvement) 16:20 – Essential New Tune (Direct question and explanation of the segment) 26:57 – Founding FFRR Records (Clean pivot into label history and origins) 39:12 – Do Record Labels Still Matter? (Host explicitly reframes the discussion) 1:12:01 – Ibiza Classics (New project, clear shift in topic) 1:18:23 – Receiving An MBE (Distinct life milestone) 1:21:36 – Advice And Legacy (Closing reflection and guidance)