For more than a decade, Dutch duo Yellow Claw have built their name on high-impact drops, explosive stage presence, and a catalogue that bridges trap, hip-hop, and festival-sized EDM. From commanding main stages at Lollapalooza and Parookaville to delivering high-velocity club sets around the world, the pair have cemented themselves as one of dance music’s most recognisable forces.
On 20 February, they bring that signature energy to MARQUEE Singapore, promising a night that fuses iconic anthems with the raw power of their latest material. Ahead of their showcase at the Marina Bay Sands megaclub, Yellow Claw open up about spontaneous studio sessions in Los Angeles, the thrill of playing new cities, and why going “back to basics” on their forthcoming album Jesus Loves Trap Music, feels like being born again.
Congrats on your Max Damage! The tracks have been spectacular. Could you tell us a bit more about this project?
Thanks! It's actually planned as an album, but so far we’ve dropped six songs. The full album is dropping 27 February. The album is called Jesus Loves Trap Music.
You worked with collaborators like REXY=DEXY, nmgKeymo, Acyan and 504icygrl on this. How did those collaborations come about?
We connect with a lot of people through social media usually, but with the rapper nmgKeymo we actually ran into him on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. He recognised us and told us he loved our music for many years, and that he is an artist himself too, with a studio behind his smoke shop on Melrose. We recorded the vocals for the title ‘Max Damage’ later that night. How cool is that? Life at its best.
When you bring collaborators into any project, what do you usually look for — someone who fits your world easily, or someone who might challenge the direction a bit?
Just a connection on something — whether it's life or music. A studio session is nothing more than a chill session where you talk about cool shit, be creative, and make something.
Compared to your earlier material, where do you see your latest stuff sitting in your overall evolution as artists?
Back to basics for us. Making EDM trap music is where it all started. Focusing our attention on this feels like being born again. This music feels closest to us and comes very naturally.
You’ve been touring pretty consistently — how much does the kind of rooms you’re playing right now shape the music you end up making?
Not really. We play it all — big and small, clubs and festivals. We adjust the music we play live based on feels and intuition.
What kind of crowd excites you the most to DJ for?
Places where we have a strong following and places we’ve never been before — both equally. A place like Bangkok or Los Angeles; we’ve played those cities a lot, so it pushes us to bring something new to the table every time because we hold a core following there that deserves fresh shit. In a couple of months, we play Nepal for the first time. That excites us just from a human perspective, to see what life and partying is like over there.
Do you still get surprised by crowds — moments where a track hits harder (or softer) than you expected? Any surprising moments recently?
A crowd never lies. It happened in the past where we played a new song which we weren’t quite sure of, and then it gave back such a huge response. It made us look at the song differently after.
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You’re playing at MARQUEE Singapore soon. How does playing a space like that shape the way you pace or build a set?
We come in guns blazing with all our new music and older classics and get the party started from the first minute. Singapore knows how to party — there’s no need to warm up.
Finally, when someone walks out of a Yellow Claw set, what do you hope they’re feeling — or still thinking about — afterwards?
LOVE THESE GUYS!
Purchase tickets for Yellow Claw's showcase at MARQUEE Singapore here.
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