DJ JASON Cluff is preparing for the biggest gig of his life as the Clabby man gets set to perform at Creamfields 2025, the UK’s most prestigious electronic dance music festival.
The 30-year-old has travelled all around the globe including Belgium, Sweden, Mexico, America, Ibiza and more showcasing his talent to hard style music lovers.
This week he spoke to the ‘Herald candidly about his journey to success and how it was anything but easy.
“I went to Fivemiletown College but I wasn’t the best behaved student, academically I was nothing special,” he said.
After school Jason achieved a foundation degree in renewable energy with engineering before moving to Liverpool with his long term girlfriend.
“I was essentially over there unemployed and I wasn’t able to get into university due to applying so late,” he recalled.
“I ended up working multiple different odd jobs.
“I was pretty directionless for a while and it was hard.”
Jason worked as an extra for Game of Thrones alongside a job in a call centre before switching to sales and marketing.
He eventually set up his own B&B business but his heart still belonged to music.
He said, “Persistence was something I had in ten folds, I was always messaging pubs and clubs, literally anyone and everyone in Liverpool to get DJing opportunity’s but no one took a chance on
me.”
Due to the constant rejection Jason took matters into his hands.
“Once I got enough saved up, I started doing my own parties and that’s when I started DJing to crowds, the more I played that better I became,” he said.
After his music started to get some recognition it was time to establish a stage name. This can be the most important marketing tool for any artist.
Jason said, “I use to DJ with a friend and we were called two minds, back in my early days it was Clusky, then Blanco because I use to wear a mask.
“Eventually I thought to myself nobody else has the name Cluff. It’s a unique name and I wanted to be vulnerable. I stopped caring and give up on being something that’s not me.”
Jason had his breakthrough whenever a song he released in partnership with another musician went viral.
“I began to get world recognition and went head first into the global market after I did a remix from an old track of a friend of mine called Activator,” he said.
“It was an old hard style track that was catchy.
“I was so nervous at first that people wouldn’t like it but they did, they loved it.”
After his viral moment Jason’s career snowballed.
“From that moment on it’s been kind of a blur to be honest,” he continued.
“This year I set myself a goal to perform at Creamfields as it’s always been a massive goal of mine. I first went to it whenever I was 18 and now I’ve been five times, it’s special to a lot of people. I wanted to break into the festival scene but it had to come organically and sure enough they reached to me.
“Straight away I was like yes I’ll take it. It was a massive moment for me.” he added.
On the topic of future goals Jason said, “My goals are to keep breaking into the biggest circuits while continuously touring the world.
“Musically the goal is to keep making music that hopefully lasts forever that people will remember.
He concluded with some advice he’d give to anyone in Fermanagh who hopes to break into the music scene..
He said, “Believe in yourself, try and block out as much of the noise around you that you can and focus on yourself.”
“Nobody’s journey is the same. I’ve never seen anybody follow the same path to get the same destination.
“The ones that succeed are the ones that don’t give in, remember that.”
Jason Cluff will perform at Creamfields on August 27. To follow along on his journey and listen to his music check @jasoncluff on Instagram for further updates.