His real name is Barclay Crenshaw and he's an American house and techno producer from San Francisco. In July 2006, he released his debut album “Beware of The Bird” which received excellent reviews worldwide.
He has released two compilations (At the controls and Fabric 46) between these two albums, so what can you expect?

Well, he’s taken the ready and rough edged sounds from the first album and sanded them down. But do not fear CVS lovers, the album is chock full of dirty, deep, progressive tracks along with his trademark funny and giggling cuts, just to keep you on your toes. Altogether it rolls with a smoother overall vibe, less axe murdering breakdowns, but with all the quirky madness still intact.

The diversity of the album is revitalizing. Heavy jackin’, ultra-deep, nasty funk and inventive arrangements are all present, as are legends (Bootsy Collins) and friends (Justin Martin & J Phlip), creating a complete guide to the musical mind of Claude VonStroke.

Standout tracks include ‘Aundy’ created in respect for the 90’s Drum Bass sound of people like LTJ Bukem and Good Lookin’ records. It is also the name of Claude’s wife, who makes an appearance with some vocal stabs on the track just as she did on “Who’s Afraid of Detroit?”

‘Beat That Bird’ is made for the clubs. It has a style that is reminiscent of ‘Deep Throat’ from his first record; listen to how claude manipulates the phrase ‘Beat That Bird With The Bat’ throughout the song.

‘Vocal Chords’ is a clever musical pun on the simple synth line on top of bangin’ 4×4 but, as it is so well done, it has a depth that makes it as good a listen at home as in the club environment. Tracks like this one really shows his ingenuity for composition.

The last track on the album is ‘Jasper’s Baby Robot’ which is an emotional moby-esque styled track. Jasper, Claude’s son also features on this track. One can imagine Claude just sitting down with his kid whilst he was playing with his toy robot and pressing record. The track is filled with emotion, enabling you to appreciate how much his son means to him.
The last track lasts only two minutes and thirty-four seconds long, and I find it amazing that I can draw such an image or message from that brief period of time.

VonStroke and the dirtybird record label have never been defined by genres. This makes for a refreshing break from todays current trend for chasing and recreating 90’s deep house loops, many respected producers have been abandoning their creativity. “Whether you like this album or not, there is no fake funk in this project. This is music from my heart.”-Claude Vonstroke

CVS seems to understand that rewriting "Who's Afraid of Detroit?" won't make him too many new fans, and for that we can all be thankful.

Tracklisting

1. Monster Island
2. Greasy Beat, The - Claude VonStroke & Bootsy Collins
3. Vocal Chords
4. Big 'n' Round
5. Bay Area
6. California
7. Aundy
8. Beat That Bird
9. Storm On Lake St. Claire
10. Jasper's Baby Robot

Bird Brain hatched on October the 19th