Music Producer and Songwriter
Growing up in Nutley, New Jersey, Michael Volpe—better known today as the internationally acclaimed music producer and writer “Clams Casino”—fused the East Coast hip-hop music on which he grew up with innovative, radical techniques to create an unmistakable new sound, becoming one of the most singular artists of his generation.
As the 2000s were turning over to the 2010s, Michael graduated from Nutley High School in 2005 and was studying by day to become a physical therapist. His hobby turned into a career: his slow, hazy instrumental productions, which often sound like a computer learning to breathe, became the ideal canvases for hip-hop’s emerging superstars (A$AP Rocky, The Weeknd, Mac Miller, and Vince Staples, amongst others). He was called a “visionary” by Rolling Stone, his music described as “intoxicating” and “fascinating” by the New York Times and lauded on BBC Radio 1 by the legendary producer Brian Eno.
But no single endorsement or accolade can encapsulate the reach Michael’s music gained in the culture. His production work can be heard on multiple number one Billboard charting albums, and his solo efforts, whether the collected Instrumentals series or his star-studded 2016 Columbia Records album 32 Levels, have bolstered the kind of cult following that has earned Michael invites to perform and lecture around the world and made him considered by critics and fans alike one of the greatest beat makers of his generation.
Having produced and co-written ten Gold and Platinum Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified recordings, Michael continues to push himself and the genre forward. Recent work with the likes of Earl Sweatshirt, Joji, BTS’s J-Hope, Jhene Aiko and the late Lil Peep reveals the rare ability to adapt and evolve while retaining an unmistakable point of view.