After an intense chapter leading Dirtybird and reinventing himself as Barclay Crenshaw, Claude VonStroke returns to the dance floor under his original alias with This Mfing Beat, a track made in collaboration with Reggie Watts that perfectly captures his new philosophy: less perfection, more freedom.
The single is a blast of improvised energy that brings together the best of both minds. On one side, VonStroke’s unpredictable production; on the other, Reggie Watts’ vocal brilliance. The result is a summer anthem full of attitude — like they walked into the studio with zero pressure and created purely for the joy of it.
Far from the calculated tech house of the Dirtybird era, This Mfing Beat is dirtier, freer, and way more fun. A funky groove begging to be played in sweaty club sets. There’s rhythm, there’s humor, and above all, there’s personality.
The single follows his I Was the Wolf EP, where Claude had already shown signs of a creative rebirth. But here, we see him fully unleashed and genuinely happy. With no label to box him in and the Life of Leisure Tour in full swing, VonStroke is making music because he wants to and not because he has to.
With This Mfing Beat, Claude VonStroke is back, not to repeat the past, but to fully enjoy the present, on his own terms. And if this sets the tone for what’s coming, we’re all invited to a new kind of party freer, weirder, and more fun than ever.