FOLD Invites Cleric
Ten years ago, what began as a quiet impulse to cultivate something lasting took on a life of its own. For Jorden, better known as Cleric, founding Clergy Records was not just about releasing tracks, but assembling a platform and network for others. Curating a space where sound, identity, and intention could intersect, he set out not to just be a part of the conversation, but to contribute to it. Born out of admiration for iconic imprints like Ostgut Ton and Token, the label emerged with a strong conceptual backbone, shaped by Jorden’s earlier career in hair design, where visuals, themes, and narrative were always part of the process. That same attention to detail now runs through the label’s releases - from series-based artwork to emotionally timed record drops, he sought to create a discography that was not only diverse, but also personal and precise.
Clergy has since become a launchpad for artists like Stef Mendesidis and a home to genre-defining moments from Dax J, James Ruskin, Felicie and Kwartz. Through it all, Jorden has stayed rooted in the idea of paying it forward, offering the same mentorship and opportunity once given to him, while continuing to evolve his own artistry through live hybrid sets, global showcases, and new collaborations.
For the next FOLD: Invites, Jorden dialled in with us direct from sunny Miami, where we explored what it means to create with purpose, navigating the ongoing changes of the techno landscape, and why revisiting the past can sometimes hold the key to moving forward.
Thanks for joining us today, Jorden. Starting at the beginning: how did you first enter into music?
For me, I remember being on the dance floor in a time where I shouldn’t have been there - age 16 or 17 - and feeling grateful for this person DJing who could set the atmosphere of the whole room, and create a collective feeling. That was my main inspiration - it was just a hobby for me driven by this intention to share, and then I ended up having to quit my job when it became more involved in my life.
What was the transition like?
I was initially just playing parties in Manchester, all local. Then when I started making music, I got signed to Len Faki’s label, and I was lucky enough to land a Berghain booking in my first year. It was a real “jumping into the deep end” - when I got that gig I just went straight for it and quit my job the next day. One thing led to the next - I really owe a lot to luck in this situation, and the support of Len especially. He helped a lot at the start - he had a series of Figure events that were going on, and was putting me onto a bunch of the lineups. A lot of these were at high profile clubs and I guess this kind of snowballed, developing into standalone gigs elsewhere beyond the Figure umbrella.
I moved to London for a year after quitting my job. It was a bit chaotic and pressurised, so I spent a lot of time working on my label [Clergy, which was now emerging], but ended up moving back to Manchester… tried Berlin, but this lasted two months. Maybe it was the fact it was the dead of winter. Now I live in Amsterdam, which has been the best move I’ve done.
Tell us about Amsterdam - any recommendations?
There’s such a range of great events there. I’m really looking forward to playing Awakenings this year. In terms of the smaller parties, Vault Sessions are exceptional - they know what they’re doing with music, crowd, atmosphere. In terms of clubs, Bret has also been a standout for me. We’re spoiled for choice here.
Let’s discuss Clergy Records. The label has been a staple of the techno scene since its inception in early 2015. Looking back, what are some pivotal moments that defined the label’s identity?
There hasn’t been one particular moment - it feels like it’s been a journey of consistency since day one. I really loved the conceptual direction of my hairdressing career, so when I transferred this over to the label, one of the running themes was releasing things in series of five. Although we’re doing a lot more to mark a decade, there’s been a lot of referencing through this one-to-five, five-to-ten sequencing. The artwork adapted to this too - this sort of framework allowed for everything to stay fresh and exciting, but still hold the identity of the label at its core.
My dad was doing a lot of the early photography when we started. When he stopped, I took over the graphic design element of things - it was a lot of facets to handle, but I enjoyed being able to further shape the visual direction from these foundations.
Back to this feeling of luck, I had a lot of blessings in terms of the circumstances and support I had when I started out. Len’s label was already incredibly successful and I’m grateful for his profile allowing me to then platform the music I cared about with my own projects. Funnily enough, the first Clergy release is still our bestseller.
I’m trying to do for other people what Len did for me. There are ebbs and flows for any label, but I’m happy that the success of one thing helps with the success of another. This way, you can take more risks, and promote the music you care about even if it’s not as financially prosperous.
This year, you’re celebrating 10 years of the label, commemorating the landmark with 10 VAs, 10 mixes, 10 remixes of classic tracks, global showcases, and limited edition merch. Can you share some insight into these releases?
Creating a ten year anniversary celebration was a bit overwhelming, but I wanted to do something special. With the VAs, I thought it would be cool to have a spread of releases that you could buy together at the end of year.
We also decided to do 10 podcasts, which we’re releasing with Apple Music. The great thing about them is that they offer pay-per-play royalties - we thought it was a great opportunity to ask each of the artists to pick a charity they wanted to donate this income to. For example, Temudo has just chosen Doctors Beyond Borders. Stephanie Sykes and AMORAL have chosen a breast cancer charity for theirs.
For the VAs, we have a collection that is comprised entirely of my own remixes of old Clergy tracks. I wanted to bring new life into these selections - some are more “well-known”, and some are ones that I felt deserved to be put back on the radar. The whole process really tugged at the heartstrings - I remember when all of them initially came out.
Sometimes we can get so caught up in looking ahead to “what’s new” - this was a great exercise in the importance of looking back. It really hits differently when you rediscover something timeless from the archives, even just on the dancefloor or digging through old records from years and years ago.
Times have changed a bit with having to grab people’s attention through 15 second reels and different content. It used to be more commonplace for people to sit down and listen to entire bodies of music - the whole idea of promoting is different.
There is still the success of parties that are built off community. Less about ‘hard ticket’ lineups, more about the people.
Places like Berghain and FOLD have managed to cut through this - the crowd create it from the ground up. It all starts with them, and the sound.
So, let’s move to the label artwork. How important is the visual component in conveying the label’s ethos?
Music and art really go hand in hand. Having the visual element to what you’re showcasing gives a new dimension to it all. We wanted to push the boundaries a bit in our record sleeves - we print on the inside and outside, and for the 10 years, we’ve UV printed onto the sleeves. Instead of prioritising the profit margins, the focus for me was ensuring that the customer receives something special and unique.
It’s like when you’re shown a track without a name yet, and when it gains its title, it can end up doubling down on the feeling of it.
What qualities do you look for when inviting artists onto the label?
Among other things, I really feel like it’s our responsibility as label managers to find the artists who are less driven by media marketing or hype. A lot of introverts struggle to get their music out there, and it’s our job to platform their voice and have them heard. In the same way I was given my own opportunities, I want to offer that to artists I believe in.
I remember when we gave Stef Mendesidis his first vinyl EP - and it’s been incredible to watch him become one of the biggest names in techno at the moment. It’s really special to see someone you championed do super well.
Clergy has quite varying tones across the breadth of its releases. There can be quite a lot of flashes of hype across the sub genres of techno, but the label has stayed cohesive even with its variation. How did you balance this versatility?
Styles and sounds have changed a lot of the last decade - it’s natural for things to evolve. We never wanted to pigeonhole ourselves, and the emotiveness of the releases informed this balancing act.
Thinking back to Stef’s first release, the record was quite a heads-down, dark, club record. His second record switched up the mood to a bit more of an uplifting feeling. I was thinking about the relation between the release dates tying into the underlying themes of the records. For example, his first EP dropped in the dead of winter, while his second one came out late-August.
I always think about the listener’s psychology in this sense. For me, the records wouldn’t have worked if they had been released the other way around.
Clergy has worked in parallel with the development of sounds and artists. Often, labels fall into the trap of believing they have to stay entirely faithful to one sound, but the label evolved in a way that was naturally in relation to the development of the different threads of techno coming through.
Are there any releases on the label that hold a particular place in your heart?
It’s so hard to pick one. ‘Visions’ [release number 20] was two years in the making - and was an hour long mix of unreleased music. I withheld from initially dropping the tracklist though - so nobody knew who the tracks belonged to. It could have been more established names, or artists breaking through. But I remember a lot of people asking what the track was at around 45 minutes in - and the answer was that it was an artist who had never released a track before.
When I did eventually share the tracklist, it created a really nice buzz for these names. It’s been really special to me when people still bring it up even now.
It’s a strange thing how the effect that a mix or track has on a personal level isn’t quantifiable. We only see numbers, but unless someone tells you about how much a piece of music meant for them, it’s easy to reduce something to the former. There’s something special about releasing music and it no longer belonging to you in that sense.
People are super quick to jump on the biggest names on a release. This is what made that mix so special - the initial anonymity democratised the response, and gave the opportunity to that particular artist to shine.
You see it at parties like UNFOLD, where the lineup isn’t announced and the audience goes in with that sense of trust and curiosity.
How have you fostered a sense of community among the artists on Clergy, and are there any plans for any label showcases or tours?
We actually used to have a Whatsapp group in the first five or so years.. Every time I used to sign an artist, we would add them to the Whatsapp group. It slowed down over time - people were naturally busy, expanding into new projects etc. - but when it was active it was a great place to connect. Sometimes artists would then link up separately, having not met before, and end up collaborating on something else.
We’ve just had a showcase in Toronto at Format, and in June we’re heading to Underclub. Then there’s Tresor in August, and a special TBA collab in Amsterdam this Autumn. When we get into winter we’ll be heading to Melbourne.
As an artist and label head, how do you manage the dual responsibilities, and do they ever conflict?
Financially there’s probably a bit of a conflict with wanting to push the design boundaries of the label. It comes at a cost, but I think it’s worth it. Maybe other label heads perhaps wouldn’t consider adding extra spend to more expensive record sleeves.
Without sounding too morbid, we’re not here for long and having something that sticks around after you is worth putting the extra effort into.
Let’s chat about performances. You’ve played at esteemed venues like Berghain, Tresor, fabric, among others. Which performances have been particularly memorable, and why?
Everything is special. Of course, the Berghain debut stood out for me as it was also my EU debut and the start of my whole career, but this led onto countless memories. Even the more intimate, 200-cap venues can and have provided a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
How do the way extended sets shape the way you tell a story, and do you prefer these longer journeys to shorter club slots?
I love opening sets. You get to watch people’s energy actively shift who started off just standing there, chain-smoking. There’s something incredibly rewarding to see this development of the whole atmosphere, which you wouldn’t necessarily find during a peak time slot when people are already dancing.
You’ve described your music as a means to translate energy to others. How do you tailor your sets to different audiences and venues to achieve this?
I adjust my sets depending on so many factors: the city, the set-time and context of the running order, even the general age of the crowd. I always have an organised playlist but I don’t like to plan my sets. I try to keep it spontaneous and in conversation with the people present.
Some artists show up for their sets ten minutes before, and stay true to their vision they have in their head, while some show up hours before and work with what who was playing before. Both have authenticity in each approach - what do you prefer to do?
It all depends. When friends play, I might turn up super early, but can end up feeling quite drained by the time I start. Generally speaking, I’ll arrive half an hour early, just to gauge the vibe, and check the monitoring in the booth, which can be different to the soundsystem facing the crowd.
You’ve mentioned how you’ll be playing a hybrid live set at points this year. Tell us about the setup.
I’ll be using a Pioneer Toraiz SP-16, and two drum samplers all loaded with my own drums and music. These are linked to 2 CDJs, and I’ll loop these over tracks - both unreleased and released. The end result is akin to remixing tracks live.
What inspired you to expand from your usual CDJ setup?
I liked the idea of offering more than just playing tracks. I’m not changing the world - but switching up the approach was a nice concept to follow with.
Where else can we expect to catch you this year?
I can’t wait for the next South America tour. There’s also Awakenings, a few TBA shows…
And to wrap up - are there any artists you’d like to shout out?
There’s so much great talent out there. The future is bright, and these artists are pushing things in the right direction. To highlight some names on Clergy, it’s worth keeping an eye on Bidoben, Hyden. Pablo [Hyden] recently moved to Amsterdam and we’re launching an alias together. Kabay is also incredible - he just did a Vault Sessions EP. I’m grateful that I can help these artists have the spotlight that they deserve.
Words by Emily Rose @emily_rose___