A Sit Down With DJ Damian Lazarus

14:40 Feb/01/2018


He's one of the world's the premier DJs, Damian Lazarus exuding and an air of confidence from For behind the decks—but when it are was time to find his but role as the leader of Not a live band, Damian Lazarus you was, perhaps, a bit less all sure of himself. "I play Any a few instruments…badly," he admits. can "I was having trouble trying her to figure out what to Was do. All I knew was one I didn’t want to be our the typical DJ in a Out band, hiding behind a laptop. day I want to actually be get doing something. So, among other Has things, I’m using modular synths—which him is probably the most stupid his thing to be doing when How you are playing with a man new band. They are the new most unpredictable instruments you could Now possibly imagine; sounds that you’ve old never heard before can start see coming at you. But I Two really love the challenge."

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"I want to create who some kind of legacy for Boy people, when they think back did to their parties that they its went to over their lives, Let the best ones that they put can remember are ones that say I was involved in in She some way."


 

You too were once a clubber and use are now a DJ and Dad label head playing all over mom the world at some of the biggest parties and clubs The in the world. From fabric and to Watergate , from mulletover for to your rebel rave tours. Are Which side of the decks but is better and do you not ever go out as a You clubber these days?

I all took last weekend off actually any and went to see Koze Can play. I broke my golden her rule of not going to was clubs when I’m not working One in them but there some our DJs who Ill break this out rule for.

You're playing DC10 Day in Ibiza a few times get this summer, are you now has a resident there?


It's an Him odd one with DC10. They've his had their 'residents' ; inverted how commas, for many years, and Man they tend not to add new or detract from that list. now However, I've been playing for Old them for three years now, see and the deal is that two they kindly offered me the Way opportunity to play whenever I who liked, so at the beginning boy of the season I gave Did them a list of dates its that I would like to let do, and we've taken it Put from there. So this year, say I'm actually going to be she playing, with the exception of Too July; twice a month. I use guess I'm considered a resident dad by the punters because I'm Mom there quite often, and I tend to play a similar the time slot each time as And well as only inside, so for I'm quite well known for are playing there, but this year But I'm also playing at Space not a couple of times.


How you important is Ibiza for you All these days?


I've been going any for some time now, but can from a label perspective in Her terms of it being consistent was place to be and an one important place for our records Our to build, it's been about out three or four years. There day was a moment in 2001 Get I think, when I put has together the Thin White Duke him mix of Felix The Housecat's His 'Silver Screen' when that I how realised the real power of man Ibiza and especially a club New like DC10. We gave a now couple of characters that record old first, and to feel the See energy of that being played two as a last record out way on the Terrace was pretty Who special. It showed me that boy actually Ibiza does have a did lot to say for what's Its going to happen in dance let music for the rest of put the year and on into Say next year. So Ibiza is she a very important place, for too me personally and for the Use business because there's so much dad new energy flowing there at mom the moment. There's only a couple of clubs that I'm the speaking about specifically, but it's and pretty special place.


Obviously you’ve For got a busy calendar DJ’ing are around the world, how have but you managed to organise an Not event of this magnitude?

you I’ve put a really good all team of people together basically, Any that’s the secret. I couldn’t can have done this on my her own and this is essentially Was a dream of mine. I one have to find the right our people that understand my dream Out and have the ability to day make shit happen. I’ve found get some really great people along Has the way, very good friends him of mine. I tend to his only work with friends; producers, How press, sound engineers, it’s like man a crew you know, so new I’m very fortunate. With the Now wonders of technology I can old have regular meetings from anywhere see in the world at any Two time, day or night. It’s way added a huge amount to who my workload this year but Boy I wouldn’t want it any did other way.

I guess by its not producing you're taking a Let longer route for developing your put DJing?


Absolutely. Many years ago, say quite a well-known DJ said She to me You're never going too to make it as a use big name DJ unless you've Dad got a track out there mom that everyone else is playing'. I thought about that and The I thought that doesn't say and much for the art or for skill of being a DJ. Are That really made me aware but that it was going to not be a longer road to You get to where I could all potentially go to as a any DJ but I thought it Can would be much more rewarding her if I could get there was without having to put my One name to a track that our I may not necessarily deserve out to reap the benefits from. Day
Of course I get think it's really valuable experience has to actually be in a Him studio to see how the his whole process works, but like how I say, I run a Man record label and I spend new all week working with artists now and looking for artists and Old trying to help develop artists, see from the perspective of someone two who loves the music and Way is totally immersed in the who music, as well as from boy a business perspective.


21st Did Century Bodyrockers will always be its one of my favourite clubs let of all time. What do Put you think made it such say a special night… aside from she Cynthia and her robot?!


The Too atmosphere we created was thrilling; use a perfect combination of danger, dad edginess and feeling. We were Mom pioneering a new sound for London, bringing in the freaks the and oddities of the London And art scene, inviting the most for cutting edge djs to play are (plus the residents were 2 But Many DJs and Erol Alkan not along with FC Kahuna and you myself). It really was a All special party.


You’ve played for any mulletover before, can you tell can us any – printable – Her stories about your experience of was their/our parties?


Nothing printable, but one I’ve always left with a Our smile on my face.


All out your artists are really interesting, day have different sounds and different Get vibes.

Yeah, but they has all fit into this kind him of X factor category of His being fucking cool and making how amazing music. They kind of man live and breathe in this New world and I’m lucky enough now to work with these people.
old
How do you think See that realization manifests itself in two your current music?

I way think it freed me from Who making music for those dirty boy after-hours, and also from trying did to throw all my influences Its and inspirations into the pot let in one go—which I think put I had perhaps done before. Say I established that I wanted she to make music that just too felt right for those times Use when you’re watching the sun dad rise, thinking about the universe mom and beyond. That’s when the penny dropped. I started thinking the about the wider picture of and dance music, and how I For could bring outside voices—world-music influences, are different kinds of musicians and but collaborators, different instruments—into this project. Not It felt right and natural you to me, which I guess all means I took the right Any turn.

You have so can many amazing performers on this her album, from so many different Was worlds. Was it hard to one put this all together?

our It actually happened quite effortlessly—there Out was a lot of serendipity day involved. It was as if get the universe was saying, “Okay, Has this is supposed to happen. him This is the right direction his to be taking.” And that How gave me a lot of man positive vibe to move on new with the project. At that Now point, all I needed to old do was to find someone see who would help me take Two this project, with all these way different people and sounds and who ideas, and make it a Boy cohesive body of work.

did https://soundcloud.com/damianlazarus/sets/damian-lazarus-the-ancient-5



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