Damian Lazarus had been scouting the underground for music and talent for over a decade before founding his own label, the Crosstown Rebels, in 2003. Once a music journalist and editor at Dazed & Confused, he would later join London Records and, in 2001, become head of A&R at City Rockers, releasing now classic records like Felix Da Housecat’s Silver Screen Shower Scene and Tiga & Zyntherius’ Sunglasses at Night.
If Futurism and its sequel, the compilations he put together for City Rockers in 2002, serve as a record of the Electroclash scene of those days, then the Rebel Rave CD his own label has just put out provides a snapshot of today’s underground sound. Served in three discs, the album is as eclectic as the man himself and the community of rebel artists he has built.
If you’d like to get to know the people behind the label, tune in to rebelrave.tv. These short documentaries of the underground (ironically enough, soon to be broadcast on Comcast) bring you closer to Damian and his crew, among whom Seth Troxler, Jamie Jones, Deniz Kurtel and Butane. Not to mention that they take you on a journey halfway across the world. As Damian himself says “Rebel Rave TV is an opportunity for our fans as well as people who don’t really know much about who we are to get a little bit more information about our DJs, our producers, the process of making our music, what we do when we’re on the road, the kind of people that we are, the kind of close-knit community that we’re building, the fun that we have, and the great parties that we play.”
From City Rocker to Crosstown Rebel, from London to LA (where he now lives), Lazarus has proven time and again, both as a DJ and producer in his own right, as well as a connoisseur, scout and purveyor of quality sound, that approaching music, and life, with passion and creativity pays off.
Congratulations on quitting smoking! How did you do it?
Thank you, I’m quite proud of myself. I actually went to see a hypnotist in Los Angeles. I was very skeptical but allowed her to fiddle around inside my brain for a minute and within 2 hours I’d reverted to a non-smoker. Best $300 I ever spent.
Your latest (thanksgiving) podcast is a compilation of all Beatles tunes. If you had to pick just 3 of their songs, which would they be and why?
‘I am the Walrus’ for it’s utter weirdness, ‘Taxman’ for it’s total brilliance and ‘Blackbird’ for being on the Car Tape and consequently making it on to my Essential Mix.
Looking back at 2010, which artists have shaped your sound and the electronic underground in general?
I think Nicholas Jaar, Caribou and Deniz Kurtel have been highly influential this year. I’ve also been inspired by Bill Holt, Steve Reich and Alejandro Jodowosky.
Like most things these days, electronic music is constantly evolving and the industry is undergoing profound changes. Where do you see dance music – as a style of music and as an industry – heading in the next decade?
Well, a good wizard should never tell but if I am forced I would say that house music seems to be slowing down further and further right now with hip hop and r&b speeding up, I think there could be some interesting collaborations in this area; imagine Stevie Wonder working with Soul Clap or Maceo Plex working with Eryka Badu. I think the electronic underground will remain as inspirational as it is now with the odd track or two seeping out from below the line and crossing over as hit records but I don’t fear that the music we love will ever be viewed as ‘commercial’. The dance industry will become more focused on other areas in the arts, like theatre and film but there will continue to be labels in the way we know them now.
Apart from that, West Ham United will win the Premiership and Apes will take over the World.
Let’s get back to the label for a moment. The Rebel Rave compilation that just came out has a very diverse sound, just like the roster of artists on the label. How did you go about picking the tracks that would go into the compilation?
I left it and left it and left it some more actually. I kept putting it off because it seemed such a difficult task. I even asked Leon my label manager to do it for me at one stage and then thought no, I HAVE to do this. So over a few intense listening and thinking sessions I selected the tracks that I felt gave a strong representation of the label to people that may not know it, balanced with really cool tracks for people that do. Then came the job of sequencing the tracks over two cds, which is something I’ve always loved doing. I was very lucky to have such a brilliant mix from Clive Henry for the third cd as that selection touched on the more, subtle underground tracks that we’ve released.
What do you look for in the artists you sign on the label?
Originality, exceptional talent, warped sense of humor.
Art Department is your latest signing with a release + album coming out in 2011. From what I understand you pushed the two artists, Kenny and Johnny, to work together. What made you think they would make a good team?
They just seemed like two lonely souls searching the world for love and understanding… they just needed to realise their dream together is all. What was clear to me had been hidden to them, but just like Hart to Hart, “when they met it was murder!”
What can we expect from their album?
Some completely amazing music, created by two extremely talented individuals who together make an exceptional team; the album is full of material that I am convinced will go down as one of the most outstanding debut albums in dance music. One track, called Much Too Much, is so powerful it will bring tears to the eyes. There is also a track the guys co-produced with Soul Clap that features Osunlade on vocals and when the bassline drops on this tune, all hell breaks loose.
The Rebel Rave video series is awesome! How did the idea come about and what can we expect in the next episode? When is that coming out?
I wanted to make some cool films, was introduced to the genius that is David Terranova and the rest, as they say, was techno-movie history.
I really don’t want to give anything away about Rebel Rave 10 except that it’s going to be very special, we film in January, I hope to have the episode ready for mid February.
You experiment a lot with your sound and have done some pretty twisted things in your productions and DJ sets. What is the craziest thing you’ve done musically?
Actually just the other day I found a super futuristic drum’nbass mix that I made under the PM Scientists name in 1998 and towards the end I slow down a Photek track to half speed and mix in some other breakbeats, followed by the strings from a techno tune… that was a pretty crazy idea which just about worked. I think that set me off and I’ve slipped in everything under the sun into my sets ever since; from Andy Couzens to Oliver Twist and Fleetwood Mac.
As a DJ, where is your favorite place to play?
DC10 in Ibiza and anywhere in Mexico.
Have you played at the bpm festival before or is the label showcase this year a first? What are your expectations?
I haven’t played at the BPM festival but I have been playing in Playa Del Carmen for around 5 years now. I love this part of the world so much and I come back as often as possible. I have played many legendary parties at Coco Maya, Blue Parrot, La Santanera and we also organised a Rebel Rave benefit event for Haiti earlier this year at The Blue Venado Beach Club.
You have also confirmed a Crosstown Rebels party at the WMC – what’s the line-up you are planning for that?
I have just confirmed 20 artists for the party. It’s going to be wild!
Coming to NY anytime soon?
I hope so, I had some bad luck recently when a party I was scheduled to play wasn’t able to happen so I am crossing my fingers that everything we be perfect for my next visit which I think will be in March.
And finally, I know you were recently reading Alejandro Jodorowsky’s “Psychomagic: The Transformative Power of Shamanic Psychotherapy.” What is the most valuable thing you learnt from it?
Trust in Jodorowsky.
Interviewed by Ina Sotirova
Damian Lazarus will be appearing as part of a Rebel Rave showcase at the BPM Festival in Playa del Carmen this January.
RSVP here
