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 Andy P of i:Vibes gets a chance to talk with his hero "The Tribal King" about the dark, dirty and downright filthy music that makes up Steve Lawler. Check out the Lawler Interview!!!!!!
Steve Lawler has been a mainstay in the music industry for the past few years and he has never tried to play cheesy music, he has continued his dark, dirty and just downright filthy tribal house path. He became the next big thing by playing Ibiza (he still hates the Lizards) and then he joined Cream as a resident and then he pushed his first single "Rise In". Since then, Steve Lawler has done three Global Underground compilations (Nubreed 3, Lights Out 1 and 2) and countless remixes and personal releases. He has also toured the world over, many times and he has become a favorite deejay of many music lovers for his uncompromising and often relentless music scope. I:Vibes.nu talked with him about his upcoming Lights Out 3 (release date set for October 2005, where he will end the series) and many others things.
i:Vibes: Do you think if it was not for PCRL, the Brum Pirate Station or Don Christie's, the record shop in Brum, would you be where you are today?
A: No not at all.. I sourced these places myself to find the music, if it wasn't these then I would have found it somewhere else. Although listening to PCRL did turn me on to acid house at still a very early age of 15.
i:Vibes: What made you not quit, when people that you knew played big choons and your career seemed to be stalled. Do you ever consider selling out and playing big choons or did you see that you might get somewhere without doing that?
A: DJing for me was never about playing something that I didn't like, I have played lots of big tunes over the years and made some myself, its not about playing big records that bothered me, it was about people in my hometown (Birmingham) were getting booked to play gigs because they were playing cheesy shit music and I could never ever play something that I didn't like for any amount of money. So I just played music I loved to smaller crowds back then and slowly got recognised as a quality DJ. This was in the early 90's, which was a lot harder to get on in those days. But I didn't care, I was still very happy to play the music that I loved to an audience even thought, there was no money in it for me, it didn't really matter.
i:Vibes: If it was not for Darren Hughes and his residency offer at Cream in Leicester Square, would you be where you are today?
A: Its not that simple, I'm afraid. Only if it was!. It was a combination of things, the respect that I gained from the music industry from playing Cafe Mambo in Ibiza, the residency at Cream, my first big record "Rise In", my first Dark Drums Mix Comp Series, the success that I had in London at Home. It all mounts up, till people can't ignore what is basically in their face.
i:Vibes: How did you get so into tribal house? Most deejays bar a certain few never really made a career of playing it
A: I have always been into Drums, Drums and Drums!!! Love EM! Always present in my selection of tracks and bass!!! I love that bass!!! and there was a wave of music that came from the States, that was perfect for me and it was making its way heavily into my sets. Nice dark, drugy, dirty beats. Yes please sir! and then it was tagged by the likes of you (The Press) as "Tribal". For me it was just another kind of house music, another year with new influences. Music is constantly evolving, what are the press gonna do? Keep thinking of new names! hehe! Next I will be playing Tinka House
i:Vibes: Did you resent the tag of being called the British version of Danny Tenaglia?
A: No not at all, I have a lot of respect for Danny, someone who is truly in love with their game!. Someone who I have watched and listened to over the years and someone who has played a big influence on me. I was buying his records when I was 17!.
i:Vibes: I've seen you numerous times over the last five years and you've gone from almost pure tribal at times to more progressive tinted tribal to
almost a mix of just plain dark music, even your latest essential mix was electro. How has Steve Lawler's sound changed over the past few years?
A: Haha! I love that! My sound has stayed the same from day one. All the elements that I love about music, are still as present in my today's choice of records as they always have been. Its the music that changes, the equipment that its made on, the new producers with all their new influences. Listen to my music now and you will still hear interesting drum patterns, you will still hear big chunky basslines and nice little vocal samples. Now...has that really changed?
i:Vibes: So what's Lights Out 3 going to be like, will it take more of the sound that you are playing at the moment or will it be like Lights Out 1 or 2
or will it just be the trademark Lawler sound of deep, dark and dirty.
A: This album is very reflective of what I do in a club, Part 1 was my experiment into the dark side and I loved it!. Part 2 was more on a sexual tip, chunky floorfillers for the terrace etc. and now Part 3, is finally what you all get from me every weekend in a club. With CD 1 of Lights Out 3, it lends itself more towards the afterhours session, that not all get to see or hear!, which I think is the best way to end the series.
i:Vibes: Does it bug you that so many deejays have become pawns for press agencies and they have given up their true love and started to only care
about money?
A: Yes it does but to each their own, its a huge business now and you have to take note of that but the true love lies down to two things. Only the music and the atmosphere in the club. I mean its all about 2 things right? 1st to hear good music and 2nd to have a good time.
i:Vibes: The past five years have probably been a complete blur for you but what path do you want your career to take now?
A: My next move is going to be my album project, where I will make around 12 tracks (not all for the dancefloor) that reflect me. I want to really express myself musically, I have the lyrics that I have written over the years that have never seen the light of day and I have some very deep personal influences that I want to get into my music. This I am really looking forward to and to see where it goes, where I can take music. Its actually very interesting and a lot of fun working in the studio, starting out with a picture in yoru mind and transfering that down musically is very satisfying for me.
I:Vibes.nu thanks Justin at Rephlektorink for allowing Andy P to fulfill his dream of interviewing Steve Lawler. Ivibes.nu also thanks Steve Lawler for taking time out of his busy schedule to do the interview. GU Lights Out 3 (out on Global Underground) is out in October 2005 and it has a tour to follow. Steve Lawler's latest single is called "That Sound" and it is out on September 1st on Joia Records.
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