Steve Lawler Interview

ViVA boss Steve Lawler has proved that he's got a staying power unmatched by any of his contemporaries. From putting on illegal raves near his native Birmingham to ploughing a path of dark tribal drums similar to Danny Tenaglia in the noughties, he's grown into one of the UK's biggest ambassadors of house and techno with a loyal global following. His ViVA Warriors party has become one of Ibiza's biggest draws each year, but despite helping bring through the new breed, from Detlef to Wave & Odyssey, Steve has maintained his headliner status.

He's doing it again as he headlines the Eastern Electrics After Party at EGG LDN this Saturday 6th August alongside Matt Tolfrey, Dense & Pika, Matthias Tanzmann, Geddes, Waifs & Strays and PBR Streetgang. Get tickets and more info here.

You’ve released tracks from the likes of Jamie Jones, David Squillace and Sante. How did you come to work with these artists? It is an organic thing with securing tracks for the labels and do you listen to demos that get sent in?

I do listen to demos, but we turned off the option to just send them in online now as we were getting sent just far too much music. So much that it was becoming impossible to even find the time to listen to them all. Now I will only accept demos that are put into my hands by someone. I feel that if you want your music on a label so much you should make the effort to get it to the DJ/label A&R. Of course, that's not always going to be easy with how big the world is, but I do travel the world and I’m sure I will be in a city near you sometime soon. That's the time to get music to me.

You’ve also been the subject of dance music documentary ‘The Art Of The DJ’ directed by Piers Sanderson (best-known for 2010's ‘High On Hope’, which charted the rise of acid house and rave culture in Britain). Starting in Birmingham, this 80-minute biopic looks at the next chapter in dance music's journey, using your career to chart the transition from the underground to the mainstream. It takes in your earliest rave experiences, successes in Ibiza and some of the problems someone such as yourself has experienced having been DJing for many years now. How did this come about?

The film is a collage of footage from over 25 years of dance music and there’s loads of history in this movie, and a psychiatric chair setting where I am asked to talk through personal things in my life that have never before been discussed openly. The director has made many films of very serious content and his style is deep and cutting. He didn’t want to a 'fluff' filled egocentric film, he wanted truth, he wanted raw, so I said it how it is. The footage he found not only of me on things like Sky One and Channel 4 but also pictures from after parties is incredible.

After surfing the highs and lows, what inspires and drives you to carry on? And do you have any particular advice for budding DJ/producers or promoters thinking about a career in the music business?

Music drives me… The desire to be playing to a full room is what drives me; not the monetary side of success, but the satisfaction side of things keeps me working hard. I like new. New excites me. The future of electronic music and havens for us to express make me feel compelled to keep working hard. I believe my experience drives my vision and gives me a good scope on things.