We sit down with British house DJ, producer, five time DJ Awards winner and Viva boss Steve Lawler. Having held residencies at institutions such as Space Ibiza, The End and Sankeys for his infamous VIVa Warriors nights, the UK pioneer earned himself the ‘King Of Space’ moniker. Read on to find out more about the man behind the music.
Hey Steve, great to connect with you! What’s good and bad in your world right now?
Everything is good! Even the flights during this tour have been good! Hahah which is weird! Because usually with so many flights some shit always goes wrong, but so far so good! Life is great thankyou, I finally found the perfect work / life balance, only taken the best part of 20 years! Hahah. I wasn’t enjoying repetitive endless touring for a long time anyway, being away from my family and home at least 4 days every week just wasn’t making me happy, and all the money and fame wasn’t making me happy. I couldn’t figure out what it was for a while, funny but Covid stopping everything for a while ended up being a great thing for me, because it forced me to re-evaluate how much I wanted to tour and travel. Now, unless I’m on an actual regional tour, I play 4-5 times a month including local shows so I’m not constantly on the road anymore, and it’s a great way to live. I get to do what I love but also have a life outside of touring.
How has moving to Miami in 2020 influenced the sounds you are making and playing?
Well during that time many things happened in my life that were somewhat overwhelming, and kind of shut me down for a short while. My mother passed away, shortly followed by a string of nightmares building my home. Then followed by covid and that nightmare, and my best friend for 30 years and life-long tour manager Dean Stratten died of cancer. It was a very hard couple of years for my family and I from 2020 – 2022. DJing and making music was the last thing on my mind to be honest. I had to be extremely strong to get myself and my family through those years. So what really changed my relationship with music and touring was a combination of all the above. I took some much needed time out post covid, everyone was touring like crazy but for me it was the opposite as I just wasn’t ready to face much of the world at that point.
This break from music was what really changed how I wanted to make and play music. While everyone else was speeding things up, I was slowing things down. Slowing down the amount of shows I do, slowing down the tempo when playing, and while most DJ’s sets were getting shorter I was playing longer sets. I dived deep, deep into music and found a new love for many artists, and the spirit of playing extended sets again. Not being on the circuit of festivals and big shows meant I could focus on playing longer sets in intimate clubs where I felt more of a belonging.
What took you there initially, and what’s your favourite thing about being there?
Honestly coming out of covid, and all the negative things that I had been going through the last two years, I told my wife one morning, I don’t want to be here anymore, as in the UK and that
big house I had built. I needed a huge change, so she asked where shall we go, and I replied I honestly don’t know, all I know is I can’t stay here after everything that’s happened. It was like a constant reminder of all these things that were awful. My wife supported me and said ok. Let’s go wherever, so we sold everything we owned, packed some suitcases, and got a one way flight to Baja California, Mexico. From there we moved around for 6 months, until we descended upon Miami, which of course I know very well from all the years of coming here. Quite simply we fell in love with Miami, found many new friends and re-connected with some old. There is so much to love about Miami, the weather, the beaches, the suburbs are all beautiful! The amount of things to do in Miami and honestly all the lovely people.
You’ve held many residences over the years. what makes them so important to a dj, what
do they teach you that headline sets can’t?
I have held residences my entire career. It’s just what I was influenced by, by DJ’s like Tenaglia and his residencies and Sasha and his in the UK. It was just how it always was back in the 90’s. So I guess it’s just how I have felt comfortable. You can really hone your craft as a DJ, a proper DJ when holding a residency. You can be more creative, play a wider range of music stylistically, and what I find about residencies is the regular crowd really bring their own energy to the party. There is always a crowd that comes to all the shows, and that is really special. Half of the club is full of regulars, and trust me when I tell you that makes a huge difference in the energy in the room. This was the same at Harlem Nights at The End in London, and We Love at Space in Ibiza, Warriors in Ibiza and Twilo in New York. I really could not do what I do without having some kind of residency.
Can you tell us about your PENDULUM residency at MODE? How does the vibe compare
to other clubs you’ve held residencies in?
It’s a party! It’s an intimate club owned by a group of people who know what they’re doing, and do this for the love. Headed by Louis Puig who is honestly the best at what he does because he loves it, his passion is inspiring. The sound, the aesthetics, the design, everything in MODE is of the highest quality. I started my PENDULUM residency at Behrouz ‘Do No Sit’ as I just wanted somewhere I could play long sets on a good sound system to some friends. But it grew organically very quickly and the night had queues down the street till 4am every month. It became apparent we outgrew the venue and out of nowhere Louis hit me up and told me he was building a new club and I should see it. I added some things I would like to see in the venue and Louis trusted me and said whatever you want let’s do it. I really enjoy working with Louis. He’s a true professional.
What drew you to the Tom Crane track you’re remixing for VIVa? How do you balance
keeping the original vibe of a track while adding your own sound?
I just absolutely loved what Tom did with this vocal, it’s infectious! I originally asked an act my Talent F1rst Management company looks after called WAHM to remix it. They started it and was struggling to finish it, sent it me, and I instantly heard elements in my head that could be added, and changed the arrangement, so we decided to do it as a collaboration. What they started was sounding fresh and I loved it, but it needed more which I instantly knew where to go with it, so it was a natural flow. The WAHM guys have a bright future ahead of them, super original in what they do and really enthusiastic. Great guys and incredible producers and when they play they’re a hybrid act of live and Djing. Great performers.
You’re back with new music on Franky Wah’s SHÈN label soon after a couple of years away from productions – why take that time out?
For the same reasons I mentioned above, I wasn’t in the right headspace. I hadn’t made a track since 2019 so it was actually over 5 years not in the studio! It’s kind of cheesy to say, but I truly make music when I feel I need to create and that is now, and in abundance I’m already working on more new tracks, which I’m super happy with. There is going to be a lot more output from me over the next year for sure.
What got you back in the studio, and what changed in the meantime?
I think my music now is more reflective of feelings. I feel more artistry is back in my music which I felt it lacked over some years. Like most DJ’s I started to make music to “fit” on certain labels which is probably when your music is at its worst to be honest, because it’s not for the right reasons. Now without a doubt I am writing the best music I have ever written and quite simply because I don’t care where it fits or who it fits for, I am writing what I feel I need to get out of my mind creatively.
What inspired the release, where is it musically? What was the aim with it?
It’s a long mystical journey through the dark, that’s how I interpret ‘Pegasus’, a constellation beaming with light in a dark place. This is why I called the track Pegasus.
What else have you got coming up that you can tell us about?
My next track I’m working on called ‘Love Cares’ features a full original vocal written and sung by Kala Shaw who I bought in after writing an instrumental track, but I just knew it was screaming for a vocal. This track is the Light, a really beautiful track of positive feelings and you can really hear the path to the light. It’s something I’m super proud of. I can’t wait for people to hear this when I finish it.