Another living legend of dance music talks to Sound Revolt. This time face to face again. Check out what we were able to get from Steve before his performance in Warsaw on the Diverse Edition party.

Sound Revolt: Have you heard anything about Poland?


Steve Lawler: Not really, no. I was trying to figure out if I’d actually been here before but I don’t think I have been to Poland.


Sound Revolt: You’re not sure whether you’ve been somewhere or not?


Steve Lawler: I don’t, because I travel that much and I have been for so many years that sometimes I’m simply not sure.


Sound Revolt: There’s one place you should remember... Congratulations on the Ibiza DJ awards.


Steve Lawler: Thank you very much.


Sound Revolt: How do you do it? Second time in a row!?


Steve Lawler: Yeah, I know and the thing is, when I won last year I was surprised but when I won again this year I was r e a l l y surprised. You don’t expect to win these things 2 years in a row. It’s great, ‘cause people supported me and voted.


Sound Revolt: Is Ibiza changing? Has trance and techno invaded the island?


Steve Lawler: No, I think Ibiza is well divided. It’s got pretty much everything you desire. One of the biggest movements musically right now is the very minimal deep house. A lot of the German, Ritchie Hawtin kind of school of DJing is getting quite big in Ibiza and it’s really healthy and good that it is, because for underground to grow that big is only a positive thing.


Sound Revolt: As for growing. Have there been any new faces on the island that you’ve noticed? Someone that you think will take over your place in, let’s say, five years?


Steve Lawler: There’s some great DJs out there that are quite new. Tania Vulcano.


Sound Revolt: Tania Vulcano? She’s playing here very soon.


Steve Lawler: Yeah, she’s a very good DJ. Also Locodice, a guy called Declan Lee, Nic Fanciulli – these are all really good, quality DJs.


Sound Revolt: Who chose Nathan Fake to remix “Out At Night”?


Steve Lawler: It was a choice between myself and the label (Subversive – editor’s note). We had several options on the table.


Sound Revolt: Can you name them?


Steve Lawler: The options were Richard F, Stephan Luke. There was a few people that we wanted to use but for the style of the track I though it would be better for something to be more underground on the tech sort of side. Cause that’s what I’m looking right now. Musically it’s interesting what’s going on in the underground techno scene.


Sound Revolt: Do you play this future funk prog techno in your sets? Like Nathan Fake and people at Border Community?


Steve Lawler: I don’t know. I never listen to a record and think what style it’s in.


Sound Revolt: Yeah, but you know what I’m talking about.


Steve Lawler: Yeah. Firstly all those guys play really fast so if I was to put anything that was on those labels for instance I would be playing it a lot slower and it would sound different. The tribal thing is taking me 2 years to bury. I still play a lot of drums but the whole tag of being tribal... I don’t like tags. And a lot of things that have come through musically for me are really dirty, bass heavy, speaker pushing sounds. Some of that are taken from the underground techno scene.


Sound Revolt: About tags. It is said you invented twisted house.


Steve Lawler: Yeah and it still is very twisted.


Sound Revolt: This kind of “house” was the second – after progressive – that I actually started to like. I’ve never been into the funky nor french or chicago scene. That was my little evolution. And which way are you evolving?


Steve Lawler: The thing is music evolves not me. The things that I liked, the things that I’ve always searched for in music have always stayed the same. I like music that is chunky, I like stuff that is very club-friendly but at the same time twisted and dirty and druggy and fucked up. I want people to get lost in the music. That has never changed. The music changes as the years go on but I look for the same.

Sound Revolt: With that attitude you might not even notice the evolution.


Steve Lawler: The last person to really notice anything that changes would be me.


Sound Revolt: (laughs)


Steve Lawler: I hear my records differently, I think. When I listen to a record in the studio I hear it the way I hear it and then I might listen to a mix that I did and hear one of the records that I played and it sounds different. I think people hear it different than me.


Sound Revolt: And as for getting lost in the party. How are the Harlem Nights doing?


Steve Lawler: Harlem Nights is amazing! It’s gone from strength to strength and now we’re running into the third year and it’s always packed. It’s always a really special night. It’s always a great atmosphere. For me the best night in the UK by far. The crowd goes off in that room.


Sound Revolt: Is Birmingham (Steve’s home town – editor’s note) angry at you, that you’re doing it in London?


Steve Lawler: I think they are but fuck it. The thing is there really isn’t a big enough scene in Birmingham for me to feed. In London there is.


Sound Revolt: Do all big jocks have a night that is successful? I mean, do people come to Harlem Nights because of Steve Lawler?


Steve Lawler: No, not at all. It isn’t why Harlem Nights is so good. Every month 80% of the crowd are the same people that came last month so there’s a real friendly atmosphere in the crowd, everyone knows faces, everyone knows each other. People walk in the door and they are ready for a great night. That’s it. I feel like a part of the crowd. I know a lot of the faces there now. It feels like I’m having a party in my bedroom but a lot bigger.


Sound Revolt: I’ve read Andy Smith was performing?


Steve Lawler: Yeah he did. He’s a resident of the back room


Sound Revolt: What’s he like? Never seen him nor heard him live apart from Portishead’s gigs of course.


Steve Lawler: Very good. It’s eclectic, it’s leftfield, very funky and pimped up. It’s very sleazy and it fits in perfectly into this red and smokey room.


Sound Revolt: Do you still play 6-7 hours sets during Harlem nights?


Steve Lawler: 5 to 6 hours.


Sound Revolt: And what about Harlem Records? I saw Shmuel Flash lined up. What are the future releases going be like?


Steve Lawler: Varied. Harlem Records is going to focus on big club music and Harlem Tracks on the very underground. I’ve got releases till next march, lined up and ready to go. I’m really excited about putting out all this music because the stuff that is going to be coming out from this point onwards in my opinion is a lot better and a lot more focused than what it has been previously.


Sound Revolt: Starting from Sinesweeper’s “Highest Of The High”?


Steve Lawler: Yeah, and there’s a track called “The Beat Is There” which is on Harlem Tracks. And they are the two releases of the new look, the new label.


Sound Revolt: I’ve read somewhere – don’t know if it was official - you were getting tired of playing. That you want to move aside a bit from the scene. Did you say that?


Steve Lawler: That I was getting tired? No! What I have said to press before on few occasions is I’m trying to find time in my diary to slow the dates down to finish my album. So I can concentrate on the production and get another 6 tracks made and that’s a personal goal for me.


Sound Revolt: Do you think that a DJ a producer without an artist album lacks something? Artistically it’s like the ultimate thing.


Steve Lawler: Yeah, it’s the way how I express myself musically. As a DJ I can express myself to a certain level because most of the records that I play are other people’s. And although I do re-edit a lot of things and the way I mix them makes them sound different it’s still the music that’s getting to me so I can only reach a certain amount of creativity. A certain level of fulfillment. With writing music myself for an album I get it all. It’s very fulfilling, very creative.


Sound Revolt: And how’s the work doing?


Steve Lawler: I’ve got about 6 tracks at the moment but I’m not gonna use all of them. I’m gonna play all my new singles tonight so they’re all dance floor records and what I want to concentrate on now is making more leftfield stuff to complete the album.


Sound Revolt: I wanted to ask you whether your album was going to bang all the way from start to finish?


Steve Lawler: No, it would not be an album then. An album has to express every emotion I have for a music and every emotion I have doesn’t go through a four to the floor beat. I need to make all different kinds of music for the album to be the shape I want it to be.


Sound Revolt: Variety is good for any album, I think.


Steve Lawler: It’s good for the mind and I am very open minded.


Sound Revolt: Have you already started your work on the “Lights Out 3”?


Steve Lawler: No, I’m starting to work on it in February.


Sound Revolt: What do you think it will be like. The first two differ from each other.


Steve Lawler: The third one will be different again.


Sound Revolt: And what is your biggest achievement? What are you most proud of?


Steve Lawler: I’m most proud of looking after my family to be quite honest. My mother, my father, my brothers. I’m really proud of being in the position that I am and being able to be the one that is now looking after my family after all these years of looking after me.


Sound Revolt: And what about a new family? Are you planning to have a wife.


Steve Lawler: Eventually but no, not now. I’m married to music so I can’t.


Sound Revolt: I’ve got the same problem that’s why I’m asking you as an older colleague. Do you regret something from your career?


Steve Lawler: I don’t have any regrets.


Sound Revolt: Are you a gamer? Do you play X-Box?


Steve Lawler: I’ve got a lot of games that I get sent all the time but I never get the time to play them to be honest.


Sound Revolt: Are you a fan of Microsoft?


Steve Lawler: No, Apple baby. I’m not a PC man. The only thing I use that comes from Microsoft are e-mails.


Sound Revolt: I’m asking ‘cause your tracks were available on X-Box, right?


Steve Lawler: Yeah, I have an arrangement with X-Box, not really Microsoft even though Microsoft makes X-Box.


Sound Revolt: (laughs) Last question – what car do you currently drive?


Steve Lawler: Lexus SC 430.

Sound Revolt: (laughs) Last question – what car do you currently drive?

Steve Lawler: Lexus SC 430.

I like music that is chunky, I like stuff that is very club-friendly but at the same time twisted and dirty and druggy and fucked up. I want people to get lost in the music.