Regarded as highly by his industry peers as he is by his huge global base of musically educated fans, Steve Lawler has been busy with the beats long before genres were but a twinkle in clublandʼs eye. An electronic artist who defies generic boundaries, he began his career organizing the infamous motorway raves back in the early 90s underneath the M42 motorway.
EG caught up with Steve to learn more about his latest remix for SANJAY’s ‘Waiting For The Sun’, the future of electronic music, the late Maxi Jazz, and more.
EG: Hi Steve! Welcome to EG. It’s a pleasure to have you here with us. How have you been? Where are you based right now?
Steve Lawler: Thanks for the invite. I’m currently in Miami, I’m not one for cold winters- I like to follow the sun 😉
EG: First of all, congratulations on the release of your remix for SANJAY’s ‘Waiting For The Sun’! What has the reception been like?
Steve Lawler: It’s been incredible, what’s especially great is people got what I did with this remix. It’s not my usual sound at the moment, but after hearing Sanjay’s vocals, I had to make something of the era of the Space terrace in Ibiza, circa 2004. So I purposefully took this remix down an old-school route, much like my DJ Sandy Vs Housetrap remix I did back then.
EG: What was the experience of working on ‘Waiting For The Sun’ like? What was it that drew you in when approached with the proposal to remix it?
Steve Lawler: The vocals, as said above, are so strong and for whatever reason when I heard the acapella, I just heard it in my head over a Space terrace-type groove, pumped disco-esque. A track for the summer!
EG: How do you balance work in the studio with life on the road? Do you take time off to work on music, or do you find time to do this on the go? Do you have to wait for a certain mindset?
Steve Lawler: I tour much less now post-pandemic, 4-6 gigs a month maximum, which gives me much more time in the studio. For many years, I have been doing around 12 gigs per month, every month for every year of my career and then it was hard to write music in a studio. Now it’s refreshingly easy, with more time for me to get into the right head space.
“Man, I always used to think I knew, but after the last few years, I have not got a clue, I don’t think anyone knows what’s next or what’s coming or where things are going anymore”
EG: You recently shared a clip of you playing a remix of Faithless’ ‘Insomnia’ on Boxing Day in your hometown. What was that experience like? What influence did Faithless have on your music?
Steve Lawler: It was a wonderful moment, I had no idea at the time until right at the end of the track, but the video guy from the club when I played this put a massive picture of Maxi Jazz on the screen behind me. It made it quite a special moment.
EG: It seems that in the last years, powered by lockdowns, there have been a lot of technological advancements that have made their way into the electronic music industry, like NFTs, immersive experiences, virtual reality, and more. What does the future of music look like to you?
Steve Lawler: Man, I always used to think I knew, but after the last few years, I have not got a clue, I don’t think anyone knows what’s next or what’s coming or where things are going anymore…the world feels a different place from pre-covid.
EG: How do you keep entertained when not in the studio? Have you checked out any good movies, series, books, or albums you’d recommend?
Steve Lawler: Yes, some good books are ‘Wimhoff’ and ‘The Four Sacred Secrets’. I have been finding myself more connected to nature than ever before in my life and these are great inner work books for anyone to understand.
EG: Any wishes for our scene in 2023?
Steve Lawler: Yes, I want people to find patience in music, allowing DJs and producers to be more creative. The excessive need for people to have ‘moments’ on Instagram has throttled creativity in both DJ sets and productions that I see and hear. If people weren’t always thinking about and looking for good Instagram content, then I feel the scene would have more creativity once again and people would have a better experience when they’re out. The scene is definitely lacking in creativity in current years.
EG: Thank you for your time, Steve! All the best to you!
Steve Lawler: Thanks! See you on the dancefloor.
Steve Lawler’s remix of SANJAY’s ‘Waiting For The Sun’ is out now via House Trained. Purchase your copy here.
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