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Interview with James Lawson
Reported by tom
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Submitted 09-01-03 16:40
HarderFaster Remixer of the Year 2002 James Lawson has had an outstanding year. He's had a hand in more dancefloor anthems than any other producer this year with tracks like 'Energise', 'Times Like These', 'Bad Ass', 'Epidemik' and 'Hallucination' to his credit... the list goes on and on. On the eve of his upcoming set at Timeless this weekend we caught up with James to talk about the past year and his plans for 2003...
HarderFaster: We were delighted when you agreed to be the subject of the very first HarderFaster interview way back in October 2001... are you pleased with how things have shaped up for you since then ?
James Lawson: Absolutely, 2002 was a brilliant year for me.
HF: What one thing has most surprised you about the hard dance scene in that time ?
JL: That an underground anthem, which was played by practically every single hard dance DJ at one time or another, was placed onto the B-List at BBC Radio. This meant that it was on the list of records that had the 2nd biggest rotation throughout the day.
Congratulations once again to BK for writing “Revolution”.
HF: You’re now on the books of the Nukleuz DJ Agency which must be a huge step forward for your career – has that had a big impact on your DJ bookings ?
JL: Having the managerial guidance that the Nukleuz DJ agency provides will undoubtedly aid me greatly in my career, so as you can probably guess I’m very pleased. Can I take this opportunity to thank everyone at the agency for their support so far with an extra special thank you to Lisa. She one of the hardest working people I know, she really is one in a million.
HF: Are there any sets that you can name as being particular highlights – for example where it’s really gone off and you’ve enjoyed yourself particularly ?
JL: My most memorable set from last year was playing at Tidy London between Ian M. and BK. Ian was on before me and as you’d expect he was playing really hard. This meant that I got to really bang it out. The crowd were really up for it and went nuts. I had such a good time.
Aside from last year, my most memorable sets are playing the main room at the first ever Timeless to a totally fired up crowd, playing alongside Lab 4 in Finland in 2001, and playing the headline slot at The Fast Car Festival in 1997 (the DJ billed to play didn’t turn up and I was asked to play in his place. It was my first gig in front of more than 2,000 people).
HF: What track would you most like to remix and why ?
JL: I would most like to remix a remix - Nuclear Hyde – X-Tension (Cyclone Mix) – Noom Records. It’s quite an old track and it is one of my all time favourite tunes. It has this amazingly dirty and driving riff that manages to remain uplifting while remaining dark and menacing. Its pure filth and sends a shiver done my spine every time I hear it.
HF: Looking at the new Lisa Lashes’ Euphoria compilation, six of the tracks on there have your hand in them somewhere. That's a huge compliment from one of the top names in hard dance - as far as you know did that come about purely by accident or is there a story there somewhere ?
JL: There’s no real story I’m afraid, except that I was so excited when I found out that I jumped up and down a lot and got very drunk that evening. I haven’t had a chance to thank Lisa yet, but as we are both playing at Utopia @ The Fridge on 25th Jan, I’ll get my chance soon.
HF: Can you describe what you perceive the difference to be musically between a James Lawson and an Edison Factor tune?
JL: I think that there's a different vibe in the tunes/remixes that I do on my own. This is partly deliberate, as I want to do something different rather than get stuck in the same style, but its also true to say that without Matt there I can't create that Edison Factor vibe.
 HF: Is Matt planning on putting out any solo production work in the future ? Would be great to be able to compare a James Lawson and a Matt Williams track so we can isolate that elusive 'Edison Factor'!
JL: Matt is working hard in the studio. He’s keeping everything very much under his hat at the moment, but what I can tell you is that I have heard some of the tracks and they’re wicked! Matt is a very talented musician, so watch this space. All will be revealed soon.
HF: What's your personal favourite of all the tracks that you released in 2002 ? The one track that defined the James Lawson / Edison Factor sound and what you are about ?
JL: Out of all the tunes that I was involved with last year “Energise” has to be my personal favourite. It is a very special track to me because it was my first ever solo single. For it to blow up into an anthem in the way that it did was totally unexpected and it really was the cherry on the cake for me. I think I was very lucky. If someone ever asks me what I was about in 2002 I will play them that track.
HF: Are you starting to see a lot more DJ bookings come in off the back of your success in the studio this year ?
JL: My DJ bookings have increased recently, but it’s very difficult to tell if it’s down to the production work or whether it’s down to all the hard graft that I have put into my DJing over the past 6 years. I guess I’ll never found out, but either way I’m a very happy man.
HF: What's most common for you... that a label comes to you to request a remix of one of their tracks or that you go to them ?
JL: In 99% of cases the record label will approach the artist to commission a remix and this is how all my remixes have come about so far. That’s not to say that there aren't occasions when the remix has been done by a producer, the record company has heard it, liked it and then released it, but this is very rare.
However, I do put together special one off remixes for my DJ sets that will never be released. An example would be the remix of Jonah – “Ssssst Listen” that I did for the midnight hour on NYE 2002. It’s in my box and ready to be given another airing this weekend!
HF: How are things with your label, Freezing Point records ? What plans do you have for the label in 2003 ?
JL: I’m glad that you asked me this because it means that I can finally put the record straight. Freezing Point Records is an excellent record label, but I do not run or own it. Some good friends of mine do. I used to help them out with some of the promotion and I have had a few releases on the label. Perhaps this is why people think it’s my label, but can I just reiterate once more that its not.
However, I can tell you about the next release that is due for release this month. Its The Edison Factor - “Hallucination”. It has the mix that you will all know AKA “the Rolf-a-licious mix” (which is named after our flat mate and all round top bloke Rolf Olsen), plus a brand new mix that Matt and I have done called “The Funk-a-licious Mix”
HF: Energise is your first ever solo tune... it was also a tune that absolutely screamed 'James Lawson' at us... a dirty hard sounding synth, a wickedly uplifting and driving melody and perfectly polished production all in one package. How did Energise come about, how long did you spend making it, did you set out to make a track by yourself, did you expect it to be so huge and finally why has it taken so long for you to do a track by yourself ? (!)
JL: It took about 2 weeks (on and off) to complete “Energise”. I was waiting for some parts for remix to arrive and had some spare time on my hands, so I decided to do a tune on my own. There’s a bit of a story behind this tune actually.
The weekend before I started writing “Energise” my girlfriend, Leanne, had come around with me to all the clubs I was playing at. When we got home we started chatting and we got onto the subject of tunes. As you can imagine, this is not something that happens very often, so I made the most of it. I asked her what elements a tune would have to have in order to make it the “best tune in the world ever...”, and what it was about those elements that made them so good. I then asked her what tunes she hated most and why. Armed with her answers I went into the studio and “Energise” was created.
I guess I owe a lot to her for that as, while “Energise” certainly isn’t “the best tune in the world ever”, I do feel that it’s my best release to date.
HF: The Edison Factor remix of Exit EEE - 'Epidemic' was another of this year's instant classics and a candidate for remix of the year - how do you and Matt approach remix work, what do you look to do with each track ?
JL: It normally takes a couple of weeks. We always begin with our beats and bass line which are the single most important components. When these are rocking we then go about composing the main themes or riffs, and when all of these are looping and sounding pukka we then start sequencing. Over all the most important thing to us is to make sure that our mix rocks the dance floor. It should be different to the track we’re remixing, but not so different that you can’t hear the original tune in our interpretation.
HF: How do you and Matt work together on a tune or a remix, do you sit down in the studio together or work independently on different parts of the tune and bring them together at the end ?
JL: We work on everything together. Sometimes we will do a bit whilst the other is not there, but we’ll always pool the ideas and pick the best ones to develop into the finished track. By doing it this way it’s much easier to brain storm ideas and feed off each other creatively. It's also possible to get that buzz going in the studio and its that buzz that makes making tunes so much fun!
HF: Can you tell us about some of your upcoming releases and anything else you have in the pipeline for 2003.
JL: Released this month are The Edison Factor – The Curse of Voodoo Ray (Nukleuz), which is a part of the latest Nukleuz DJ Nation series (The Bootleg Edition) and The Edison Factor – Hallucination (Freezing Point), which is finally being released together with a brand new mix from Matt and myself.
At present I am working on remixes for Vicious Circle, Tidy Trax & Short Circuit and on new tracks with Anne Savage, Andy Farley, Phil Reynolds, Steve Hill, Spencer Freeland & Tom Harding.
The main theme for me this year is to experiment with my sound, so you can expect hear something a little bit different as the year progresses.
HF: What's your strategy when it comes to 'road testing' your releases... e.g. feedback from other DJs, feedback from the crowd etc.
JL: Feedback from other DJs and the crowd are vital before I consider a track to be finished. I will always try the track out by playing it myself and then once I am happy with it I will give a copy to a couple of other DJs to find out what they think of it, and whether they’d play it or not. I also like to hear feedback from non-DJs if possible. Clubbers listen to tunes in a different way to DJs and very often they’ll point something out that a DJ probably wouldn’t.
HF: Which of your tunes released released in 2002 got the best reaction on the dancefloor the first time you played it ?
JL: Either my remix of BK’s “Bad Ass”, or “Times Like These”.
HF: Do you still get that same buzz as you did with 'The Beginning' when you're standing on the dancefloor and you hear one of your tracks played for the first time ? Is that still the most rewarding part of your job ?
JL: You bet! I get a total feeling of Euphoria when I’m on the dance floor and one of my tracks goes off around me for the first time. It’s like... “YES! It works!” It’s what it’s all about for me. Its living the dream isn’t it.
It isn’t just the first time though. I remember being on the dance floor with Carl Nicholson at the last Hard House Academy when Steve Hill dropped “Times Like These” and watching all those hands go into the air, and then seeing the whole room move when it kicked in. I can’t really describe how that felt. I guess I felt very very lucky. Thank you Carl!
HF: Anyone compiling a history of the biggest hard house tracks of all time would surely have to include ‘The Beginning’ in their list and this weekend is a Timeless weekend... can we expect you to play it or are you well and truly 'over' hearing it ! ;o)
JL: It’s Timeless. It’s the night that all the DJs play their favourite crowd pleasers, so if someone plays “The Beginning” I’ll be more than happy. I’m sure that the guys that I did the track with (Matthew Williams and Dean Peters) will feel the same too. Will I play it myself? I guess you’ll have to come and see me play to find out!
HF: This is the last Timeless for 6 months - do you have anything special lined up for us ?
JL: I suggest you get your arse down to Timeless to find out!
HF: What are your major ambitions / plans for 2003 ?
JL: I will be continuing to work hard in the studio, but I’ll also be DJing a lot more too. I am already booked to play in Ireland, Japan and Australia throughout February and I have some other great gigs coming up like Frantic, Twisted Hard, Convergence, The Tidy Weekender, Heat and Fevah.
My major ambitions for 2003 are to raise my profile further as a DJ, particularly outside of London, and to continue to have success as a producer. I’d love to DJ in the USA!
Overall, whatever I manage to achieve, I want to have a damn good time.
HF: What are your favourite 3 dance tunes produced in 2002 ?
JL:
BK – Revolution (Nukleuz)
Prime Mover – Black Dogs (Fevah Trance)
F1 – Recoil (Paul Glazby Remix) (Tripoli Trax)
HF: And finally a tip for the top for 2003?
JL:
DJing - Tara Reynolds.
Production - Matthew Williams
With thanks to James for his time.
James Lawson plays Timeless this weekend at the Camden Palace... for full details on this event click here.
Relevant Links
www.nukleuz.com
www.franticuk.com
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Other Features By tom:
Interview with Guffy
Interview with Energy Dai
Interview with Tara Reynolds
Interview with Anne Savage
Interview with the Knowwhere crew
The views and opinions expressed in this review are strictly those of the author only for which HarderFaster will not be held responsible or liable.
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