Airdrop Records, Agency & Blog

A day before leaving for Detroit, I was kindly informed that a press pass had been set aside for me and that I could pick my favorite artist to interview: Damian Lazarus of course! This year was my first opportunity (Paulo speaking) to attend the legendary Detroit Electronic Music Festival. Learning that this year’s festival-goers would be celebrating an unofficial decade of existence, my expectations were heightened and now I can say surpassed by far! No need to say I was extremely excited upon getting to the Motor City, source-point of our dear Techno. It was my first time leaving the East Coast and I was just relieved from my duties as a student for good.

I have been following Damian Lazarus’ various activities and gigs ever since I first heard him play in Ibiza in 2004, a year after he founded his own record label, Crosstown Rebels. Always on point and faithful to his sound, Lazarus has been taking his label, artists and now his own productions to the forefront of underground dance music’s hustle and bustle. It was fantastic to get to ask the experienced label manager a few insights, right after his tremendous set on DEMF’s Beatport stage on Sunday May 24th:

To begin with, I would like to go back to your earlier days at City Rockers, the label you co-founded with a friend and for which you took care of the A&R department between 2001 and 2003. What release were you most proud of throughout this experience?

It’s hard to say, there were so many! However, I can keep in mind Felix da Housecat’s Kittenz And Thee Glitz album of course and organizing the Royksopp Remix for What Does it Feel Like?. That’s really one I am proud of. There was also Riot Society and Drug Punks and many more…

Crosstown Rebels has existed for 6 years now and has seen most of its release become hits while others simply milestones in the underground electronic music niche. A few months ago, you have started a digital-only line to the label, CRD. Is there a precise vision and musical direction behind this new line or does it come to support the original release plan for the actual record label?

Yes, the digital line was elaborated as an experiment. We want to explore what a new platform could bring to us while having the possibility to release some remixes we couldn’t release on vinyl. It stands as an additional space for our music.

Until this month, we never had the chance to hear productions of yours. Now you just released your first album. The 13 tracks are all some that you would play at the end or beginning of your sets.

Yes that’s right, the tracks I play at these times, are always the challenging, crazy and beautiful ones, not dancefloor tunes, but most importantly they are my favorites so that’s what I wanted to reach and achieve with my album.

How come you decided to release this on Get Physical Music, when you could have done it on your own label? The music fits Get Physical’s direction but it would also felt perfectly at home at Crosstown?

Yes it does fit well at Get Physical, but I didn’t want my album to interfere with the ones coming up on Crosstown Rebels, like Jamie Jones’.

Did you have a say in the release strategy for your album at Get Physical?

Of course! I have been running my label for years now so definitely gave them some orientations that correspond to my plan.

I really enjoyed the covers of the Crosstown Rebels releases between 042 and 045. True genius! A super inventive take on anime and manga imagery. How did this work out?

Well I was looking for something really special, and fell upon the artist Saiko in London. I really liked the stuff, but asked to change a few things. The main idea being to create that panel divided in four covers that come together to form that bigger work. This way people would go back to the record stores to get this artwork and collect it.

You recently moved to Los Angeles. What prompted this?

I needed a change from the European scene and routine, and I perfectly got what I wanted here. I moved my studio and everything to Los Angeles too, and we are having a blast with our friends over there!

Any books you’re reading these days?

Some Bukowski.

Ah! You should look into reading some Ryonosuke Akutagawa, a Japanese author! I am sure you would enjoy it a lot!

Will do! Thanks for the tip man!