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The WMC '07 Miami Guide gives an insider's peek at this year's Winter Music Conference, serving up daily event previews, DJ profiles, insider reports, and audio/video clips.
Let's Get Lost: Crosstown Rebels defy bedtime
If you travel the party circuit, Damian Lazarus is one of those figures you bump into everywhere: a hotel pool outside Benicàssim, Spain; a double-decker bus in Mexico City; a cozy afterparty in Berlin (naturally). Lazarus deserves his surname, having parlayed a career as a music journalist into a second life as a globetrotting DJ and keen-eared A&R man. We caught up with him to find out what's in store for his label Crosstown Rebels and its annual WMC blowout.
I'm guessing this isn't Crosstown Rebels' first party in Miami — how many years have you done events there?
The first Get Lost session happened last year. I came across this ace new venue called Studio A, just next door to Nocturnal, and persuaded the club to let us start in the early hours. The party was amazing, so it just feels right to be coming back for part two. The previous year, I put together the legendary Rebels party at the Fairwinds, where James Holden and I wore ridiculous clothes and partied like it was the end of the world.
What should fans expect from the line-up? This year's theme seems to be UK vs Chile.
The party will launch the second Get Lost mix album, which is compiled and mixed by a future king of techno, UK-based Jamie Jones. So this will be his first set in Miami, and he and I will be joined by our Chilean lovelies: Dinky, who is making an album for us, and Pier Bucci, who will showcase material from his new album in what will be an incredible live set.
The 5am till "afterhours" timeslot is pretty hardcore. How did you guys settle on that schedule? Are you expecting people to come rested and freshly showered, or should we expect a messier vibe?
Last year we noticed that it was about 50/50, with many people coming in straight from other raves and others who had set their alarm clocks and were looking fresh and ready to hit Get Lost for breakfast. So I reckon this year will be quite similar: I hear that many tickets have been sold in advance, so I guess these people will definitely be organizing their schedules well in advance. However people come, they all know what they are coming to, so I expect this afterhours to be pretty messy — with all the relevant trimmings!!
In some ways WMC seems to be the United States' version of Ibiza. You and Michael Mayer had an all-too-brief run at doing an Ibiza party last summer with Stink. Are you still doing Stink London?
Stink is one of the busiest, most loved parties in London. On the first Monday of every month we pack out the T Bar in Shoreditch with some of the most hardcore ravers known to man or beast. This year M.A.N.D.Y. and Exercise One have joined us already, and in the next two parties we have Michael Mayer, Superpitcher, Kiki & Silversurfer, Dinky, and Chloé all playing with me. People are traveling from all over the world to get to this rave, and it's free for everyone at the door. Get Lost in Miami will be our US version of this rave — cutting edge, twisted, and, of course, stinky. In some ways Miami could be viewed as America's answer to a week in Ibiza, with a little less freedom of expression.
WMC is famous for being a testing ground for the summer's big tunes. What new Crosstown Rebel anthems will you be premiering, and what are the big tunes from other labels you expect to be caning?
Jamie Jones' "Panama City" will be massive, as will our future releases by John Keys, Peace Division, Jennifer Cardini, and Luke Solomon. As for the other labels, we will have to wait and see.
The last year has seen much ballyhoo over the rise of "minimal," with a backlash almost as intense. Where do you fall in the debate?
[They say,] "When you get to the bottom, you go back to the top of the slide." This happens with every new form or trend in music. It's very dull and is just something that we have to endure — a good tune is a good tune, end of.
Finally, any tips on off-the-beaten-path Miami joints that conference attendees should check out?
I think I should be looking for shares in the Deuce Bar for all the promotion I've done for this killer little pub. Apart from that, there's a good fancy dress shop on Collins.
March 13, 2007, 06:02 PM
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