| Interview with Christopher Lawrence ( 14.02.2008 - 23:30 GMT UTC )
Thank you for having this interview with me Chris. I really enjoyed your recent performance in New York. It was very nice to meet you.
1. How do you feel your personal style has changed from the beginning of your music career up till now ?
Christopher Lawrence: I don’t think that my personal style has changed as much as the individual songs that I play have. There is a continuity to my sound from the beginning back in 1992. I have always played an underground sound based on the simple principal that a good track has a good solid bass line, hopefully with a groove, and that the track must have interesting sounds on top that don’t necessarily have to be a melody, but must have an interesting character and trippy quality to them. I don’t like to play obvious tracks or popular tracks. My goal has always been to play tracks that people hopefully don’t know but that they are excited by them when they hear them on the dance floor.
2. Are you working on any upcoming projects that you would like to discuss at this time ?
Christopher Lawrence: I am currently compiling tracks for a double mix CD titled ‘Unfold’ for Fektive Records in the Netherlands. It is the second in a series. The first one was mixed by John 00 Fleming so I am honored to be selected to mix the second installment. I like the premise for the compilation as, well. Instead of just being a double CD of songs I would normally play out, the first CD is going to be the kind of tracks that I would play early in the night for an opening set and the second CD will be more full on like what I would play at peak time.
3. Will there be any new releases from you that we can look forward to in 2008 ?
Christopher Lawrence: Yes, I have two upcoming releases. “Beyond the Limit” is a track that I did with John 00 Fleming and it will have remixes by Jay Selway and Nicholas Bennison. The second track I have coming out this year is called “Continuation” and is something I did with Nicholas Bennison. Both of these releases will be coming out on my label Pharmacy Music.
4. In your own words, how would you describe the style of music that you spin ?
Christopher Lawrence: Underground progressive house and techno trance with a groove.
5. What is the largest audience that you have ever performed for; and are there any memorable experiences that you would like to tell us about ?
Christopher Lawrence: Largest audience would be a New Year’s Eve party called Together as One in Los Angeles at the Coliseum with 50,000 people. There are so many memorable experiences, but some of my recent favorites are Ferry Corsten’s party called Full On Ferry in Rotterdam last October. Ferry has always been one of my favorites and his party was nothing short of amazing. He played from beginning to end but he was joined on his flying DJ Booth by a variety of other DJs and producers throughout the night. The crazy thing is that it was suspended above the crowd and could move across the auditorium while we were playing. Another favorite event was Transmission in Prague. That event had the best production I have ever seen at a party. You have to check out the videos of it on my website or on Youtube.com. My favorite club date is Pacha in Buenos Aires. The Argentineans know how to party.
6. I am sure that many of your fans are anxiously awaiting your return; are you planning on returning to New York after the New Year ?
Christopher Lawrence: I don’t have any specific dates lined up for New York, yet, but I will definitely be coming back this year. The party last December at Rebel proved that New York isn’t just about house music. I had a great time and it was cool to see all the core NY trance heads.
7. Your style definitely stands out from the rest of the DJ’s in your category, and you aren’t just playing the same old tracks; how do you go about keeping your sound fresh and unique ?
Christopher Lawrence: Playing new and unique tracks is extremely important to me so I spend a lot of time listening to new music and doing on line shopping at sites like Beatport.com, Psyshop.com and Juno.co.uk. I am also in the enviable position of being on a lot of label’s mailing lists which means that I get a lot of new music sent to me before it is available on line. I am very grateful to the labels and producers that send me their music.
8. What equipment would someone expect to find if they were visiting your studio ?
Christopher Lawrence: Most important are my Pioneer CDJ1000 and DVJ CD players, the Allen & Heath Xone 92 mixer and the JBL LSR6328 monitors. Next most important is my Mac Pro. I don’t have a lot of outboard gear, most everything is loaded on my computer, from audio processors and synthesizers to digital audio workstations like ProTools, Live, and Logic. Because I am on the road more than I am at home, it is necessary to be able to duplicate my studio on my laptop so that I can work on projects both in the studio and on the plane and hotel rooms.
9. Being that you have a wife and a child do you find it hard to juggle your roles as a husband, parent, and entertainer; and how do you go about managing this ?
Christopher Lawrence: It is not easy. I try to get as much work done as possible when I am on the road, so that when I am home I can have quality time with my family. My wife, Sara, is very understanding. Being a DJ’s wife has got to be one of the hardest things.
10. Does your family ever travel with you on tour ?
Christopher Lawrence: I have taken my son, Damian, on the road with me a couple of times and we had a lot of fun. Since my daughter, Lola, has her birthday on New Year’s Eve, I expect that when she gets older she will want to go where I go on NYE.
11. I understand that you have strong political views in regards to the United States government; would you care to enlighten us on that ? (I’m a European so I won’t get offended J haha)
Christopher Lawrence: I am just very frustrated and saddened by the aggression and lack of respect for humanity by the current Bush administration. The government’s environmental record is appalling. Fortunately, Bush and his administration won’t be in for much longer.
12. What do you feel has been the biggest accomplishment in your life, and why ?
Christopher Lawrence: I think maintaining a successful career and raising a family at the same time is my biggest accomplishment. Musically, though, my biggest accomplishment is maintaining the intense tour schedule that I have and being a part of the global community of electronic music. To me that is incredibly special.
13. Are there any other comments that you would like to share with your fans ?
Christopher Lawrence: I would just like to thank everyone for all the great parties and I’ll see you on the dance floor soon.
Interview made by Zaneta Soroko aka Euphoria (TranceSound.net forum general moderator)
Links:
Christopher Lawrence official website
Christopher Lawrence @ MySpace
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