BEST OF BRITISH Best DJ
“I don’t know how, but he was listening
to it in his car and Excession, his
management company, signed me up and
I started off opening up for him at his
gigs, and going round the world with
him, and then gigs of my own started to
come in, and since then it’s really
spiralled out of control.”
The non-stop international touring
hasn’t abated since then; Zabiela tells
DJmag he hasn’t been home in two
months.
“I’m starting to get quite homesick. It’s
the longest I’ve ever been away in one
go. I defi nitely miss my couch, and I miss
EastEnders, but the gigs are really great.
The past year, things have just been
snowballing out of control. I’m DJing
pretty much all the time, it’s crazy, but
it’s kind of amazing ’cos I went from not
playing out much, to travelling around
the world, DJing all over the shop.”
So has the constant touring stopped him
from working on his own productions?
“Not really, because as I travel about I
have a little keyboard that I can just plug
into my laptop. That’s kind of my whole
studio right there, and they go
everywhere I go — any hotel room that
I’m in, I can just mess about. That’s really
the only choice I have anyway ’cos I’m
always travelling about.”
Best
DJ
Zabiela reckons the state of British
clubland in 2007 is more exciting than
James
he’s ever seen it.
Zabiela
“The scene in Britain seems to have come
full circle and it’s actually pretty vibrant,”
says James. “I’ve had some really great
gigs in the UK. Just over the last few
Zabiela comes of age
months, I played with Nic Fanciulli at
Shindig in Newcastle, which was
amazing, and we also did a night in
Sheffi eld called Urban Guerilla, and that
From one of Britain’s bright young things, Zabiela has
was unbelievable.
“Clubbing in the UK is probably the best
matured to your No.1 choice.
I’ve seen it since I’ve been DJing
professionally.”
L
oads of DJs are praised for their studio on your own for days on end can it’s kind of annoying when your whole And that’s surely due in part to the
quick-witted skills behind the be a lonely existence. And jamming room’s shaking to the sound of hard hyperactive DJing feats of your Best
decks, but in the worlds of house, around playing the keyboard and German techno from downstairs. British DJ 2007.
techno and breakbeat there are few who performing is defi nitely more fun.” “But one day a switch went on in my head *
ROBIN WILKS
consistently put in as much and I realised this stuff was great. If it
concentration and energy as 27-year-old Zabiela’s journey to the top has been an wasn’t for my dad maybe I’d be playing in
The other
James Zabiela. Every one of his set is unconventional one, to say the least. He some sort of grunge band!”
nominees:
liberally peppered with cut-ups and got into dance music through his dad, a
effects, while he pinches and pulls and techno afi cionado who asked young Zabiela quickly graduated to messing
Erol Alkan
manipulates the music — and the result is James to help out in a shop called around with turntables and started
Jessie Rose
an exciting live experience that’s both Movement Records, in Southampton playing in Southampton clubs, spinning
Mr C
technically great and heaps of fun. (now sadly replaced by a tanning salon). an eclectic mix of house and breakbeat,
“I tried to use Ableton for a little while,” But he wasn’t initially enamoured with and demonstrating an extraordinary
Paul Woolford
says James, “but I realised it wasn’t really his dad’s choices. talent and energy behind the decks,
Smokin’ Jo
working out for me because the thing I “You know how you hear people say along with an innate sense of how to
love most about DJing, other than the things like, ‘House music… it’s just the sequence a great mix. Then he sent a Does Zabiela rock your world? Or
music of course, which is the most same bit over and over again?’ That’s the demo CD to a magazine in response to a should another DJ have lifted this
important thing, is the performance kind of thing I used to say to my dad. And competition, and by a quirk of fate it award? Have your say at
aspect. That’s why I don’t spend a lot of when you’re, like, 13 and you’re upstairs ended up being played on Sasha’s car
DJMAG.COM
time in the studio because working in the trying to play Ninja Turtles or something, stereo.
052
www.djblackbook.com
DJ457.BB.BOBritish1-2 52 18/12/07 15:12:24
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