10 MusicWeek 20.04.12 THEBIGINTERVIEWZANE LOWE
YOU’RE SO ZANE Z
The Radio 1 DJ on bass culture, Ibiza Rocks and why the music and TV industries “need to start talking again”…
MEDIA BY TIM INGHAM
ane Lowe is all-too-aware of scornful types who suggest he should swap some of his trademark evangelism about music for
calmer critique. His Twitter profile spells it out with time-saving
sarcasm: “Enthusiastic. Apparently.” But if you’ve experienced his regular spells on
Radio 1 or the BBC’s Glastonbury coverage – or caught his old MTV vehicle, Gonzo – you’ll know Lowe’s motormouth patter comes with a crucial dose of infectiousness; a key reason why he’s remained a headline UK broadcaster since his stint on XFM in the 1990s. These days, he boasts an equally lofty status in
the world of club and festival DJ’ing – a realm in which he’s learned to love the EDM sounds of DeadMau5 and Swedish House Mafia every bit as much as the guitar anthems and hip-hop breaks on which he built his career. Little wonder, then, he’s a perfect match for
indie-meets-dance sunfest Ibiza Rocks. This year, Lowe will act as the event’s music director, helping choose the line-up for its summer-long stretch whilst spinning the wheels on-stage. The New Zealander, 38, holds a unique position
in the industry. He’s seen success and rejection in the label world, performing with hip-hop outfit Urban Disturbance and underrated chillout/ electronic effort Breaks Co-Op. Yet as a broadcaster, he’s also no doubt seen his
fair share of industry desperation: his Hottest Record In The World on R1 is vital modern-day industry press release fodder, whilst his support has both propelled and resurrected artist careers. As such, he’s a true music business power broker. Lowe has no interest in politicking or playing
media games with those who have prevented him from being a megastar artist: he just wants to tell people about the things he thinks are great. Like when he interrupts our interview to plonk a massive pair of Beats on our head, demanding we listen to Nas’s new single, in full, in the middle of a serene London coffee shop. There’s no two-ways about it: he’s every bit as
affable as he is impulsive; and every bit as passionate as he is enthusiastic. Apparently.
What’s your involvement in this year’s Ibiza Rocks? I played the first ever Ibiza Rocks show at the back room at Manumission in 2005. I had quite a guitar- heavy set in those days, and the penny dropped for all of us. People on the island were disgusted and excited at the same time. It’s that potent combination that leads to change – and from there we’ve just gone from strength to strength. I’m still just as involved, but now they’ve given me an official title.
BELOW Beat this: Zane Lowe in turntable action at last year’s Ibiza Rocks
Your set has evolved since those days to adopt plenty of elements of what’s become known as bass culture. Are we experiencing a true cultural music era – or a blip? Each of the styles of music within bass culture still maintains their own identity. You still have dubstep DJS and producers who only play that, or progressive house DJs who won’t go anywhere near 140bpm. But the bass culture label lets us DJs fit loosely into a scene without being pigeonholed. Being on tour recently with the likes of Knife Party or Flux [Pavillion], you see everyone’s varying it up with different bpm. This music isn’t going to go away, because people now have cottoned onto songwriting craft. It’s not just about the beats or a vibe anymore – there are hit records coming out of it.
Ibiza Rocks and sister event Mallorca Rocks have a really eclectic mix of performers. What do you make of the line-up of other festivals? Talking about UK festivals, I will say this: there needs to be a bit more imagination and a bit more risk taken. Coachella has shown the way. They have put the Swedish House Mafia, a big club act, as a main stage headliner [applauds]. The mainstream UK festivals have missed the boat on that this year. Nobody grumps at that music – it’s hands in the air, 90 minutes of fun. That’s what festivals are for. Next year, I’d like to think bass culture and key
newer artists will be given that shot. It’s important for the audience to trust that things are moving forward. Bestival and Wakestock are a bit risky with the line-up – having Ed Sheeran headline Wakestock is a very good move. It’s his first festival headline slot – they can always claim that now. Just like Bestival claimed Dizzee Rascal. I’m not going to name names because I work closely with some festivals and they don’t need some shitty-nosed little dude putting his two Cents in. But as an overall look at this year’s line-up, I feel like it’s the same
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