Throughout the various incarnations of UNKLE, the one constant has been the restlessly creative mind of James Lavelle. The group – whose past members include DJ Shadow, Tim Goldsworthy and Richard File – is now steered by Lavelle and Pablo Clements of The Psychonauts collective.

In May, UNKLE will release Where Did The Night Fall, the next chapter in an already distinguished repertoire. With past album guests including Josh Homme, Ian Brown and Jarvis Cocker, this time the duo went to lesser-known artists who excited them: Sleepy Sun, Big In Japan, Katrina Ford and Mark Lanegan (who turns in an album highlight with the searing Another Night Out).

Outside of UNKLE, Lavelle indulges his “egotistical and naughty” side as a touring DJ. Bestowed with the honour of mixing the first FabricLive release and turning in three Global Underground comps over the years, the man journeys through progressive house, techno, hip hop and several curveballs over the course of a night.

When inthemix meets Lavelle at the White Horse bar in Sydney’s Surry Hills, he’s just come off a heavy weekend of gigs in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. While the DJ-producer has earned a reputation for not mincing words, he’s amiable and talkative company. Here’s what he had to say over a couple of beers in the sun.

So, you just did a Sunday evening slot at Playground Weekender. How did you find that?
Really good. For the first bit, it was harder to get the vibe but by the end, it smashed it. The crowd was amazing at the end. If I’d played before LTJ Bukem, I think I would’ve killed it, because I play quite euphorically at the moment, and he does too with drum ‘n bass. Once it becomes dark, people obviously let go. As a rule, I tend not to play in the day. I let that one slip! I thought it was a great atmosphere though; just the general vibe of the festival and the fact that it wasn’t massive and chaotic. There were some really lovely people there.

Is DJing still something that gives you a buzz?
The DJ thing is hard because you’ve got to be ‘on it’; there’s so much music to stay on top of. In the studio working on a record, I tend not to be so focused on what’s going on with clubbing. But I need both: DJing is the fundamental basis of where I come from. I did not come from band music, I came from DJs. It is my life-blood in that way, and the soul of what I do. Even if the records I make now are for the club or not, it’s still the same aesthetic.

But I don’t like slogging it out with DJing anymore. I would rather do a weekend like this one, then nothing for a few weeks. I’ll tell you why: it’s getting later and later and later. When I first started, clubs finished at two-am. Now clubs go till midday. Some go for two days. It’s a fucking slog. It takes it out of you. I’m a parent and I have to go to the studio; that’s my job. But I love it. When you get them and you’ve got a thousand people’s hands in the air, no feeling beats it.

From an outside perspective, it seems like your DJing is an outlet for a different kind of music from what we hear on UNKLE records.
Yeah. I love clubby records. I like kind of soundtrack-y, euphoric, melodic but dark house and techno records. I grew up with techno and hip hop, and I have that influence when I approach house. Is that even what you call it? What do you call it now? Electronic music?

I play everything from James Holden to Carl Craig to Sasha. I can’t believe it: I actually played a Tiesto record on the weekend. Now, that is mental. That record he did with Sigur Ros; it’s brilliant but I can’t believe I’m actually playing a Tiesto record. I still play quite eclectically. I’ll start with a few UNKLE records, then maybe throw in something to offset people. For me, it’s not just about minimal techno all night long. That’s not who I am. The DJing is a way of being egotistical and naughty. That’s my escapism.

You’re reviving the UNKLE live show in May to coincide with the release of Where Did The Night Fall. I saw the very first shows you did at the Glade in England and Melt in Germany; I imagine you’ve streamlined it since then?
It was the beginning. We’d never toured before those shows. The Glade was mental because we were driving through five feet of water to get there in the bus. It was coming through the bus doors! They were on the phone saying, “Are you going to make it?” We were determined to make it because I know the people that run the festival and they’re good people. Nothing worked. We were told we could use the trance visuals after working all this time to get ours right [laughs]. You’ve got these swirly trance visuals going on.

We now have enough material in the bank that we can perform as a band, 90-percent of the show. We can’t really do an Ian Brown or an Ian Astbury. But I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve. It’ll be a little more organic, a little more theatrical. It won’t be such a blistering, LED show. I’m working on some ideas.

The vocal performances on Where Did The Night Fall are very strong. Did you have a ‘wish-list’ before going into the album?
I think Pablo and I had a conscious decision to work with some new, younger bands. Maybe it’s time for UNKLE to be a platform for up-coming talent. You can get to the point where you want to work with people because you’re in the same place; you’re all at the same age.

Now I see UNKLE as an opportunity to break talent. There’s so much of it out there. The problem is, it’s hard for those bands to get the opportunities they deserve. If I can help that, I feel good about it. What they bring to us is amazing. When people are hungry, they go that extra mile. It’s organic and the femininity is important; we’ve never had so many female vocals before. I wanted that balance. You have to be democratic.

Pablo is light, I’m a lot darker. He’s obsessed with very obscure music, I tend to be more interested in songs and the power of that. He’s like, ‘The beat has to be like Can’s 1970 record that never came out!’ But I want it to be like the one that sold. We find a middle-ground. Thanks to [UNKLE guitarist] James Griffith, we now know about notes and things like that!

Where Did The Night Fall is out 10 May on Surrender All through Inertia.