He’s rumoured to be a robot. We can’t confirm or deny… but we can bring you this exclusive live recording. Zabiela lovers, unite! Stay tuned for part 2, coming very soon.
Space, the final frontier. As the smartest club in Ibiza opens its doors to welcome in their shiny new resident, James Zabiela just smiles and blinks a little. See, the ride here has been kinda fast. And while it’s been a relatively bump-free trip to acceptance and ubiquity, it’s still blinkin’ quick. A few years ago, James Zabiela popped his Balearic cherry by warming up for Sasha at the place the island calls Inside At Space. Wowing the crowd – and We Love boss Darren Hughes – with two hours of snappy, synth-fixated, breakbeat action – it was a defining moment in his DJ career.
Knowing what a great track should sound like – and the place it can be taken by warping and twisting it – is James Zabiela’s forte. James’s style is trippy, bleepy and deeply – nay, downright – groovy. Oh, and watch out for a few gnarly basslines along the way. Those nasty, dirty sounds are a part of Jay-Z’s signature sound now. Scratches, loops, fluttering chord changes and are all par for the course in a Zabiela set. No wonder childhood idols Depeche Mode remain his heroes – like fellow tech-house don Mathew Bushwacka!, they all understand that the best electronic music moves both heart and feet. And if the magic’s there, the spirit will fly as well. And boy does this boy soar.
“Entertainment and education are the key,” nods James sagely. “It’s all about finding the balance. People have paid good money to have a party but you still need a balance.” Which is why his FX unit is so crucial to his performance. “Anyone can mix two records to a degree,” he grins, while still admitting to the odd bout of nervousness during radio interviews, if not behind the decks. “But I’m a hundred times more confident than I used to be. DJing has definitely helped my confidence as a person.” Watching him play, it’s easy to forget that making things look easy takes time to perfect. But then he’s crossed a few bridges – and a few national boundaries – along the way. “I haven’t worked it all out yet,” he adds. “But I do wish I could grow an extra arm sometimes!” (Fact One: talking of three deck wizards, on a recent hometown gig in Southampton, a certain Carl Cox came down to pay some respect, if not the door tab. High praise indeed…)
Don’t forget that DJ Mag Top 100 voting is now open. If you’re a mad fan of Mr Zabiela then be sure to head over and cast your vote in his favourite! CLICK HERE TO VOTE
SA_spec says...
i need a lawyer so I can find out whether or not you can legally marry a set, so I can marry this set and spawn baby sets just like it so they can grow up and become big strong insane, dance floor shattering sets just like this was one.
SA_spec says...
i need a lawyer so I can find out whether or not you can legally marry a set, so I can marry this set and spawn baby sets just like it so they can grow up and become big strong insane, dance floor shattering sets just like this was one.
