James Lavelle

James Lavelle is a DJ, electronic recording artist and record label founder from Oxford, United Kingdom. Born in 1974, he starts learning the cello with his grandmother and later develops an early interest in music through the independent scene in Oxford.

Early career and Mo’ Wax

Lavelle begins running block parties in Oxford at 15 while attending Cherwell Upper School. At 18, he launches the Mo’ Wax label, taking its name from a club night he runs at the time, Mo’ Wax Please. He also starts the club night That’s How It Is with Gilles Peterson, which becomes one of London’s longest-running nights. Mo’ Wax later releases DJ Shadow’s Endtroducing...... in 1996, an album that becomes a landmark release in electronic music.

UNKLE and collaborative work

Lavelle then begins recording with DJ Shadow under the name UNKLE. Their album Psyence Fiction includes collaborations with Richard Ashcroft, Mike D, Badly Drawn Boy and Thom Yorke. A later UNKLE album, Never, Never, Land, appears in 2003 with Richard File replacing DJ Shadow as the second full-time member of the project. It features contributions from 3D of Massive Attack and Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age, among others. In 2010, he releases Where Did the Night Fall, another UNKLE album with collaborators including Gavin Clark and Mark Lanegan.

DJ work, remixes and soundtracks

Lavelle is a long-time resident at Fabric in London and mixes the venue’s inaugural Fabric Live mix album. He also mixes three progressive house albums for Global Underground. In addition to his UNKLE work, he produces film soundtracks, including Sexy Beast and the soundtrack for the film version of The X-Files, which he completes with his brother Aidan Lavelle. As a remixer, he reworks tracks by Garbage, The Verve, Beck and Massive Attack.

Related projects and style

Lavelle works with Chris Goss and Autolux on War Stories, a planned follow-up to Never, Never, Land, and also mentions work on a film project with Darren Aronofsky and Clint Mansell, along with a documentary about Abel Ferrara. His music covers hip-hop-fused electronic work, rock and progressive house, and his stated interest is in the energy of hip-hop, skate and Beastie Boys-influenced culture. He also appears as a member of UNKLE and UNKLE Sounds.