Steve Lawler

Steve Lawler is a house, tech house, techno and tribal house DJ, producer and label owner from Birmingham, United Kingdom, born in 1973. He begins his career in the early 1990s, organising illegal motorway raves under the M42 in the UK during the acid house era. He is active as an electronic artist across house, techno and related styles, and his work spans DJing, production, remixing and label management.

Career and releases

Lawler releases and remixes music on a wide range of established dance labels, including R&S Records, Systematic, Drumcode, Harthouse, Cocoon, MBF, Ovum, Sci+Tec, Tsuba, Souvenir, Rekids, Boxer Sport, Be As One, Monique, Kostbar, Soma and Skint. He also runs his own label, VIVa MUSiC, which he founds in 2006 and uses to release his own music as well as tracks by other artists.

He remixes artists including Jamelia, Dido and Justin Timberlake, and records a track for the film The Skeleton Key. He also issues mix series such as Dark Drums, Lights Out and the VIVa series.

Residencies and label work

Lawler holds a residency at Cream in the mid-1990s, and later has a nine-year residency at Space in Ibiza, returning to the club in 2008. His VIVa Nights residency at The End in London runs for seven years and sells out regularly, while his residency at London’s Home Club is one of the venue’s few long-running successes.

Through VIVa MUSiC, he supports and releases work by artists including Reboot, Audiofly, Simon Baker, Jamie Jones, Davide Squillace, Luca Bacchetti, Bushwacka, Livio & Roby, Dragosh, Leon, Plasmik, Ripperton, Ilario Alicante, John Selway, Peace Division, Bearweasel, Tiefschwarz and others. He is also involved in A&R work and is associated with helping artists such as Simon Baker, Audiofly, Leon, Bearweasel and Livio & Roby.

Style

Lawler is associated with house, techno and electronica, and his mix work also includes down tempo and deep house. His career is closely linked with the development of the UK club scene from the early rave period into later house and techno culture.