Zane Lowe

Zane Lowe is a radio DJ, live DJ, record producer and television presenter from Auckland, New Zealand. He is also known as Alexander Zane Reid Lowe and uses the nickname Zipper. Born in 1973, he moves from New Zealand to England and builds a career around alternative music broadcasting and live performance.

Radio and television work

Lowe presents BBC Radio 1, where he hosts an evening show that plays rock, punk, drum and bass and British hip hop, among other alternative styles. He begins presenting the show in June 2003, taking over from Colin Murray after Steve Lamacq ends his Evening Session. The programme initially runs three nights a week and then expands in July 2004 to four nights a week with an added Monday slot. Before joining the BBC, he works for several years at London station XFM, programming similar music.

He also presents the MTV Two programme Gonzo and previously works as a VJ on MTV from 1997, including presenting Brand:New.

Music projects and live sets

Before becoming a radio DJ, Lowe performs with the hip-hop act Urban Disturbance. He is also a member of Breaks Co-op with Andy Lovegrove and Hamish Clark; the group releases two albums in New Zealand, Roofers and The Sound Inside. Outside his own projects, he plays warm-up DJ sets for acts including Muse, Foo Fighters and The Killers. He is known for an energetic, fast-paced DJ style that uses radio samples, interview clips, BBC Radio 1 stings and occasional vocals over the music.

Profile and influence

Lowe is closely associated with introducing new music to a wider audience. He plays Gnarls Barkley’s Crazy on radio before it becomes a major hit, and the track later reaches number one in the UK. He also helps promote a range of artists who go on to wider success, including Arctic Monkeys, Bloc Party, Editors, Kasabian, The Wombats and Kaiser Chiefs.

His favourite record, as stated in 2006, is Siamese Dream by The Smashing Pumpkins. He is also associated with live appearances such as the Home Taping tour and the Gonzo Tour.