Mixing Things Up

Does David Guetta have competition? The press release for James Zabiela's 2012 tour trumpets him as “Australia's favourite international DJ” – but maybe the words 'tastemaker', 'cred' or 'underground' should be added. Indeed, the Brit has long combined Sasha's charisma, James Holden's musical fluidity, and Richie Hawtin's technical innovation. Many an established underground DJ might be tempted to do something pop, just to buy a house, but not Zabiela. “Yeah, I probably could,” he chuckles. “I did actually buy a house last year, but it's very modest compared to a lot of superstar DJs'. [But] as long as I've got enough money to keep buying music and get the occasional T-shirt, I don't have that hunger to suddenly start making pop records. I'm happy to do something that I love doing, so why would I change that to something that I don't love doing?”

The Southampton native grew up in a groovy household. Zabiela's Dad operated a record shop, bringing home acid house records – and James loved them even at 12. He'd later work as a buyer in the same store. The upcoming DJ played a local club and the promoter insisted that a MC freestyle over his set – that MC being an unknown Craig David. “He was great!” Zabiela laughs. “I think I eventually got sacked because I didn't play enough garage – I wanted to play more acid house stuff.” Briefly a graphic designer by day, the DJ landed his big break winning Muzik magazine's Bedroom Bedlam competition in the early 2000s. Sasha became his patron, signing him to his DJ agency. Zabiela branded himself, not by producing hit tracks, but with mix-albums – his most recent for Renaissance's Masters series. He teamed with Nic Fanciulli for the DJ unit One+One, widely compared to Sasha & Digweed.

The long-term Space Ibiza resident, ever into his loops, effects and edits, continues to invest energy in developing cutting-edge DJ technologies – but without losing sight of the performance aspect. Zabiela, who has liaised with Pioneer, is now an ambassador for the RMX-1000, a remix station. More intriguingly, this gadget nut is currently using his iPad in sets. “It's become a sort of permanent fixture,” he says. Ironically, Zabiela bought his iPad as “a luxury item,” so he could sink into his sofa, surfing the 'Net. “So I found a good use for it!” And Zabiela believes that the future of DJing lies in such “customisation”, something the RMX-1000 allows, too. More than ever, DJs need a unique 'point of difference'. “That's where the competition will be – because obviously now anyone with a laptop for a couple of hundred bucks can be a DJ.”

Zabiela did much to erode those divisions between progressive, deep house and techno (aka minimal), yet he also foreshadowed dubstep, introducing breakbeats into tech-house. In 2012 Zabiela still claims to DJ “a bit of everything,” favouring “contrasts”. “I'll never be able to sit there and play two hours of the same genre – I get bored.” Zabiela is especially enamored with the bass music scene, admiring Scuba's DJing since he traverses techno, progressive and dubstep. “That whole bass scene at the moment is exciting because it really isn't just all about the bottom end and basslines,” he says. Zabiela welcomes “the 'daringness'“ of bass music. (“I know that's not really a word!,” he laughs).

Zabiela has been quiet on the studio front, his last notable issue 2011's Blame on Hope Recordings. But he's cranking up things with a new label, Born Electric (formerly Positronik). The flagship release, which has an “organic” feel, is “not a dance record,” the Apparat fan says. “It's a little bit out-there.” 'Uncle Sasha' has remixed the track, to appear on his Involver 3, due at the end of May – and coming soon to Zabiela's Soundcloud. So what will Zabiela play in Oz – and does he have any previews in mind? “New stuff,” he coyly affirms. “Maybe a few old bits as well.” Rewind!