With his 25th anniversary rave at LAB11 on the Horizon, we caught up with DJ Hazard to chat about the event, his 25-year career, and the Drum and Bass scene as a whole. Check it out below!

Last updated: 15th Dec 2023

Originally published: 14th Dec 2023

This year Birmingham’s own DJ Hazard celebrates 25 years in the DnB scene, throughout that entire time, the Brum bass legend has captivated the fans of DnB across the world, with a plethora of hard and heavy releases which have helped him become a household name in the scene.

It’s fitting then that for his 25th anniversary, he is bringing it back to the city in which it all started, the city which he calls home; Birmingham. But not only that, it is coming back to Hazard's favourite venue in the city, LAB11. Bringing with him a lineup of legends, both local and beyond, that looks set to blow the roof off the Brum rave haven.

They say the best thing comes in threes, and the night will not only be celebrating 25 years of Hazard, but he also celebrates his Birthday on the day of the rave, and it’s also a Christmas party given the time of the year.

With all this on the near horizon, we caught up with Hazard, to chat about the event, his 25-year career, and the Drum and Bass scene as a whole throughout his time as a key component of it.

See what he had to say below, and scroll down to the bottom of this page to secure last-minute tickets to the celebration! 

 

 

Hi there Hazard! We’re here talking about your 25th-anniversary event at LAB11 presented by Raveology this December, the event is stacked with drum and bass icons, how much are you looking forward to the event and what can those in attendance expect?

"We have got a lot of great artists coming to perform, some are good friends, and some are associates whom I rate musically.

"Plus, I'm doing a b2b with Hype and Dillinja which has not been done in Birmingham as of yet. So there's something for everyone and it's a really solid lineup."

 

 

25 years at the top of the game is some doing, can you take us back to the start for a minute, to that young lad working at Kool FM Midlands and their record shop, when DJ Hype and Playaz first signed you, did you ever see yourself being at the point you are now?

"I never thought about how far I'd go, I just focused on making music and if people liked my music and I could get gigs then I was winning.

"Yes, I hoped I could make it to a level so that I could make a career out of it, but there were no guarantees, so all I focused on was to develop my music production skills and hopefully get some releases."

 

What was Birmingham's Drum and Bass scene like back then, and is it still going strong today?

"Birmingham has always had a strong DnB scene from way back to the early days of rave and throughout the times and years since.

"It has always been popular here in Birmingham, and we have loads of events, good promoters, with new ones emerging all the time, and new artists trying to state their claim to a level of recognition."

 

You will also be bringing the anniversary set back to your hometown, with a few Brum-based DnB icons on the bill like Escape, Devize and Bassman, Magika, Biggie, and Busta on the Mic, as well as it being held at LAB11, what is it like bringing a rave like this back home?

"It's my home town, and I would not want to do it anywhere other than LAB11.

"I hope Birmingham will appreciate the party and line up and come out to celebrate and have a good pre-Christmas party. I'm looking forward to it, it's a chance to reunite with some ravers and friends of the past, present, and future."

 

Image: DJ Hazard on Facebook

Elsewhere on the lineup, there's a whole string of legends from further afield too. The likes of Dillinja, Grooverider, Brockie, Benny L, and so many more. It almost feels like a celebration of the era of Drum and Bass you came through in, and bringing that vibe back to the modern day, is this something you were going for?

"Yes, it is a celebration of many things; my career, my friends, my influences, great music, big vibes, and all on home soil where it all began; I'm expecting great seasonal vibes and for everyone to listen to some good music and to have lots of fun."

 

You and Hype will be doing some B2Bs as well as your own sets, how does it feel being able to celebrate such a milestone with someone who has played such a huge part in it?

"I did my first ever b2b with Hype in Birmingham at Legends Of The Dark Black at the O2 Acadamy back in 2003, when I had just signed to his label, and years on I have done it all over the world and now we are doing more with Dillinja joining us.

"I do like doing my own sets though lol"

 

Coming back to your career, across those 25 years, how do you feel like you have changed as a DJ? do you think you’ve changed?

"No, not really, I just play music, and I know what I like and what I do not like and I just keep it real. I never take my position for granted and always just focus on doing my best, and as long as I am doing that then I am happy.

"If people keep liking what I do then that's all that matters."

 

 

On the other end of that, how do you feel like the DnB scene as a whole has changed in that time?

"The scene changes constantly, But I just focus on what I do.

"Yes, I am aware of what's going on around me, but I just work on what I do and that's all I think about." 

 

Do you have the top three tracks that you’ve released from that time?

"I am aware of the tracks that have risen me to notoriety I don't have any favourites, I just write music and keep it moving as best as I can if a track works then great if not that's also ok. I just make music and try not to overthink things."

 

To finish off and bring it back to the night at LAB11, what can we expect from your set, is it going to be a presentation of where you are now, or will you be dipping into the archives and making it a celebration of your whole career?

"I will play the tracks that the people made famous, and yes it will be a journey spanning the years and will feature lots of new bits too."

 

 

Tickets to 25 Years Of Hazard at LAB11

 

 

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For more information, and some FAQs on 25 Years Of Hazard at LAB11, visit the vent page on Skiddle, by clicking, or tapping - HERE

To find more events from DJ Hazard, visit his page on Skiddle - HERE

 

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Check out our What's On Guide to discover even more rowdy raves and sweaty gigs taking place over the coming weeks and months. For festivals, lifestyle events and more, head on over to our Things To Do page or be inspired by the event selections on our Inspire Me page.