Darius Syrossian Interview: we get to enjoy it as a collective

There's a lot to be said for paying your dues. Electronic music, for all it's insistence on youth and, let's face it, primary reliance on young people wanting to lose it all at the weekend, has an amazing capacity to reward the dedicated and genuine music lover as well as the flash in the pan sensation.

Claude VonStroke is a prime example, as is James Murphy, who was in his thirties when he started LCD Soundsystem, and one man who resolutely fits the bill is Darius Syrossian. First bit by the acid house bug in the mid nineties, he did the rounds Djing in the area and working in record shops, building a reputation slowly but surely as a connoisseur of high grade house and techno which then led to a production ethos which similarly espoused his love of electronic music.

Bubbling along at the pinnacle of the underground, he was asked to be resident at Sankeys where he warmed up for Steve Lawler in 2008, an occasion that would go on to project Darius into the limelight he definitely deserved. Since then he's been a fixture on the biggest and best line-ups across the planet, crafting a production sound thoroughly unique (check out the weird wig out genius of 'Freaky D' above as proof) and one of the key components of Lawler's ViVa imprint.

Both him and Steve head up the label's showcase in Leeds on Saturday 7th December at The Warehouse, where they'll be bringing the same hedonistic vigour that has defined the Warriors parties at Sankeys Ibiza for the past couple of years. We caught up with Darius ahead of the show i typically engaging mood, where he discussed the true soul of Ibiza, the pitfalls

You're due to play Viva Warriors in Leeds shortly. How much fun is it when the label you are most identified with comes to your hometown?

Well as Steve Lawler explains well in this VIVa Warriors promo video from the summer (below) at 30 seconds in, most of the time, as artists and DJs we are all in a different part of the world every weekend and so are our crews, so when we do play a VIVa Warriors party, be it in Ibiza or my hometown for example it is great because we get to enjoy it as a collective and with all our crew all in one place so yeah it is special.

It follows on from recent gigs in Leeds at The Warehouse & Viva Warriors in Brixton. How were both those shows, and in particular what is The Warehouse like as a club?

Well those gigs were way back at the beginning of October which seems like so long ago, since then I have played in Italy three times, China, Singapore, Vienna, Paris, Glasgow and numerous other places, but both were great.

VIVa Warriors London was absolutely packed and a great crowd. With Leeds I went on after DJ Sneak and it was my fourth gig in three nights but if I arrive and the club is bouncing and the atmosphere is good, the tiredness just disappears! The Warehouse in Leeds has a long history with events going all the way back to the 70's. It’s good to see it still going strong and Stu Darwin has done a great job with putting on events there over the last couple of years.

How did you initially get involved with Steve Lawler’s VIVa Warriors?

Back in 2008 we hooked up after he heard me play at Sankeys in Manchester and said it was one of the best sets he heard anyone play in a club for a while. Then I started producing for his label and the tracks I made were pretty successful so he signed me up.

How has that relationship grown since you joined the VIVa team?

Let's say for example we are comfortable enough to argue if we need to, hahaha, but we are like bro's. There is no need for the polite nicely nice relationship you see some artists have when they all hook up at parties, all the VIVa artists are more than that.

It is a proper crew and everything from amazing laughs to raging rows can happen. But when a VIVa Warriors party is on, Steve is someone all of us look up to and have major respect for him. Not many DJ's have been doing it for as long as him yet still have a total hunger for performing and the music, and I love that about Steve. 

The Warriors parties have been made on this very thing. No fake hype or press nonsense, its success has been organic and the crowd that comes to our parties are proper music heads and we love them for it. They make the party exactly what we want it to be.

How has your particularly busy Ibiza season been? Does the White Isle hold any special significance for you?

Yes it really is a special place; there is a certain energy about the place, anybody that has ever come to settle on the island from the Egyptians to the Romans and even the Hippies have all said the same thing about it being a magical place. Yes there are bad points to it, but these are people who go to clubs and stroke chins rather than dance. There are rubbish places everywhere and yes a lot of places in Ibiza are a rip off with prices. 

But look at the entry fees for Sankeys Ibiza where Steve Lawler chose to be the home for VIVa Warriors, look at the drinks prices, they are not like the super clubs, so if you avoid all that stuff, it is a great party place and even away from music, there is lots of beautiful nature to experience. It was also nice to be chosen in the top 10 DJ sets of Ibiza 2013 by the Mirror, for my set at VIVa Warriors opening was brilliant, and at  number 4, alongside artists such as Laurent Garnier, Damian Lazarus, Richie Hawtin & Marco Carola was great >

Where else have you enjoyed playing recently?

I played at a great party in Paris recently, the crowd was amazing, and the set was recorded (below). But I have also visited Asia for a few gigs which was different, and last weekend I did 2 great parties in Italy, in Turin and Sicily. The Italians love house music and I love them for it.

What remixes and productions have you had recently, and are there anymore in the pipeline that we can look forward to?

Yes lots, I have two tracks about to drop on DEFECTED, but also I have a remix about to drop on the amazing GOMMA label from Germany, which is a label I used to stock a lot of material from when running Crash Records. They always press quality vinyl too. Also there is a remix of Freeman & Farrelly forthcoming on Microzoo and an E.P for VIVa MUSiC so plenty to come.

And finally, in a hypothetical situation, if you were to throw your ultimate party, who would you have on the line up and why?

It would have three rooms, our VIVa Warriors crew in one room, a few artists I admire or would be just interested to see in another room for me to check out, such as Dixon, Junior Vasquez for old times sake, Masters @ Work playing on four vinyl decks, Sneak back to back with Troxler, hahahha, Dan Ghenacia and Dyed Soundorom back to back, Jeff Mills doing his thing on vinyl decks and a 909, and also a live set from Laurent Garnier.

90s HipHop playlist

And then a 3rd room which would have Mark Farina do a long ass Mushroom Jazz set and some live old skool hip-hop performances from acts like People Under the Stairs, Del tha Funkee Homosapien and all the early 90's hip hop stuff, and it would all be 24 hours near a beach outdoors. Yeah i could get into that.

Darius plays VIVa Warriors at Leeds Warehosue Saturday 7th December.

Struggling for ideas for New years Eve? Check out our New Years Eve guide here.

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