The UK’s Steve Lawler is undoubtedly a name heavily stitched into the fabric of global club culture. A child of the acid house generation, Steve has always been embedded in a scene of his own making and as an artist, has consistently defied trends and genre with an unwavering passion for the whole electronic spectrum. His next release for Seth Troxler’s imprint Play It Say It is no different. Serving up a classic journey into straight up house, ‘That’s House’ is a an ode to the elemental structures of a groove that simply makes your body move. An old school bassline underpins the evolving soundbed that weaves a tangle of rhythms and sounds into bubbling acid lines. A spoken sample throughout invites the dancer to ‘get on down’ – the message is simple, the hook undeniable. B-side ‘Most Beautiful Girl’ has a more electronic edge but just as much swing. Powerful divine organ melodies and full-bodied beats make this one primed for the peak time.
o+ Ever since his days throwing illegal raves under the M42 motorway in the early 90s, Steve Lawler has strived to make his mark on club culture, whether through his subsequent high-profile and long-running residencies at Cream, The End or Space Ibiza, his own talent-launching label VIVa Music, or his own countless productions. Nearly two decades on, Steve is as highly in demand as ever and still pushing the boundaries of what a DJ, artist and businessman can be, both technically and creatively.
o+o As an artist Steve has had releases and remixes signed by some of the worlds most established record labels, including R&S Record, Drumcode, Cocoon, OVUM, Rekids, Soma, and of course his own imprint VIVa MUSiC. Heʼs remixed high profile artists such as Jamelia, Dido and Justin Timberlake and worked with many of the worlds renowned dance imprints.
o+o+ VIVa MUSiC works as a culmination of everything thatʼs gone before. The label, founded in 2006, quickly earned a reputation for breaking new talent and has featured artists such as Reboot, Jamie Jones, Davide Squillace, Luca Bacchetti, Bushwacka, Plasmik, Ripperton, Peace Division, Tiefschwarz and many more. Lawler has nurtured artists such as Simon Baker, Audiofly, Leon, Bearweasel and Livio & Roby. The label has also released some of the industryʼs most collectable mix series such as the ʻDark Drumsʼ, ʻLights Outʼ and, most recently, the ʻVIVaʼ series.