Forget the iPhone 5, the much anticipated launch of FabricLive65 has arrived. Mixed by the one and only DJ Hazard, the latest in this iconic series of mixes is a fast and ferocious peek into the world of one of DnB’s most admired artists.

 

While you can get your hands on the CD now, the promotion for mix culminates with a launch party at Fabric in London on Friday September 28. Naturally it’s a Playaz event and alongside Hazard will be the likes of Hype, Pascal, Brockie, Original Sin B2B Taxman, Jaydan B2B Majistrate and Potential Bad Boy in room one with Bukem In Session in the second room and Distance’s Chestplate label in room three.

 

So, without further ado here’s what Hazard had to say when we spoke to him recently...

 

 

You’ve been about for quite a while now, but how did you first get into drum & bass?
I don’t really remember! My mate’s were all into rave music and I wasn’t really into it at the time, and as it starting turning into Jungle, I started getting into it. Yeah, I think that was it, when jungle came about is when I started taking note.

 

So what have you been up to recently?
Errmmm… [starts laughing), you’ve put me on the spot now! Recently, the Fabric CD, working on an EP to hopefully come out before Christmas, and the usual DJing every weekend.

 

You went down to the last Bailey show on 1Xtra, did you enjoy it?
Yeah, it was cool. I only went in the say hello, stayed for about half an hour then I left.

 

Over the years Hype and Pascal have showed you loads of love and you’ve become synonymous with Playaz how did that relationship come about?
I did a remix for Hype, Hype always thought I was signed to someone else. Then he offered to sign me, at the time I didn’t really wanna be singed, but he made me a brilliant offer. And at the time I had nothing, so I took the offer and I’ve never looked back, and it’s been pretty good since.

 

Why did you not want to be signed?
Because I was young and there was rumours about people getting signed to big labels, and getting treated unfairly. But I could tell as soon as I spoke to Hype that he would be a fair guy and he always has been. I’ve never had to want for anything since I’ve been there, if I want something whether it was musically or personal, he’s there. Him and Pascal are there trying to make sure I’ve got a clear head so I can carry on making music. They’re like my dads.

 

You’ve got your own label, Radius, what’s the story behind that?
I started the label before I got singed to Playaz, because I wanted to put my music out. Obviously when I got signed I was exclusive to them. Hype’s always said release o your own label as well, but I’ve never wanted to, because I can’t make enough music for both labels.

 

So I started using it to put other people’s music out. But the time scale of things, where I’ve been concentrating on Playaz and I didn’t have time to run my label it was just too much for me so I just left it on a backburner, but Pascal runs the label for me now so we’re planning on getting more music out.

 

Most people do know you for producing jump-up, but some tracks on the Fabric mix and what you’ve released in the last few years have been more laid back, do you think it’s important to keep the bridges built between the different sides of the scene?
Everybody’s interpretation of jump-up is different, some people see Jump Up as a derogatory term, as like a diss, and some people see it as “that’s the bouncy type that I wanna play”. But I put it all sown to dancefloor, I don’t call it jump-up anymore, it doesn’t categorize the whole sound, I call it dancefloor, because if it works on the dancefloor, it doesn’t matter what type of tune it is, if it works it works.

 

I’ve always thought of it like that, as a DJ I’m there to make people dance, not to stand there scratching my head saying “hmm nice snare” I’m there to entertain and make people dance, therefore I need to play dancefloor music.

 

You’ve released under different aliases, what made you decide to do that?
I don’t even know. I think you try to put the better things out under the Hazard name, but you’ve got other music which is still good enough to come out, but maybe it was never finished and people are asking for it, or you didn’t quite get it the way you wanted to so you just out it under a different name. I don’t even know why that all comes about, I just leave Hype and Pascal to do what they need to do and I just try and do what I can do, the best I can.

 

So is it more up to Hype and Pascal which ones go out as Hazard and which ones will come out under someone else?
I would say yeah, but they always give me a choice, but I always say, “that’s your job, you do your job and I’ll do mine” Hype always knows best, he’s always advised me on certain things and back in the day I used to think, “he don’t know what he’s on about” Then I used to go the other way and he was always right! Nowadays it’s like if you can’t change something just let him do it, he’s always right, he’s been there and done it. And I’ve grown up more since those days so now it’s more of letting the people with the experience do what they thinks best and go with it.

 

You’ve been playing at Fabric for a long time, how did it feel to finally get asked to do one of their legendary mixes?
You see, I’ve never known much about these FabricLive mixes, so when I was asked I was just like “yeah, give me a shout when you’re ready”. Obviously Sean asked me, and he was hoping for the reaction of like, “Oh my God! I can do the Fabric CD!” But I didn’t realise how big the CDs were, so I was just like “yeah, yeah whenever you’re ready…”

 

So I think he just assumed I didn’t want to do it, because I didn’t really show any interest, but I didn’t actually have a clue what he was talking about, it was just a quick conversation outside the club, but when I told my mates, they were all gob-smacked and what not and I didn’t get it at first. When I went down to the Fabric office and they reeled off how it all works, I was suddenly like “Woah! This is big!” Even Hype came down to the office with me to go over the contract and started realizing how big a deal it really was.

 

So now you know how big it is are you quite proud of it?
Yeah! Really Proud of it… Yeah. I just didn’t get it at first. I’ve never clocked on to the FabricLive mixes before, I don’t generally listen to drum & bass when I’m out on the road when I’m in the car it’s Smooth FM or Heart.

 

There are so many new tracks in your mix, when you’re listening to Heart how to you stay on top of the scene?
I’m in the position now where I get sent a lot of music. And a lot of producers that don’t get a look in from other DJs send me new tracks, and I’ll just think actually these are quite good. They’re not the best tunes in they’re not world but there’s something to ‘em, they’ve got a dancefloor element and I’ve started playing a lot of new producers over the years, one’s sent me stuff then his mate will send me stuff, and they all started getting better and better. Some of the tunes I wouldn’t put out myself but in a club as you only play a minute of a track it sounds alright, and I like to play something different.

 

WORDS: Whisky Kicks

Related Links:

• Playaz At Fabric Review
• Review: Playaz Tenth Anniversary At Fabric
• Playaz Digital Vol. 3
• Playaz: A Decade Of Smashing It At Fabric
• Top 10 DNB Twitterers

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