A welcomed return for one of London’s finest. Huge new EP ‘Anxiety’ slamming it on Lower East
Interview by Ian Fleming
A focal point of the London scene for some time now, Cozzy D is a DJ/producer, label owner and promoter. Renowned for his work at the Lower East crew (where he built up his reputation alongside his close friend Alexis Raphael), Cozzy is a man with a sound that’s tough to pigeonhole – but very much his own. Ahead of another busy summer – and with his latest EP set to drop any week now – we nabbed him for a quick natter. Here’s what went down…
What’s been going on in your life recently, Cozzy? All good?
You have probably noticed things have been a bit quiet for me on the release front recently. The past year has actually been one of the most difficult for me on a personal level. I sadly lost my Mum in the summer, and to top it off I had another 2 close family bereavements follow in the space of 6 months. For obvious reasons I wasn’t in a very creative or inspired place for a while and needed some time away to be with my family and sort things out. I’ve now had time to clear my head, and am now putting all my energy and passion back into doing what I love most. I’ve been working hard in the studio over the past few months, and have lots of new material ready for release, which I’m very excited about as feel it’s some of my best work…I hope you will all agree!
Have you pretty much left the London scene behind these days then? Or are you still running parties there?
No not all, with Crèche, Alexis and myself decided to take a little break from promoting in London, but had every intention of bringing it back. Unfortunately due to personal circumstances in both our lives this has delayed it somewhat…I can’t say very much at the moment, but the wheels are now in motion and we will we be back very soon J
How has the dynamic of the city’s scene changed since you first became involved? For good and for bad?
The constant evolution of the underground House and techno scene is only natural. I have been in and around the London scene in some way or form for over 15 years now and I have seen fad genres come and go and the same with venues. With music, something fresh becomes popular, then a lot of people jump on the bandwagon, then you get a bit of overkill, and the process starts over again with something new. When I first started going out in London there were great clubs such as The End, The Cross and Turnmills. As you know these clubs have now closed and London went through a transition, and it became the era of Warehouse parties which are still prevalent today but I also think the London scene is massively flourishing with new venues such as Studio 338, Tobacco Docks, XOYO now taking centre stage. The choice on offer of a good party in London is endless and is a good thing for the scene.
Ok, let’s chat Ibiza for a bit. Any plans to return this year? Or did last year’s experiences put you off the place a bit?
It’s a shame things didn’t work out for us last year. Even more so, as the parties we did put on were very good. But, what’s happened has happened now, so we move onwards and upwards. This year Ibiza is on hold for Crèche, as we want to concentrate on bringing it back in London first.
Going back a while, when were you first bitten by dance music? Why did it so appeal to you?
I remember hearing Josh Wink’s ‘Higher State of Consciousness’ as a 14 year old teenager, and being absolutely blown away as I had never heard anything like that in my life. Amazing that track is 20 years old this year and still sounds great. I was too young to go raving at the time, but started buying dance music compilations such as Ministry of Sound’s The Annual and got more and more into it from then on. Garage music blew up after that and I was hooked, so I decided to get my first set of decks.
Your latest EP is really interesting and a far cry from the music you used to make. How would you say your sound has progressed over the years?
I have always had a very eclectic taste in music and draw inspiration from a variety of styles. I have always liked referencing the past to create the future so to speak, and take inspiration from Garage, Jungle, Chicago House, Detroit Techno etc. At present a lot of the music I’m making I guess has a bit more energy and is geared towards those peak time sets.
Tell me a bit about Lower East. How’s the label going these days?
Lower East is coming into its fifth year this year. Crazy how time flies. I have been working on a ‘5 Years of Lower East’ Compilation to celebrate this. This will feature new remixes of classic tracks from the label. Expect some of the usual Lower East faces to feature, as well as some new blood and a few surprises 😉 As well as that there will be EPs from Alexis Raphael, Moodtrap and myself coming over the next few months.
How would you best describe the music you make?
People often ask me what kind of music do I play / produce. It’s a funny one as people often use fad words to describe music. For example a lot of music these days being called Deep House, isn’t actually anything like Deep House. End of the day I don’t really like to label my music, but in a nutshell it’s basically my interpretation of House with a sprinkling of Techno.
What do you reckon are the key foundations of a dance music track?
For me a catchy hook or vocal are always key. These resonate with the crowd and make the track stand out and memorable. We’ve all left the club at the end of the night, humming or singing a hook line from a track we’ve heard that night. A hypnotic groove or killer bassline can also be equally as effective though.
What one lesson would you pass on to young producers and DJs reading this?
When sending demos to a label, try to at least personalize your email instead of just sending a random link with no introduction or greeting. There’s no need to reel off your life story, but a tailored personal email and showing an avid interest in the label would more likely entice A&R’s to listen to your music. Also make sure you are sending tracks that are inline with the music that label actually puts out. Private Soundcloud links, which are streamable, are always preferable too.
What 5 tracks are you really digging at the moment?
– Throwing Snow – Lumen
Houndstooth are really starting to take the piss with the amount of amazing releases they are putting out. I came across Throwing Snow from his previous release on the label, which was also fantastic. This however is next level!
– Adalberto – Hand In Hand
Bought a double vinyl pack just for this track. Proper old skool vibes. Love it.
– Erol Alkan – Sub Conscious (Tin Man Remix)
Am a sucker for a beautiful string.
– Pascal Hetzel – Divisions (Tuff City Kids Remix)
Massive fans of Tuff City Kids. Don’t think I’ve heard a track of theirs that I don’t like. Been playing this one for a while. Raw!
– Alexis Raphael – Assault Weapon (Jacky Remix)
Jacky is a talented up & coming Artist I am very happy to welcome to the Lower East stable. I recently stumbled across his music when doing a bit of vinyl shopping and was very impressed. This will be featured on the 5 Years of Lower East Compilation later this year.
Cozzy D’s Anxiety EP is out soon on Lower East
