Originally a London kid Damian Lazarus, soul and founder of Crosstown Rebels was naturally drawn to classic pop music. Through his teen years he began to immerse himself in the sounds of hip-hop, electro, soul and funk before discovering house and jungle whilst at uni. Lazarus first worked as Music Editor followed by Assistant Editor at Dazed & Confused, then later joined London Records and went on to become head A&R of the City Rockers label. It was at his point in his career where he helped sign and release some of the biggest tunes of the era, including Felix Da Housecats ‘Silver Screen Shower Scene’ and Tiga & Zyntherius’s ‘Sunglasses at Night’. His ‘Futurism’ compilation CDs still to this day define the documents of electroclash, which was not only to map the future of this sound but a significant snapshot of the underground scene of that moment in time.
Lazarus first made his DJ breakthrough in 2002 when he played at Barcelona’s Sonar Festival and later inspired by many possibilities within in international club culture and music, founded Crosstown Rebels in 2003. The name suited to what the label is originally about when he said “To have fun in the process. Playing around with different styles and ideas is what I do best”. Showing a rebellious approach to not wanting to produce the same music as what we may of already heard before. Recent releases on Rebels from Jamie Jones, Seth Troxler, Deniz Kurtel and Art Department have found the label consistently breaking new ground and the new imprints CDR (a digital only label) and Rebellion are set to change the rules once again.
The duo of pure talent Kenny Glasgow and Johnny White, known to us as Art Department joined forces in 2009, when Damian Lazarus called on them to remix Riz MC. Resulting in the creation of an entirely new futuristic sound. Early 2011, Crosstown Rebels also released ‘Music Watching Over Me’ which showcased Deniz Kurtel’s debut album consisting of 12 sublime tracks, including a completely fresh version of her debut single ‘Yeah’. Kurtel is another successful artist and part of the rebel gang as she takes an avant garde approach to house and techno with the ability to sustain music as an art form. Her hits such as ‘The L Word’ feature on this album which is also a personal favourite of the House and Heels team.
Maceo Plex is also fundamental to the growth of the label as he has successfully fused feeling and funk to create a sound filled with depth. Two of our favourite tracks being Cant Leave You and a recent Maya Jane Coles remix of the Maceo Plex original ‘Your Style’. Another well know artist that has also made a significant imprint on the label is Jamie Jones. From originally Djing in Ibiza for many years over the summer season, Jones began to build a following for himself in which he started to become hot property. His relationship with Crosstown Rebels grew in 2009 when he released ‘Summertime EP’, which went on to become one of the labels biggest selling single. He also had the unprecedented accolade of having 3 tracks in the Beatport top 10 concurrently. His Debut album ‘don’t you remember the future’ also on Rebels has been hailed by Press and Dance Music critics across the globe as the best electronic album of the year.
The diverse dynamics of the label brought together by each individual artist has enabled them to produce musical compositions of an outstanding nature by using the complex arrangements of the sounds of audible engineering. Crosstown Rebels continue to provide us with a new, fresh innovative sound which is why we are a fan of this record label.
