A child of the acid house generation, Steve Lawler has been busy with the beats long before genres were but a twinkle in clubland’s eye. An electronic artist who defies generic boundaries, he began his career organising the infamous motorway raves back in the early 90s underneath the M42 motorway.

Now as genres, artists and parties rise and fall in a matter of minutes, Steve Lawler remains one of the constant pillars of underground music. Whether he is touring, producing or promoting his various brands their is very few people that have contributed as much as him. We sat down with the man himself during a busy Miami Music Week to discuss life behind the headphones.

A lot of people credit there careers in dance music to early ‘ecstasy moments.’ For some this was in a club as a youth and others it came later in life. Did you ever have a moment that set you on the path you’re on today?

My career path started as a 16 year old going to acid house parties. I was experiencing music I had never heard before as well as seeing lights used in totally new way. The use of lasers for example mystified me. The joint experience it created for the crowd just drew me in.

Everyone was so friendly and as one. It was unusual as at the time regular pop culture clubs were segregated and moody. Fights would always break out because of the heavy drinking culture and everyone being drunk. However in the raves it was different, thats what I fell in love with it. I very quickly found out this was because most people were taking ecstasy and LSD. I made the decision to try both and ultimately I understood music like never before. It ran through me and touched me in such a way there was no turning back.

We read that your career started in the early rave scene with illegal parties. These events built the foundation of modern club culture. How have things progressed since you first got involved in dance music? Is there elements of that era that you would like to bring reintroduce and others that you hope never come back?

I think the defining factor was that it was brand new, everyone was winging it from the DJs to the promoters to the party people themselves. It wasn’t a business, there were no rules and with that bought an extraordinary sense of excitement, risk and mystery. Unfortunately I don’t think this could ever be re-created because the modern house and techno world is now is a part of modern music culture. This definitely has some benefits, but it sadly means it looses the sense of the unknown.

I tried to do something about 5 years ago called LIFE. We only managed to do a handful of these parties before getting our shows cancelled. Either promoters were bottling it or the police stopping it dead before it started. LIFE was about throwing a party in an un-conventional location. We did one in New York, we did one in Amsterdam. We were scheduled to do them in Berlin, London plus other major Cites, but they never came to light. The Party in Brooklyn was still to this day legendary. We did a full on rave in the centre on Brooklyn in a market surrounded by huge storage tankers. We went till the local police stopped us.

There is a growing understanding in our community and the wider world about the pressures of every day life. A lot of people argue that those working in music are more prone to mental health issues and other illnesses through our life choices. As a touring artist you will often be alone and working on a lack of sleep. How do you deal with the mental pressure that comes with this line of work? Is it something that you are aware of?

Yes unfortunately I’m very aware of it, and suffered with anxiety for about 15 years now. I have learnt to live with it and to recognise the signals. Before I really understood it, and recognised how it felt it was causing havoc with my touring. On more than one occasion I was submitted to hospital on the belief I was having a heart attack. Once I simply couldn’t bring myself to leave my hotel room in Sao Paolo. Imagine my Tour Manager trying to explain this to an angry promoter!

Its not just the lack of sleep, the messing with your circadian rhythm, the substances, the alcohol, the constant jet lag, its also the pressures. The pressure that come with touring constantly but also the pressure of the subconscious, the fact that people are always expecting of you no matter what. No one can truly understand what’s its like until you live it. Im eternally grateful for my life long Tour Manager Dean who has been there for me through so many of these times and got me through it.

As an artist you have achieved more than many could even dream of. You have toured the world extensively, released music on labels like Cocoon, Sci+Tech and Soma and even worked alongside Dido and Justin Timberlake. For a young artist just starting out what would be your advice for a long and successful career in music?

The number one thing would be patient, for some reason people of today want everything now, and from what I have seen the quicker you get up there, the quicker you go down. I have seen this so many times over the last 5 or 6 years, all of a sudden so and so is the one thats blowing up.

Everyone is playing their tracks, and you see them start to appear on the big shows, 1 year or 2 years later, they are not producing as much because now they are on the road. Next thing you know, its all about someone else, and there the one everyone wants while the last person is now yes on the circuit but not going anywhere.

In the music world there is no level ground, your either on the up or your on the down. Thankfully I think you get to a stage where I’m at and your neither, you’re just there, everyone knows who you are and you can always be relied on, but I can tell you that also have its benefits and its troubles.

A lot of DJs obsess over what is and isn’t their sound and it can lead to all sorts of anxiety issues. How do you deal with this problem?

I have alway’s ignored it. I wasn’t introduced to music this way. For me Music has always been about good or bad. DJ’ing has been about a journey and DJ using music as tools to create his own story. This means if I need to build the night, drop the night. Take people deeper, take people higher. whatever the desired outcome it is all dependant on the crowd and the environment. As DJ how could I ever be stuck in one genre. It just wouldn’t work.

I believe I have a style, yes. But as far as a sound, thats just not possible. Especially when music evolves, sound evolves.

Good gigs are easy, but not every gig is a good one. How do you handle the bad ones? Do they get to you?

Your absolutely right, its tough to handle a bad gig, you carry it with you for at least a few days, I’m not sure if this is the same for everyone but it hurts when you have a bad gig, its your ego getting in the way of what really matters, but for me I dont just play music because I love music, I play music because I love to share the music I play and create and feel an atmosphere, and if tis a bad gig this doesn’t happen so I come off them completely deflated. Luckily there isnt too many, but they definitely happen

As you progress as an artist your following naturally increases and you find yourself getting booked on bigger stages around the world. Do you ever miss playing smaller clubs and have you had to adapt as the stages get bigger and bigger?

You just have to make sure you do both, I definitely do, and yes you have to reduce your fee to be able to do this, but its a good balance to have, if you just play big shows, you forget who you are musically, you cant be as experimental on a big stage, and you tend to have to play harder and bigger so it doesn’t get lost on the big stage, but you can in more intimate rooms, and if you cant be experimental and creative then seriously whats the point.

What are you most proud of in your life to date?

My two daughters, I know its an obvious one, but it really is and by a long mile. Its also selfish because what I personally get from the simplest things like their laugh or the kisses and hugs is more powerful than anything else life has ever offered

Finally what are your plans for the coming months. Is there some music in the pipeline and will Warriors be back in Ibiza for 2019?

There is a lot of music in the pipeline, It takes me more time to make music than a lot of people these days, but thats probably because I make it! Lol. I have releases coming out on Seth’s Play it, Say it, Beyer’s Truesoul, Syrossian’s Moxy Music and my own imprint VIVa MUSiC along with a few remixes to hit in the coming months.

Warriors, is making a comeback but in a different way, keep you ears and eyes pealed for an announcement soon.