DJ Lag explained

DJ Lag
Birth Name:Lwazi Asanda Gwala
Alias:King of Gqom
Birth Place:Clermont, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Occupation:DJ, producer
Years Active:2012–present
Label:Ice Drop
Goon Club Allstars
Hyperdub

Lwazi Asanda Gwala, better known as DJ Lag [1] is a South African DJ and record producer. He is regarded as one of the pioneers of gqom,[2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] a genre of electronic dance music that emerged in the early 2010s in Durban, South Africa.[8] In 2019, DJ Lag notably collaborated with Tierra Whack, Beyoncé, Moonchild Sanelly, Nija, Yemi Alade and Busiswa on a track called "My Power" on Beyoncé's album, .[9]

Early life

With aspirations of becoming a soccer player growing up in Durban, Lag suffered an ankle injury which derailed his pursuits. His cousin, a rapper within the Durban hip hop scene at the time, then introduced him to FL Studio, on which he taught himself to produce. Following this, he began to explore DJing.[10] He went on to play his first gig at Durban's club Uhuru during a high school graduation event while he was in 10th grade. Gwala completed his matric at Wyebank Secondary School located in Wyebank, KwaZulu-Natal.[11]

Career

Releasing his first EP on WhatsApp,[12] DJ Lag began his career using methods unorthodox to Western distribution methods common in gqom's formative years. Fans signed up on the DJ's website with the promise that an exclusive EP would be delivered to them via the mobile messaging app free of charge. DJ Lag's specific style is known to be focused on what local producers dubbed "uthayela" (an isiZulu word for "corrugated iron") which describes the rough timbre and hard bass-lines specifically made for listening to in club settings.[13]

In late 2016 at the age of 21, DJ Lag made his live global debut at the Unsound Festival in Poland[14] [15] and finishing up at Seoul's Cake Shop nearly a month later. Since then, he has performed at Afropunk New York City and secured a residency at RinseFM. He also embarked on a four-part worldwide tour called #GqomIsThePresent[16] and was featured on BBC Radio 1, including shows by Diplo and Benji B, with a BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix set hosted by Pete Tong. DJ Lag was a featured speaker at the 2019 Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE).[17]

In 2019, he released a 6-track EP entitled UHURU under Diplo's American record label, Good Enuff Records, under the Mad Decent umbrella. This album paid homage to DJ Lag's hometown club of the same name, which acted as a monumental meeting place for gqom producers such as Rudeboyz and Naked Boyz, to try out new techniques on larger audiences.[13] In 2019, DJ Lag began to curate and host his own event, called Something for Clermont[18] where new acts were encouraged to experiment with sounds contributing to the evolution of the genre, the first of which was held in partnership with music broadcaster Boiler Room.[13]

Collaborations

"My Power" from Beyonce's The Lion King: The Gift

DJ Lag co-produced a track that was initially released as "Drumming" alongside percussionist Moses Boyd, which was later chosen by Beyonce to form part of the collaborative album , which featured Tierra Whack, Busiswa, Yemi Alade and Moonchild Sanelly.[19] [20] [21] [22]

"Anywhere We Go" with Shekhinah

DJ Lag and Shekhinah collaborated on "Anywhere We Go".[23] The accompanying visuals feature dancer Thami Njoko, and was directed by music video director Kyle Lewis.[24]

"Going Modd" with Epic B

DJ Lag worked with New York Flex Dance Music pioneer Epic B[25] on the track "Going Modd" on UK label Swing Ting.

"Switz" music video with choreographer Mette Towley

Mette Towley, who also appeared in the music video for N.E.R.D. and Rihanna's "Lemon", approached DJ Lag to work on "Switz" in 2019.[26] Shot and directed in New York by Bon Duke, Towley's interpretation of the track is "her response to the feeling that dance, and its ability to act as a mode of communication, needed a serious revisit."[27]

Dancers included Orlando Zane, Hunter Jr., Emily Paige, Frankie Gordils "Francoth3artist", Rudy Legros, Shari Clarke, Ros Hayes, Leal Zielinksa, Ekow Nunoo, Brown Kato, Watz Hunter and Valentine Nicholi White.[27]

Steam Rooms with Okzharp

Steam Rooms, which takes its name from the local nickname for dance clubs in Durban, features South African rhythms with a blend of UK club styles brought on by producer Okzharp, creating a musical dialogue between the two regions' styles.[28] [29]

Selected discography

EPs and singles

Collaborations

Remixes

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Kuta. Phendu (interview). Mahlangu. Bantu (photography). DJ Lag On His Current Tour, Latest EP and More. Unlabelled Magazine. 12 August 2019. en.
  2. News: Angbeletchy. Celine. Cassinis. Tommaso (images). DJ Lag: Godfather of GQOM. GRIOT. 11 November 2016.
  3. Sawers. Claire. It's all about drug-free fun for Durban's young gqom master. The Wire. January 2017. 395. 16.
  4. News: Moloto. Mpho.
    1. ManCrushMonday: Gqom pioneer DJ Lag
    . City Buzz. 27 August 2018.
  5. News: Kameir. Rawiya. Listen to a new FADER Mix by DJ Lag. The FADER. 6 September 2018. en.
  6. News: D’Souza. Shaad. Burey. Mikey (illustrated by). DJ Lag's Noisey Mix Shows How Fast Gqom Moves. Noisey: Music by VICE . VICE. 10 December 2018. en.
  7. News: Ogunrombi. Foyin (words). Owen. Travys (photography). Anywhere DJ Lag Goes: DJ Lag Interview. The Way Of Us, Superbalist. 26 June 2019. en.
  8. News: Cliff. Aimee. What the foq is gqom?. Dazed. 5 June 2015. en.
  9. News: Editor. A. D. C.. Durban's DJ Lag Produces "My Power" On Beyoncé's New Lion King-inspired Album, The Gift. Africa.com. 25 July 2019.
  10. Web site: DJ Lag Interview – The Plug. 13 September 2017 . en-ZA. 2020-05-18.
  11. Web site: johnclaude. 2019-09-02. DJ LAG. 2020-06-08. Africa Is Now Magazine. en-US.
  12. Web site: Who needs a record deal when you've got WhatsApp. 2020-06-08. TimesLIVE. en-ZA.
  13. Web site: 2019-08-30. DJ Lag Pays Homage to Uhuru, a Durban Club That Played a Huge Role in the Birth of Gqom, in His New EP. 2020-06-08. OkayAfrica. en.
  14. News: Unsound Kraków 2019: DJ Lag (ZA). Unsound. 2019.
  15. Web site: DJ Lag to Play Unsound Fest in Poland. McNair. Ian. 2016-06-01. Platform. en-GB. 2020-05-18.
  16. Web site: DJ LAG on The Global Rise of Gqom. Red Bull. en. 2020-05-18.
  17. Web site: Speaker DJ Lag (ZA). Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE). 2019. en.
  18. Web site: 2019-04-19. Get down to the dark, tribal sounds of DJ Lag's "Switz". 2020-06-08. Bubblegum Club. en-ZA.
  19. Web site: DJ Lag co-produces track for Beyoncé on Lion King soundtrack. 2019-07-18. DJMag.com. 2020-05-18.
  20. Web site: DJ Lag talks about producing 'My Power' and working with Beyoncé. www.iol.co.za. en. 2020-05-18.
  21. Web site: Beyoncé enlists DJ Lag for Lion King: The Gift track 'My Power'. 2019-07-18. FACT Magazine. en-US. 2020-05-18.
  22. DJ Lag Interview: On Beyonce's 'Lion King: The Gift' Album & Taking South African Music Worldwide. 2019-07-31. Billboard. 2020-05-18.
  23. Web site: Anywhere DJ Lag Goes | DJ Lag Interview | Music Blog | the Way of Us . 26 June 2019 .
  24. Web site: Mayne. Jane. 2019-05-18. DJ Lag and Shekhina Anywhere We Go. 2020-06-08. WeekendSpecial. en-ZA.
  25. Web site: 2018-11-16. DJ LAG & EPIC B MAKE A 'DURBAN x BROWNSVILLE' CLASSIC. 2020-06-08. AFROPUNK. en-US.
  26. Web site: 2019-03-14. DANCER METTE TOWLEY HELPS REIMAGINE DJ LAG'S "SWITZ". 2020-06-08. AFROPUNK. en-US.
  27. Web site: Watch DJ Lag & Choreographer Mette Towley Video For The 'Switz'. 2020-06-08. Illsociety Magazine.
  28. Web site: 2019-06-06. DJ Lag and Okzharp join forces for Steam Rooms EP. 2020-06-08. FACT Magazine. en-US.
  29. Web site: Review: DJ Lag & Okzharp - Steam Rooms EP. 2020-06-08. Resident Advisor.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "DJ Lag".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.