Decks: Lloyd ‘DJ Lazarus’ Warren

By Jennifer Finjan

I was first introduced to electronic music through the Toronto alternative underground scene.  A scene best described as the most fascinating, individualistic, colourful, and sexy in the city.  A scene filled with cybergoths, industrial fanatics, fetish fiends, retro lovers, club kids, steam punkers, darkravers, and even the occasional ‘normal’ person looking for something out of the ordinary.

The music coming out of this scene ranges from: hard techno; to EBM; to happy hardcore; to dark industrial; to Britpop; to alternative retro, to synthpop; to gothic wickedness, and the list goes on. 

Regardless to your lifestyle, look or favourite genre, we all have one thing in common, a respect and appreciation for a particular dj and promoter who not only has his creative signature and hands in everything but also continues to do all he can to keep the scene alive and well.  His name in dj Lazarus aka Lloyd Warren and he’s the busiest man in the underground.  Lazarus’ love for the scene and its people has literally kept the music playing and the venues opened for those new and old to Toronto’s greatest kept secret.

How did you first get in the music business?
I first got into the music business in 1992 when I started a radio show at York University called Dark Souls Rising. From there I created club nights to try and cater to the Toronto alternative underground scene.

How has your involvement evolved over the years?
There seemed to be a prophetic pathway that my life has followed so far; from intense music lover, buying records and going to shows, to dj in the 90’s, to club owner in 2003. I am not a club owner anymore, but I focus my energy on promoting and djing.

How has the scene changed from 10 years ago?
The scene has become smaller and more underground in the last 10 years. Ten years ago many more people knew about the scene and participated in it. The scene also had a bit more support in the 80’s and 90’s from commercial radio and music video stations, but all that has gone away as media has become more tame and mainstream. The alternative scene has amazing music, outfits, and people so I am hoping to make it stronger and let Toronto know we are here if you want something different than your usual homogenous/redundant top 40/R&B night.

How would you best describe your DJ sound?
My sound is eclectic, edgy, and danceable by playing music from the future while winking at the past.

What artists do you admire and have had a strong influence on you?
I have been strongly influenced by Depeche Mode, The Cure, New Order, The Smiths/Morrissey and more recently by Covenant, Seabound, Swayzak and too many more to print here.

What are you listening to now?
The cd’s I currently have on my desk are Marsheaux, Client, Gary Numan, Faderhead, Seabound, Thieves Like Us, Home Video, New Order, De/vision, Lush, Fever Ray, La Roux, and lots of lesser known electro and synthpop.

Can you recall a particularly memorable set/night?
There have been many nights where the crowd, the music, and I were all in sync like the atomic clock. It is those magical moments that keep my djing through the good and the bad times.

What events do you currently DJ and promote?
I currently DJ/promote:
Every Friday – MUSIC FOR THE MASSES @ Vdara
playing all request retro-electronic-britpop

1st Saturday – DARKRAVE – an ALL AGES
3 room dark electronic event that has been going strong for 10 years

2nd Saturday – PANIC – the ultimate retro party
Toronto’s busiest retro event with great musical integrity, playing the kind of retro that changed your life. Each month has a different musical focus on genres, bands, and music movements

3rd Saturday – Fetish Masquerade
A monthly Kinky Glamour Party with different themes

Last Saturday – EBM Party
playing the best alternative dance music (ebm/synthpo/industrial/electro)

Some random 4th Saturdays – Super Turbo Special Cool SYNTHPOP SATURDAY
the best retro and modern synthpop

Sat Oct 24 is Depeche Mode Fest 2009 @ the Reverb

Fri Oct 30 is the PANIC Halloween Retro Party @ the Reverb

What challenges are you currently experiencing when hosting these events?
The biggest challenges are getting people motivated to go out and affording the astronomical promotion costs.

Who comes up with the interesting themes?
I come up with the themes for most of the nights and my fetish partner helps with the fetish themes. Creating themes gives patrons the opportunity to become someone different or dress up in a way that normal society doesn’t understand. It is like having Halloween a couple of times a month.

What’s your favourite event and why?
That is a hard question to answer as I like all my events so much, but in different ways. Each event fills a need in me and the alternative scene. I suppose PANIC is one of my favs as it is such a trip to hear the music that I grew up loving; the music that made me who I am today.

What do you do in your spare time?
Most of my spare time is spent designing flyers and updating web promo. I guess that means I have very little quality spare time. I love hanging out in record stores or online researching and buying music. Discovering a new great band or song is like losing your virginity all over again.

What do you think the future holds for the goth/EBM/industrial music scene?
The future looks a bit grim at the moment, but things always go in cycles so it may be getting close to the time for an upswing for the scene. If not, the scene will die through attrition and eventually disappear like disco or be relegated to the basements of suburbia. I feel the health of the Toronto can be foreshadowed by the health of the underground scene, and the city is currently suffering from a bad case of apathyiphilis.

What are your future plans?
I would love to take some of my events on the road and travel to different cities and countries to get a new perspective. I am also hoping to free up some time and get back to writing screenplays and producing films.

How do we find out about your events?
You can always check www.djlazarus.com or become my friend at www.facebook.com/djlazarus
DJ Lazarus: Passion – Integrity – Perseverance
www.djlazarus.com