Christopher Lawrence is about to descend upon the city of sun and surf for “We Love Ministry of Sound”. The friendly Trance DJ/producer gladly took time out of his busy schedule to have a chat before he flew off to his next show in Buenos Aeries.

Lawrence has a demanding touring schedule which see’s him flying from Perth to the US then onto to Malaysia and the Philippines, and that’s just for the next seven shows! He survives by utilising his time in airports and not paying attention to time zones.

“You have to keep focussed on what you’re doing. I maximise my time when I’m travelling by going through music in hotels and airport lounges, that way I am always ready for the next show.  I pay no attention to time zones, that’s the most important thing. I sleep when I can.”

Of course, travelling so much comes with its unexpected risks, even the Swine Flu hasn’t slowed Lawrence down. He was even playing in Cancun, Mexico when the outbreak first started.

“On the east of Mexico, no one was even talking about it. It wasn’t until after I left Mexico and it all hit the news. I was lucky I didn’t get it and second that it didn’t affect any of my travel.”

He was only in Perth a few months ago for “Future Music Festival” and as someone who plays all over the world, what did Lawrence like most about playing in Australia?

“What I like is that you guys have a lot of people that are really into the electronic music scene. It’s fantastic.  It’s about as good if not better than anywhere else on the planet. Everybody here is knowledgeable about music and all the festivals are outdoors!”

Many DJ’s have their preference on playing in club or festival settings. Lawrence can see the benfits in both. Each setting means he can play a different style of his music and it proves what a versatile DJ he really is; someone who can read an audience and adjust accordingly.

“I like both. Obviously at the festivals I play a more banging sound. Because you’re trying to reach more people at the same time, you have to play something with a bit of energy in it. Where as in a club, it’s a bit more intimate and you can play things that have a bit more variety in them. People on a dance floor in a club have more patience. I think they are both fantastic.”

Lawrence is recognized worldwide as one of the World's top DJs and producers. Winner of the “America’s Best DJ Award” (DJ Times, 2008) and voted #4 DJ in the World (Top 100 DJ Mag, 2006) just to name a couple.

Out of all his awards and accolades, Lawrence mentions his first award for “Best American DJ” as being his most humbling and the one he was most unprepared for.

“I remember being there to just check out what the awards ceremony was like and I had no idea I was going to win. I was just wearing shorts because it was so hot. All of a sudden there are spot lights searching and they focused on me and then I had to go up on stage and I had nothing prepared. That was exciting and it was very humbling.”

It’s not just in his home country of the U.S that Lawrence is so well known. He has received plenty of mention on BBC’s Radio 1 as well as his tracks being played by the likes of Tiesto, Paul Van Dyk and Paul Oakenfold. His booking list for festivals and clubs around the world speaks for itself. To break into the UK and European scene is a huge mountain to conquer. His secret? Never giving up as well as consistency and integrity in what he plays.

“I’ve been doing this for 17 years now. Consistency and playing with integrity and never changing my style is part of it. I will always play a similar sound but it’s matured and grown over the years. People can count on you. There is a consistency that I have kept and integrity to what I play and that in the long run wins out. It keeps your fans.”

Not one to ever rest, in 2008 Lawrence launched his monthly radio show “Rush Hour”. It started on Digitally Imported FM and fast became one of the most downloaded podcasts on iTunes and is broadcast on 120 FM stations around the world.  Lawrence likes that the show is a way for him to reach people globally and it’s an outlet for people to hear music that he may not play out.

“I download the music I get sent and go through it. It might be music that I think is really good but it’s not pumping or banging enough for playing in a club, but I really want people to hear it. The radio show is an outlet for that”

Lawrence loves the global distribution aspect of his radio show, so it makes sense that last year was also the year he launched his digital record label, Pharmacy Music. He sees the label as a way for producers to get their music out there, where as this would have been a lot more difficult during the days of vinyl distribution.

“It’s allowed a lot more music to get through and allowed people like me to find producers that are producing the music I like and to get that out there. It has allowed unknown producers to create music and it gives them an outlet. I’m very excited about the people who are releasing music on my label. They are people that are previously undiscovered and that’s what the label is about.”

It would seem Lawrence is all about giving people a chance, which is one of the reasons he started Pharmacy Music. A couple of the new artists he has signed to his label grabbed his attention in a way that you rarely hear about! You just have to be at the same party as Lawrence or meet him while taking out the rubbish!

Magnus is a producer from Seattle who met Lawrence at a party and handed him a CD, asking him to listen to it.

“I put it in my lap top while I was on a plane and I was blown away. He’s had a release on the label, it’s really good material.”

Sean J Morris was Lawrence’s neighbour in L.A and was a composer for film and television. Having never DJ’d or produced electronic dance music before, it took him shouting across to Lawrence to ask “Hey you’re a DJ.. I’d like to come to one of your parties to hear what you play” for him to want to lay a track down for Lawrence.

“He came back a week later and completely blew me away with the track that he gave me and of course that was released on Pharmacy. He is very technically proficient and has a really good ear. This guy transitioned it amazingly well. He just did another remix for a track that I had coming out on Pharmacy and his track is as good as the track I did”

Don’t think that with all these releases from his signed artists that Lawrence hasn’t been busy in the production studio. He recently treated fans at the U.S music festival, “Coachella” to his new track “Lie to Ourselves”. If that wasn’t special enough, he even had the vocalist Jen Lasher join him on the stage!

“It was fantastic! It was the first time ever I had a live singer on stage, so I was a bit apprehensive about how everything would work because there are a lot of technical things that go into it. The track is really good and the reason the track is good is because of the singer. Jen Lasher has such a beautiful voice. I was very happy with the response from the audience and just from my perspective hearing the track live and being sung, it sounded beautiful.”

Unfortunately we won’t be seeing Jen Lasher when Lawrence comes to Perth, but he says that it’s something he’d like to continue doing because it adds something special. Of course Perth will still be getting something special as he plans on bringing a lot of new music with him.

“Expect some new music. I’ve got some really good music, I’ve got my new track “Lie to Ourselves” and I have another new track called “Continuation”, so I have new music that I will be bringing with me of my own as well the latest stuff I have downloaded”

So... what else for Christopher Lawrence in 2009?

“More touring, that never stops and I am also working on my third artist album. I am hoping to get it done by the end of the year. I squeeze it in between dates!

Don’t walk away yet... what does Christopher Lawrence think about Progressive being like an orgasm that never comes?

“That’s where a trance DJ comes in. You know you’re going to explode with him”

Explode with Christopher Lawrence at “We Love Ministry of Sound” at Metro City on Sunday 31st May.

Written by Liz Sheehan