“We are hitting the road across the UK this autumn with our electrifying Rōnin Live tour! Join us for a unique and immersive experience featuring recent recordings, remixes, reinterpretations, and classics.” UNKLEofficial on Instagram.
James Lavelle was just fifteen years old when he started Mo’Wax Please, when he was DJing in Oxford.
He moved on – both geographically (to London) and career-wise – to start the Mo’Wax record label and take residency for Gilles Peterson’s ‘Talkin’ Loud’ at The Fridge. Peterson and Lavelle started their own night – ‘That’s How It Is’ – at Bar Rumba, firmly establishing James in London’s club scene. From there, playing and headlining iconic clubs and a five year residency at Fabric whilst travelling the world saw him embrace the development of his UNKLESounds.
It’s been over thirty years of ever-increasingly being at the forefront of club culture internationally, with James’ production work with UNKLE sharing the spotlight with his DJing. His reputation as a curator of music as well as his influence in the industry is undeniable.
James’ achievements piled up: his studio work included the production of the first FABRICLIVE CD as well as mixes for Global Underground and being recognised by BBC Radio 1’s Pete Tong as ‘one of the most gifted minds in music’.
In recent years, alongside touring, he curated two nights at Fabric for its 20th birthday, had a reunion with Gilles at We Out Here Festival and contributed to mixes and soundtracks, including Paris Fashion Week. His Living in My Headphones for Soho Radio indulges listeners with the extensive reach of his music library.
James has produced albums as UNKLE, collaborating with the likes of Brian Eno, Mark Lanegan, Massive Attack and Josh Homme. He curates multi-sensory art exhibitions and his innovative skills are demonstrated through ‘Daydreaming With…’ and ‘Beyond the Road’. NME described the latter as an ‘album you can walk around’.
It seems clear that UNKLE James Lavelle has long been master of his class.
Tickets for Project House are on sale from Ticketmaster, here.
Photography by Mark Wheelwright. Taken at Leeds Dock in 2017.
