Friockheim-based oil worker Brent Lawson has been described as the dance music industry’s “best kept secret”. Gayle Ritchie finds out more…
It’s a sunny Friday afternoon in the sleepy Angus village of Friockheim.
You could be forgiven for thinking this is a place where not much happens, but listen carefully and you’ll hear the gentle rumble of a bass line filtering out onto the streets.
It’s here, inside an unassuming terraced villa on the outskirts of town, that DJ and record producer Brent Lawson is hard at work making tunes guaranteed to get feet stomping.
Brent, 42, is on the verge of launching a global agency on the back of the impressive debut of his first solo project.
The dad-of-two, who has successfully collaborated with international DJs in the past, took the bold step of going it alone by launching the hypnotic “Cognitive Behaviour” EP.
Produced from his studio in Friockheim, it charted across six different places in the Beatport charts, including hitting number two in the Progressive House new releases.
Brent also runs two underground record labels – Pro B Tech Music and BTechNoir Records – and hopes to take his mixing talents to a wider audience at festivals at home and abroad.
A self-employed maintenance planner for the oil industry, Brent has been described as the industry’s “best kept secret” by fellow DJs and producers – but he hopes this is about to change.
“I started DJing in my teens and I’ve been into dance music for as long as I can remember,” he says.
“I bought my first vinyl decks – a set of Gemini direct drives – when I was 18.”
Brent’s first forays into DJing in public took place at DeVito’s nightclub in Arbroath and clubs in Dundee and Perth.
“The Rhumba Club got me involved in the scene and connected me to local DJ legend Dave Seaman,” he says.
“I’m drawn to South American-influenced music and am a massive fan of the Argentinian house DJ Hernan Cattaneo – he’s my DJ idol.
“He’s a founding father of the underground house music scene so the fact he did two remixes of my tracks was a huge boost.”
This summer will see Brent play in Ibiza, plus a load of gigs closer to home, including in Bristol and Elgin.
He performed at Dundee’s Mains Castle in February alongside James Zabiela and will return there on July 6 alongside the “massive” Nick Warren.
Brent describes his own music as progressive house and, while his label Pro B puts out progressive, melodic tracks, his label BTechNoir is a harder techno sound.
“It’s underground and very different to mainstream stuff produced by the likes of Calvin Harris!” he says.
Marriage to Bobbie and the births of two daughters put Brent’s music plans on hold, but he’s immersing himself in producing and mixing new tracks in his free time.
“I’ve got loads of remix requests but it can be hard to commit with work, family and golf!” he says.
“I produce my own music from scratch, starting off with a reference track and building around it.
“I work with Paul Nolan, a brilliant audio engineer in Liverpool, via Skype, and I’ve been to a few conferences including IMS Ibiza, BMC Brighton, with eyes on ADE Amsterdam and WMC Miami.
“I’ve worked with people from all over the world but I need to work on raising my profile. I’m not in this for money – just massively passionate about my music and want to get it out there.”
For more information, see www.facebook.com/pg/DJBrentLawson/posts/
