Crosstown Rebels Schallplatten & CDs

Notes: ""20 years ago, I dreamed a dream of creating a family of like-minded, crazy individuals from all corners of the planet. That dream was Crosstown Rebels. Over these years, I have forged beautiful friendships, discovered very talented artists and tried my best to help, advise and support some of the most colourful characters in dance music. It's been 20 years of madness, magic and music. Now it's been distilled into our own book to mark this milestone. I'm honestly surprised at how much I remembered!" - Damian Lazarus

For 20 years Crosstown Rebels has forged a path as one of the world's leading electronic music labels.

Established in 2003, Damian Lazarus' label manifesto has not changed. Discovering and nurturing new talent has always been the beating heart of the label, with a mission to soundtrack the future of the dancefloor and beyond. Introducing the world to the likes of Jamie Jones, Seth Troxler, Maceo Plex and Art Department was just the beginning. Today the roster is gloriously international, showcasing the truly global scene that Crosstown has shaped over the years.

Of course, there's the parties too. The early Slash & Burn and Rebel Rave parties paved the way for Damian to create two of the world's most cherished experiences, Get Lost and Day Zero, and in turn setting a benchmark for electronic music events worldwide.

Now the Crosstown Rebels story is told in a new 240 page book. 20 years of madness, magic and music. Starting right back before the beginning and taking us through to the present day, acclaimed electronic music writer Joe Muggs dives into the label's history, interviewing Damian at length and revealing Crosstown's story as never told before. The book brings together countless unseen photographs and artwork taken from the last two decades. It tells the story of how the dance underground battled and triumphed. This is a unique publication, not only for fans of Crosstown Rebels and Damian Lazarus, but also for anyone with an interest in independent label culture and the evolution of dance music over the last 20 years.

- Deluxe 240 page book
- Limited edition with only 400 copies on public sale
- De-bossed hardback cover, printed on FSC certified papers, with alternating paper stocks, book ribbon and G.F. Smith endpapers
- Foreword by Pete Tong MBE
- Comprehensive label discography
- Printed in the UK by PurePrint, the first CarbonNeutral printer in the world

Review: Many congratulations to Crosstown Rebels, a pioneering tech-house and big room dance music imprint that this year celebrates its 20th birthday. To mark the occasion, founder and creative force Damian Lazarus has dipped into the archives and come up with a collection of rarities and previously unheard remixes. Starting with his own Jem Cooke collaboration 'Into The Sun', an atmospheric, deep tech-house excursion smothered in twinkling pianos and trance-inducing electronics, Lazarus offers up an enticing mix of chunky goodness (Art Department remixing Jamie Jones), percussion-rich after-hours wonkiness (Dennis Cruz reworked Pier Bucci), pulsating neo-trance (Audiojack re-imagined by Michael Mayer), tech-tinged deep house hypnotism (Black Coffee tweaking Made By Pete vs Zoe Kypri) and saucer-eyed Ibiza anthems (Maceo Plex).

Review: Electronic duo Pale Blue releases their highly anticipated second album 'Maria' on Crosstown Rebels. With eight captivating tracks, the long-player takes listeners on an immersive electronic journey. Mike Simonetti (Italians Do It Better) and Elizabeth Wight (Silver Hands) formed the outfit in 2015, gaining acclaim with their debut album. It showcases Wight's personal experiences and thoughts through her lyrics, accompanied by techno-infused melodies that lean towards rock influences. From dreamlike melodies to haunting productions, the album seamlessly blends electronica with pop touches.

Review: Undoubtedly one of the most anticipated releases of 2020, legendary UK producer DJ Krust makes a comeback with his first release in 14 years, and rather surprisingly on Crosstown Rebels - of all labels. While we all know Damian Lazarus' established imprint is anything but drum and bass, it is well known that he was an early champion of the sound, long before his tenure at City Rockers in the early '00s when he embraced 'electroclash' - but that's another story. It's clear that Krust created some of the most seminal records in the genre throughout the nineties and noughties, and he is back in fine form on The Edge Of Everything, having explored radical new philosophies and creative processes. Minimalist arrangements as heard on tracks like 'Constructive Ambiguity' hark back to his signature sound of the aforementioned period, while he also explores more experimental minded beats as heard on 'Antigravity Love' and proper darkside rolling drama exemplified on 'Deep Fields Of Liars'.

Review: The Pale Blue project brings together Italians Do It Better's Mike Simonetti and Silver Hands' Elizabeth Wright, and the pair have done a fine job thus far exploring a club-ready kind of pop noir. On this single, the original version of 'No More Words' is present in its moody, subtly acidic form, Wright's coquettish vocal sitting atop the warm analogue backdrop oh-so comfortably. DJ Tennis steps up with a remix which edges a little more tech house bite into the rhythm section, and then on the B-side Perel offers up two much wilder versions which nod to Italo and industrial as much as anything contemporary.

Review: By his previously prolific standards, Disco Halal founder Chen Moscovici AKA Moscoman has been rather quiet of late, choosing to release low-key digital singles on his own label. Here he breaks cover and returns to wax after two years away. Title track 'Adventura' is as atmospheric, off-kilter and druggy as you'd expect, with minor-key melodies, trippy electronics, buzzing effects and psychedelic guitar flourishes riding a chugging, arpeggio-driven groove. Over on the flip he joins forces with Zoot Woman on the pleasingly wayward, new wave-goes-indie dance creepiness of 'Reinvention', which rising star Alan Dixon then turns into a sparkling slab of dark nu-disco with added loose-limbed drums.

Review: Here's something fresh on Crosstown Rebels from Made By Pete, making a welcome return on Damian Lazarus' label with another striking vocal house track. This time it's Zoe Kypri leading the way on 'Horizon Red', instilling the track with a poignant, soulful power which brings out the natural patter of hand drums and melancholic piano in Pete's production. If you want to zero in on the track, 'Pete's Dub' is on hand to take the mood even deeper, while Lazarus lends a re-shape on the B-side which weaves its own mystical magic.

Review: 'Together Alone' is the latest flagship emoter from Pale Blue, a recent Crosstown Rebels signee and musical duo comprising Elizabeth Wight and Mike Simonetti. Wight's vocals on this neat slice of gut-wrenching wax glide across the mix in an honest fashion, recalling the muted serenity of trip-hop legends like Martina Topley-Bird or Tracey Thorn, but set to a minimal techno backing. Kolsch backs up the B with the 'I Have You' remix, which eschews the vocals for glitzing builds and a groovier bassline.

Review: Polish mainstays Catz 'N Dogz have always brought some chatter to their music - whether that's a smart hip-hop sample or twisted sense of rhythm. They tap into sweaty backroom club sounds for this new one on the evergreen Crosstown Rebels as 'Can't Stand' is a heads-down pumper with a steamy, libidinous female vocal that's nicely filtered over thudding kicks. You can always rely on German Robag Wruhme to take things into weird and wonderful territory and that's what he does with Flodder Bukk Rehand, a darker and more menacing rework with fizzing synths and more attitude in the vocals. 'Wake Up' rounds out with a fractured vocal fragment and rousing synth lines.

Review: If you ever doubted that Crosstown Rebels put out a genuine eclectic range of underground electronic sounds than check this one out - Lunar Disco bring some sleazy indie disco vibes to this one. 'Devil's Hand' has filthy bass and bumping drums with steamy vocals from singer-songwriter Kate Elsworth. DJ and composer Nicolas Blistene is behind the beats and a host of remixers add their own spin. The standout is from Swiss-Chilean master Luciano who does his textbook string and percussive thing. AudioFly's Anthony Middleton remixes with a more late night tech feel.

Review: The Crosstown label is now one of the elder statesmen in the scene but it still manages to serve up surprises. This new EP from Davi falls into that category as it explores dark, heads-down house and tech for the dead of night. 'Nosferatu' is heavy with the same sense of doom that you might be filled with should you meet the vampire from which the track takes its name. 'Mirage' is awash with pixelated cosmic melodies that light up the skies above a rolling house beat. With this EP Davi makes another good impression.

Review: 2023 has already seen the mighty Red Axes bringing their distinctive chugged-up, freaked-out style to Erol Alkan's Phantasy Sound, but now they're following up with this epic slice of deep immersion for Damian Lazarus' Crosstown Rebels. 'Relax Shiva' is steeped in finely-balanced trance touches which err towards genuine meditation than the slightly more obvious ends of the genre. It's a smouldering, slow-burn affair, but then what else would you expect from the Tel Aviv duo? When you get to the flip, Parisian legend DJ Gregory is on hand to thread his own set of psychoactive drums in around the Axes' sonic elements, creating a different kind of vessel for dancefloor escapism of the most spiritual nature.

Review: Irish man Matador has become a new school minimal techno champion with his own label Rukus part of the vanguard. Here he makes a move across the street to Damian Lazarus's Crosstown Rebels. He kicks off with 'My Yellow Coat' which is a brilliantly atmospheric cut with rolling drums and indie vocals that come over like a confessional. It's intimate and tender and perfect for late nights in a back room. On the flip is a remix from New York's techno terminator Levon Vincent who flips it into something bulky and raw, with scratch claps and grainy kicks all powering through a late-night urban landscape.