Steve Lawler: (Still) Lost In Space

"Space is an amazing venue. It really is fantastic. The terrace is the only place in the world where you can't have the sound very loud yet it still goes off. At the same time, being a DJ there can be quite frustrating because certain tracks need power behind them but at the same time it's equally as rewarding when you see the place go off."

Chatting to Skrufff this week as he began wrapping up another successful season in Ibiza, Steve Lawler remains upbeat about both Space and the state of dance culture in general.

"I think the club scene is better now than it's ever been, though whether that's just for me personally or for everybody, I don't know," says Steve.

"Certainly my experience of playing in clubs has never been better, nine times out of ten the gigs that I play at are packed and that's still the case all over the world."

Starting his career spinning at squat parties beneath motorway tunnels in the West Midlands, the Birmingham based jock also now runs his own label Harlem Records and routinely collaborates with the likes of Microsoft (he's just signed a deal with X Box to download tracks) though the heart of his life remains DJing.

"First and foremost I'm a DJ," he confirms. "I started out DJing when I was sixteen, then production came in around ten years ago and it's only in the last few years that I've started dedicating myself more to it since I wanted to make music for my sets. I was struggling to find it in the shops, so I had to make it myself," he says.

One record he hasn't made though has been playing out for three years is the Bombdogs' I Can't Explain, a record he's recently signed to his label Harlem Records; principally because he loves it, but also because its producers hail from the Midlands.

"When the track first came out it immediately became a huge record for me, and it's been one of my most played tracks over the last three years as well as being one record that has actually never left my record box," says Steve.

"The guys who wrote it are from Coventry- they're my locals- so I contacted them and asked them if I could remix it, release it on my label and let them be part of the deal. The record was very powerful, all I did was to make it sound bigger, the ingredients were already there; I just mixed them up and re-arranged them".

Skrufff: How do you see the state of the club scene at the moment-

Steve Lawler: "In terms of DJing, the club scene is better now than it's ever been, though whether that's just for me personally or for everybody, I don't know. Though as far as the actual market for buying records is concerned that's definitely declined. People aren't as fan obsessed as they used to be; they're still going to clubs and enjoying them, but they're just not collecting all the DJ mix albums or buying all the latest singles anymore; that's why record sales have dropped dramatically over the last three years, unbelievably so. It doesn't really bother me because I'm lucky enough to make my livelihood out of doing what I enjoy and I love the most, which is DJing. The record label is for me more of a hobby; I don't need to make a living out of it."

Skrufff: How do you see the impact of having thousands more DJs out there-

Steve Lawler: "I think it's definitely positive, because within that thousand there will be some good talent somewhere and good talent should never be hidden. In the last couple of years, we've seen the rise of Nick Fanciulli for example, who is a great DJ and a very good producer too. He deserves all the success that will be coming to him. If the industry had said no to more DJs coming through, then he wouldn't have had the chance to emerge and that would stop the scene growing. I'm 31 and I've been touring for a long time and at this point I'm already thinking that I won't want to be touring the world at the level I'm at the moment when I'm 40. I don't think I'd be able to, even if I wanted to. I will still want to play re Tags

• Steve Lawler