Darius Syrossian: The Undefeated

Despite music, and his subsequent relationship with Ibiza, saving Syrossian from alienation, it very nearly killed him too. En route to his first ever Tribal Sessions on the island in 2014, his tour manager, Adam Anderson, insisted Darius sit in the back of his Land Rover, joking that he was Syrossian’s chauffeur. Shortly after, a Harley-Davidson crashed into the vehicle. “Adam had a bruise shaped like a Land Rover logo on his wrist from the steering wheel, it hit us so hard,” Syrossian says. The motorcyclist broke both arms and legs, and the car was a write-off, while the front passenger seat took the brunt of the collision. “If it weren’t for Adam’s gag that night I’d have been seriously fucked up,” Syrossian concludes.

Fortunately, he survived. And although things with Sankeys soured, Syrossian’s relationship with Ibiza blossomed, something that hasn’t gone unnoticed. Recently, Do Not Sleep posters were torn down across the island while everything else on the billboards remained untouched. “We’ve ruffled a few feathers,” Syrossian smiles. “A small group of people control things there. That’s why I started my own party – to get away from the politics and have my own team.” Despite this attempt to avoid controversy, Syrossian’s career has been littered with high-profile feuds and whodunnits, such as BPM Festival in 2014, at which he claimed he was beaten up by the event’s security but the organisers denied it. “There are instances where if I’d kept my gob shut I’d be fine,” he says. “But I stand up against bullshit from people in positions of power. That means I’m not liked by many in the industry, but I don’t give a fuck,” he laughs. “Because of that there’s still an agenda to shut me up.”

If it’s true, it isn’t working. Sidney Charles and Santé step away from Do Not Sleep this year to focus on their own party, Avotre, whilst Nick Curly joins as resident from Tribal Sessions alongside Alan Fitzpatrick. These inclusions join the likes of Derrick Carter, Kölsch and Anja Schneider to create a wide palette of house and techno.

Syrossian has hit a rich vein of production form, too. After his tech-funk-fuelled ‘Back To Truth’ EP landed through Definition:Music in February, he joined Schneider’s crew with Leena Music’s ‘LEENA051’, made up of the groove-laden ‘My Expression’ and main room-ready ‘Beetham Tower’. Jittering tech workout ‘My Favourite Riot’ followed on a split EP from Circus Recordings, each of these demonstrating Syrossian’s dynamic range.

A gig with Doc Martin in 1997 inspired his refusal to stick to genre boundaries, and the mentoring Steve Lawler provided early in his production career was invaluable. Syrossian also cites Derrick Carter, Armand van Helden, Derrick May and DJ Sneak as vital to his sound’s formation. The latter’s influence came full circle in 2012 when Sneak revealed he’d built ‘Fabric 62’ around Syrossian’s remix of Hector Couto’s ‘Creampie’; the pair later producing ‘Power to the People’ in 2014. “That’s what it’s all about,” Syrossian exclaims. “Giving something back to the dancefloor. Because of that, people have stuck by me.”

He’ll need to hope that continues if he’s to boss the final season of Space’s iconic terrace, but says any success won’t be bittersweet. “People keep asking what’s going to happen, but fuck next year! Let’s just enjoy this season,” he says, picking himself up from the ground outside Rainbow Venues. “I only hope this isn’t a sign of what’s to come!” he jokes, clutching his bloody face as he shuts the taxi door. If it is, he’s bounced back from way worse before now.

Do Not Sleep is at Space every Sunday until September 25