Mikey Lion interviews Damian Lazarus on the world's best parties and rave omens

Mikey: You just put out a new record with your band The Ancient Moons. I would think that after 20 years of DJing you're used to marching to the beat of your own drum. What made you want to take the leap from solo to DJ to touring band? What has been most rewarding and challenging about that evolution?

Damian: The most challenging thing is to spend all day at the location of the live show, sound checking with your crew of eight people, making sure to get everything right. Then waiting around all day and sometimes all night, to finally come on stage and play your show which lasts for just one hour.

The most rewarding thing is to look out at the crowd when your performing and see an entire audience singing back your songs or simply really digging your live show, knowing that they are real fans of a record you have made. This is a great feeling. Its also great to share these moments with the people you made that record with, my band has a very close connection to one another.

Mikey: You've thrown parties in incredible locations around the globe, and pioneered going to new countries and markets. We know the challenges of throwing events in unproven and remote locations, but we know how important these settings can be in making a party. For you what's the process in scouting and discovering a location? Do you always feel an instant magical connection with a place?

Damian: I know you understand all about this because I felt the magic feeling on the drive towards your brilliant Desert Hearts festival last summer. Sometimes you just know when the journey to get there is so special, that what awaits you at the other side will be mind-blowing. I have been scouting many locations recently for some exciting new things we have planned.

Just last week I went somewhere very special that I've visited before as a tourist and mainly only read about in history books. My team and I arrived at sunset, we stood at the foot of the place in question, looked up, saw the incredible natural light display around us and immediately felt the strongest vibe, as if this place had been waiting for us to arrive and consider bringing our music and experience to it.

Mikey: After playing desert playas, remote mountains, ancient ruins, magical cruises or deep jungles do you find it hard to go back to playing nightclubs? Do clubs still inspire you the way they used to?

Damian: I love that I have the combination of both. Of course, you can't beat playing in the cenotes and jungles of Tulum at Day Zero but it's also hard to beat playing deep and dark sets in the main room at Fabric or on the terrace at Space Miami.

Mikey: Call me biased, but I truly believe you and my crew are throwing some of the best parties in the world with Day Zero and Desert Hearts Festival. Are there any other parties that you’d put into the conversation?

Damian: Burning Man has been giving us some very special moments over the last 10 years, but more recently Storytellers in Ibiza and the Gardens of Babylon parties in Amsterdam have been very special too.