When New Times reaches out to the veteran DJ over Zoom, he is in Tulum getting ready for his Day Zero party, one of his first big shows of the year.
"You should come join us. It's pretty phenomenal, man. I think we're about to have our biggest edition yet. In fact, in one hour, I'm going to be announcing our special guests. So we have this crazy lineup already, but in one hour, I'm announcing that Michael Bibi and Solomon are joining us," he says casually.
Lazarus has built Day Zero to be one of the biggest parties in Mexico, and the appearance of Bibi and Solomun shows the star power that his events tend to bring. When discussing the party's beginnings, he takes us back to 2012.
"The first one was on December 21, 2012, which coincided with the end of the Mayan calendar. Everyone was saying, 'This is Armageddon; it's the end of the world.' But I thought, No, I want this to be an opportunity for the beginning of something fresh, an opportunity at the start of the year to gather the best party people from around the world, bring everyone together, and create a collective energy to carry into the new year. The first one was supposed to be a one-off, but I saw something in it that gave me the confidence to do it again. Now, here we are 12 years later."
It's just one of the many examples of Lazarus' longevity in the industry as a premier party thrower and dance floor expert. Another staple Miami is probably best familiar with was Lazarus' Get Lost, the Crosstown Rebels party that pops into town during Miami Music Week in March. Unfortunately, that event hasn't returned since 2022.
"That's why I stopped Get Lost in Miami two seasons ago. I just felt like Winter Music Conference and spring break week weren't for me anymore; I wasn't feeling it. Being there didn't feel like the right vibe or time to create the kind of party we wanted. Don't get me wrong — we had some incredible parties over 15 or 16 years of doing it in Miami during spring break week. But now, getting from point A to point B has become impossible. Everything is ridiculously overpriced, and it's hard for people to find an affordable, decent hotel. You can end up sitting in traffic from the beach to downtown for over an hour."
Still, while Get Lost is gone for now, Lazarus insists it isn't for forever. "I'd like to come back to Miami with Get Lost, but it's about finding the right location at the right time, so we're looking into that," he adds.
In the meantime, Miami can enjoy Lazarus' upcoming set Club Space on Saturday, January 18. Lazarus considered the 11th Street dance mecca one of the best clubs in America."I just felt like Winter Music Conference and spring break week weren't for me anymore; I wasn't feeling it."
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"The first time I went to play there, we got thrown out by the owner. It was me, Jamie Jones, and I think Seth Troxler," he says. "It was the first time we played, and we were asked to leave. This was around 2009 or maybe 2010. The owner had received some complaints from people at one of the tables and came up to ask us to leave right in the middle of our set. That was interesting, but now, since Link Miami Rebels and Davide Danese took over, they've transformed it into not only the best club in Miami but one of the best clubs in America, if not the world."
This weekend, Lazarus takes over the terrace again, bringing his latest project, Magickal, with him. The album was released earlier this month, nearly coinciding with his Day Zero show.
"We had originally planned to release the album after working on it for two years. During the final stages of making the album, I kept reminding myself of the advice I always give to Crosstown artists. When they ask, 'When are we going to release it?' I always say the same thing, 'Once it's finished and fully delivered, then we can start making plans.' Otherwise, you risk making plans and things falling through. For me, though, it's a bit different. If I set myself a time limit, I know I'll finish it within that time frame."
The album came to him when he needed it most. Lazarus recently opened up about going sober, which can be challenging when working in a scene heavily linked to alcohol and illicit substances. Still, he has been finding his way through it.
"I've been in this game for a long time, and I can freely admit now that I've always liked to party. It's been part of my aura for a very long time, and I've been associated with the hardcore party-monster lifestyle," he explains. "But over the past couple of years, I started to find myself descending into a darker place, working harder but still trying to party like I was 21, taking drugs just to stay awake. I started losing myself in it, partying for the sake of partying without really thinking about it or taking the time to look at myself. So two years ago, I began this album process, and after about a year, I had 20 or 25 song ideas, nothing finished, just good stuff. A lot of what's on the album now came from that, but I lacked direction and focus. I knew the music was there, but I couldn't find the clarity to put it together. Then, earlier this year, after a particularly long bender, I finally looked at myself in the mirror, and honestly, I didn't like what I saw. So I acted fast, got cleaned up, and I'll be nine months sober next week."
The recently sober Lazarus is now in a better position, creating music that is sharper and beautiful. He is now ready to share it with the world and celebrate what he loves most: connecting people through music.
"I realized that I just want to talk about the beauty of what I do and what it's all about, what my life is about: connecting people, bringing them together on the dance floor, creating an energy that gives people a sense of emotion, well-being, and a strong feeling of unity," he says. "It's all about collective energy, and once that's understood, the songs start to make a lot more sense. I knew which aspects to focus on and which weren't necessary. So, yeah, I think it really helped me. In a way, the album-making process was very much a game of two halves."
Damian Lazarus. With Âme and Layla Benetiz. 11 p.m. Saturday, January 18, at Club Space, 34 NE 11th St., Miami; 786-357-6456; clubspace.com. Tickets cost $10 to $60 via dice.fm.
