Into the Light: LBEEZE on his new EP
Melbourne-based DJ Lachy Bozin, aka LBEEZE, becomes the first artist to feature on new Dundee label Exiled Records with his Dancing in the Dark EP. He tells us about the new EP and how music helped him overcome his battle with drug addiction
Dundee's electronic music scene is both alive and well despite the COVID-19 pandemic. The city may have lost its most formidable venue, The Reading Rooms, in recent years, but that hasn't prevented its creative community from thriving. Exiled Records are the latest newcomers hoping to make a name for themselves across Tayside and beyond, and they've summoned Australian DJ LBEEZE for their first release.
LBEEZE is the moniker of half-Australian, half-Transylvanian artist, producer and record label owner Lachy Bozin. Bozin runs Up North Records from his current base in Melbourne, with the label’s releases largely focusing on EBM, post-punk, techno and experimental, while his own music specialises in using twisted vocal recordings to create menacingly dark soundscapes.
Although based on the other side of the world, Bozin has already started to build a profile in Scotland, having featured on a compilation released on Fife label Idlestates Recordings in January this year, and with his first solo vinyl EP, Dancing in the Dark, due out on Dundee’s Exiled Records this month. “To be honest, I have no idea how these Scottish connections came about,” says Bozin. “Nobody in Melbourne really plays EBM or knows the name LBEEZE.”
Bozin’s musical upbringing focused primarily on electro. “I always wanted to make weird lo-fi like Mall Grab or DJ Seinfeld,” he says. But 2015 marked a year which would go on to shape his future sound significantly. “Over that year of researching what sound I liked the most, I found artists like DJ LOSER [and] Antonio aka Raw Ambassador… I’d never heard such raw music before and I became the biggest fanboy of them.”
However, 2015 also found Bozin embroiled in a toxic and intense relationship. For him, being able to discover music during this time offered a new hobby and solace from the trauma he had suffered. And, more recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has presented new challenges. Having survived two near fatal drug overdoses and a car accident in 2020, Bozin recently took the brave step to seek help.
In October last year he shared a Facebook post detailing his battle with drug addiction, and stating how he’d been able to channel his experiences into his Induced Expressions cassette tape, with track titles Reach Out and Next Path highlighting his struggles. Now he offers helpful advice for others who may also be struggling to cope. “Clean your room/house, exercise, write in a little diary how you are feeling every day and look back on it, watching your progression evolve,” he says. “There’s always somebody to talk to and I’m willing to be there for you also.”
Bozin’s Dancing in the Dark EP is the first release to come out on new Dundee label Exiled Records. The imprint is headed by two renowned locals in the city’s electronic circuit – Ben Rothes of Hilltown Disco and Theo Middleton of Public House, who say he was just the kind of artist they were looking to feature on the label. “LBEEZE felt right for a few reasons,” says Middleton. “The main one being that he represents what we want to push in both sound and attitude. The EP is no-holds-barred. It's a great starting point for the label and a solid foundation for us to build on.”
Brimming with his signature warped vocal style and own brand of psycho electronics, the EP is not for the faint-hearted and Bozin’s personal struggles over the last few years played an important role in shaping the sound of the EP. “Even I think it’s very dark… To me, it’s about a boy trying to make it through life without any problems,” he says. “All the vocals were recorded in one take and it really brings out how I was feeling at that present time.”
Distorted cries of “leave me alone” wail through the EP’s third track, Bad Mouth, while 'express yourself' forms the repeated mantra for the Kluentah remix of Faded To Me. It’s an explosive debut release for the new label, but it’s also a positive indicator for Bozin and his future work as he relishes in his newfound sobriety, with his talents pushed to the forefront on Dancing in the Dark. “If you like my work, I feel that now I’m sober my concentration and attention is all explicitly on music this year, so stay tuned and stay positive,” he says.
While our current experiences of lockdown and isolation may be forcing some of us into dark places, Bozin’s story highlights just how much music can help people through times of struggle. And if it ever feels like the dark is becoming too much to bear it’s important to remember that there’s always someone out there to talk to.
Dancing in the Dark is released on 5 Mar via Exiled Records
exiledrecords.bandcamp.com