Zane Lowe
Zane Lowe | |
---|---|
Born | Alexander Zane Reid Lowe 7 August 1973 |
Spouse | Kara Walters (1999-present) |
Children | 2 |
Career | |
Show | The Zane Lowe Show |
Station(s) | BBC Radio 1, MTV Rocks, Beats 1 |
Style | Disc jockey |
Country | United Kingdom |
Website | zanelowe |
Zane Lowe is a New Zealand-born award winning radio DJ, Live DJ, record producer, and television presenter.
After an early career in music making, production and DJing in New Zealand, he moved to the UK in 1997, coming to prominence through presenting on XFM and MTV Europe, before hosting a new global music show on BBC Radio 1 from 2002-2015. He also developed a high-profile DJ career, with sets at various concerts and as a warm-up act for touring bands.
Lowe currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife Kara and their two sons.
Early career
Born in Auckland, New Zealand,[1] in his early years he was a presenter on local music station Max TV.[2] Zane was a member of Breaks Co-op, alongside Andy Lovegrove and Hamish Clark. Lowe and Clark formed Breaks Co-Op in Auckland, releasing the electronic album Roofers in 1997 before they both left New Zealand to travel and pursue other interests. Both ended up developing their careers in the UK.
International DJ
Lowe relocated to the UK in 1997. He initially worked at the Record and Tape Exchange in Notting Hill, before being asked to cover for a show on XFM, going on to host XFM's Music Response. In 2002, he joined BBC Radio 1, showcasing the hottest new music from around the world.[3]
Also a successful international DJ, he has played sets at festivals including Coachella,[4] Future Music Festival in Australia, Glastonbury,[5] Creamfields and Bestival. He has toured with artists including, amongst others, Skrillex, The Prodigy, Kasabian and The Weeknd and opened shows for both Muse[6] and Foo Fighters at their concerts at Wembley Stadium. As well as being a regular performer at Ibiza and Mallorca Rocks, Lowe is also Musical Director for the brand,[7] helping to develop and build their artistic and musical output.
Lowe on MTV
Lowe started his career on MTV Two (now MTV Rocks) presenting shows such as Up 4 It (1997) and Brand:New (1999), and from 2002 to 2015 presented Gonzo, its flagship music show. The show has evolved from a two-hour random collection of presenting and clips, to a primetime (7pm) show featuring regular musical guests and interviews. The show is presented solely by Lowe, with the studio effectively being a blue screen and the infamous 'Brown Couch'. His presenting manner on Gonzo is more laid back than on his radio show. The show features music videos, along with news (usually ripped from the NME; Lowe can often be seen reading the news straight from the magazine) and input from the channel's message boards. The show also features mock interview done by a character called Ginger Bloke, in which popular musical artists are humorously "interviewed." Occasionally, moderators of the boards (chosen on Gonzo and by the members) contribute; one member even filled in for a week when Lowe was too aroused to present. At Oxegen Festival 2006, Zane Lowe was reportedly "beaten up" by Didz Hammond and Carl Barat from Dirty Pretty Things on an episode of Gonzo. He has since said that the punch was in fact completely playful but unfortunately, and painfully, connected with his groin, rendering him impotent.[8]
BBC Radio 1
Lowe's BBC Radio 1's evening show was broadcast from 2002 to 2015 between 7 and 9pm on Mondays to Thursdays every week. Lowe's method of DJing was high octane and fast-paced,[citation needed] similar to many hip hop DJs,[citation needed] with samples of radio stations, interview clips and Radio 1 stings thrown in between songs, along with the occasional sound of Lowe sobbing.[citation needed] A key feature of his broadcasting style was to avoid the use of the fader to reduce the volume of the track being played during intros and outros, rather he talks or shouts gibberish over the tracks which are played at undiminished volume.[citation needed] The show developed a number of features including 'Hottest Record In The World Right Now',[9] 'Masterpieces'[10] and the 'Zane Lowe Meets' interviews, gaining exclusive interviews with Jay Z,[11] Kanye West,[12] Chris Martin,[13] Eminem and Rick Rubin.[14]
On 15 February 2015 it was announced that Lowe would be leaving BBC Radio 1 in March 2015 to work at Apple.[15] Lowe presented his last show on 5 March 2015, bowing out with 'A Song For the Dead' by Queens of the Stone Age.
Masterpieces
Between 2007 and 2012, one month of Zane Lowe's show was dedicated to albums considered 'Masterpieces'. Each show focused on a different album which Lowe and his team considered to be a bonafide classic. The first half of the show was dedicated to interviews and an in-depth look at the album's cultural impact. In the second half of the show, Lowe would play the album in full.
During 21 November 2011 broadcast of 'Masterpieces' featuring The Smashing Pumpkins, Lowe expressed his delight at securing the opportunity to play Siamese Dream in full, stating the album to be one of his favourites. On 24 November 2011, Zane Lowe announced that 2011 could possibly be the final edition of 'Masterpieces', concluding the show with "Hallelujah" from Jeff Buckley's album Grace, stating that the idea of the feature originally came from the suggestion that the album Grace be played on the air from beginning to end. However, Lowe announced that Masterpieces would continue in 2012, with the four chosen albums being announced on 6 November 2012. Zane Lowe himself stated that 2012 was a slightly different year of selection, in that the team chose albums that were of "pure quality, but hasn't necessarily featured on any traditional 'greatest albums' lists."[24]
Beats 1
At the 2015 Apple WWDC Keynote, Lowe was introduced as one of the DJs of Beats 1 radio that will be part of the upcoming Apple Music service.[25]
Awards
Lowe has been the recipient of numerous industry awards, from NME Awards[26] to Radio Academy Awards.[27] Former Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles once jokingly referred to 'The Best Radio Show' award at the NME Awards as ‚'The Zane Lowe Award' due to Lowe's repeated success. Lowe has won the Gold Award in The Specialist Music Programme Award and Music Broadcaster of the Year categories at the Radio Academy Awards a number of times over the past 8 years. Zane recently won the Gold 'Music Radio Broadcaster Of The Year' at the Radio Academy Awards 2014 and in early 2015 was nominated for a Grammy Award for his writing and production on Sam Smith's smash album 'In The Lonely Hour'.
Year | Awards | Category | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2004 | NME Awards | Best Radio Show | Won |
2006 | NME Awards | Best Radio Show | Won |
2007 | NME Awards | Best Radio Show | Won |
2008 | NME Awards | Best Radio Show | Won |
2010 | Radio Academy Awards | Music Broadcaster Of The Year | Gold |
Radio Academy Awards | Best Specialist Music Programme | Gold | |
2011 | Radio Academy Awards | Music Broadcaster Of The Year | Gold |
2012 | Artist Manager Awards | Industry Champion | Won |
2014 | Radio Academy Awards | Best Specialist Music Programme | Bronze |
Radio Academy Awards | Music Radio Broadcaster Of The Year | Gold | |
2015 | Grammy Awards | Best Album (Sam Smith‚'In The Lonely Hour') | Nominated |
Ryan Jarman incident
Lowe saved Ryan Jarman's life at the 2006 NME Awards, an incident NME now refers to as "engraved in indie folklore".[28] Ryan's band, The Cribs, accepted an award on behalf of winners Franz Ferdinand. However, on his way to collect the trophy from presenter Russell Brand, Ryan dived onto the Kaiser Chiefs table and pierced his back with broken glass, narrowly missing his vital organs.[28] He was quickly taken to hospital but discharged himself to return for the show's party later in the night. However, his injuries were severe and he fell unconscious in a back corridor. Zane Lowe, a fellow guest at the party, came across Ryan lying on the floor and discovered he was bleeding profusely.
Discography
Remixes
Year | Song | Artist |
---|---|---|
1995 | "What I Gotta Do" | The Hard Way |
2008 | "Look for the Woman" | Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip |
"F Ur X" | Sway | |
2009 | "Vlad the Impaler" | Kasabian |
2011 | "Still Speedin'" | Sway |
2012 | "Lightspeed" | Kill The Noise & Datsik |
"In the End" (Whateverman Remix) |
Snow Patrol |
Writing and production credits
Year | Title | Artist | Album |
---|---|---|---|
2012 | "Blood From a Stone" | Example | The Evolution of Man |
2013 | "Count on Me" | Chase & Status featuring Moko | Brand New Machine |
"Wake Up" | Sway | Wake Up | |
"Dot" | Amplify Dot | Paper Cuts | |
"5 Minutes" | Tinie Tempah | Demonstration | |
2014 | "Restart" | Sam Smith | In the Lonely Hour |
"Running Low" | Netsky featuring Beth Ditto | TBA | |
"Walking Out" | Liam Bailey | Definitely Now | |
2015 | "Baby Blue" | Action Bronson featuring Chance the Rapper | Mr. Wonderful |
References
- ^ Kiwi-born DJ home for first stadium gig. The New Zealand Herald. 27 February 2011. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
- ^ "Zane Lowe biography". www.jhooakley.com. JHO Management. Retrieved 2012.
{{cite web}}
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(help) - ^ Crawley, Jason. "Lowe swaps XFM for Radio 1". http://www.digitalspy.co.uk. Digital Spy. Retrieved 26 March 2003.
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- ^ Payne, Chris. "Coachella 2013: 10 Non - Headliners to watch". http://www.billboard.com. Billboard. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
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- ^ "Glastonbury". http://www.bbc.co.uk. BBC. Retrieved 2013.
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- ^ "Muse Announce Big Names for Wembley Shows". http://www.nme.com. NME. Retrieved 21 May 2007.
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- ^ Stassen, Murray. "Ibiza Rocks Group launches Croatia Rocks for 2015". http://www.musicweek.com. Music Week. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
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- ^ Zane Lowe on Dirty Pretty Things Bust-up. YouTube (11 November 2006). Retrieved 9 September 2011.
- ^ Lowe, Zane. "Zane Lowe's Hottest Records". http://www.bbc.co.uk. BBC.
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- ^ Lowe, Zane. "Zane Lowe's Masterpieces". http://www.bbc.co.uk. BBC.
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- ^ "Jay Z. Zane Lowe. Part 1". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
- ^ "Kanye West gives extraordinary interview on BBC Radio1". www.nme.co.uk. NME. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
- ^ Stutz, Colin. "Coldplay working on 'Final Album', 'A Headful of Dreams' Says Chris Martin". http://www.billboard.com. Billboard. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
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- ^ Elan, Priya. "Zane Lowe Meets Rick Rubin". http://www.theguardian.com. Guardian. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
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- ^ [1]
- ^ a b c d "Zane Lowe's Masterpieces 2007 (Broadcast Date)". BBC. Retrieved 8 November 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Zane Lowe's Masterpieces 2007". BBC. Retrieved 8 November 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Zane Lowe's Masterpieces March 2008". BBC. Retrieved 8 November 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Zane Lowe's Masterpieces December 2008". BBC. Retrieved 8 November 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Zane Lowe's Masterpieces 2009". BBC. Retrieved 8 November 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Zane Lowe's Masterpieces 2010". BBC. Retrieved 8 November 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Zane Lowe's Masterpieces 2011". BBC. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Zane Lowe announces his 2012 Masterpieces on Radio 1". BBC. 8 November 2012. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
- ^ "Zane Lowe announces his 2012 Masterpieces on Radio 1". BBC. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
- ^ http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2015/06/08Introducing-Apple-Music-All-The-Ways-You-Love-Music-All-in-One-Place-.html
- ^ Brown, Mark. "Arctic Monkeys Look good at the NME Awards". http://www.theguardian.com. The Guardian. Retrieved 23 February 2006.
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- ^ "Radio Academy Awards Winners". http://www.radioacademyawards.org. Radio Academy Awards. Retrieved 2015.
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- ^ a b NME 26/01/08
External links
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