James Zabiela

Born in Southampton, England in 1979, James Zabiela came to prominence in the early 2000s after winning Muzik magazine’s Bedroom Bedlam competition. Initially associated with a crossover of breakbeat and progressive house, he later steered his sets toward a broader palette combining progressive house, techno and acid house, without abandoning the rhythmic breaks and the more fractured textures that mark his approach. His DJ work is distinguished by a highly constructed mix built around transitions, loops and effects, following a more narrative than demonstrative logic. As a producer, Zabiela has released several tracks and remixes over the years on labels such as Renaissance, Bedrock, Hope Recordings and Born Electric, with titles like “Skanksuary” (2005), “Human” (2007) and “The Healing” (2012). He also collaborated with Nic Fanciulli on the One+One project and has produced numerous mixes, including ALiVE (2004), Utilities (2005), The Masters Series Part 12 (2009), Life (2010) and Balance 029 (2018). Present on international club and festival stages, James Zabiela remains tied to the culture of long electronic sets and to a detailed, mobile and progressive club aesthetic.