6 Hot Takes from Dance Music Provocateur Darius Syrossian
As a DJ and producer, you could say Darius Syrossian has made a career as a professional noisemaker. Even off the stage, though, he’s anything but quiet.
Growing up in Tehran in the midst of the Iran-Iraq war makes Darius fearless when it comes to comparatively trivial personal matters. He speaks his truth openly. He resists pressure to conform at every turn. The longevity of his career thus far speaks to how far an artist can get without being a doormat.
That’s not to overshadow his music. Darius has released on labels like Defected Records, Nervous Records, and Polydor Records, in addition to gigs from the U.K. to Germany to Spain. His passion for collecting and sharing house and techno records shows through in each of his performances.
Today, though, let’s talk about his words. Below are six hot takes that demonstrate why Darius Syrossian is one of dance music’s strongest personalities.
6. For the Love of the Music (not the Scene)
One of Darius Syrossian’s artist bios quotes him as saying, “I’m into the scene because I love the music, not like a lot of people who are into the music because they love the scene. It’s only about the music for me, and that’s all that matters!”
5. Stop Reading and Listen to Some Music Instead
In another iteration of his artist bio, Darius tells you not to read it at all. “Ok, lets face it, nobody reads DJ bios,” it starts. “I don't care to read anybody else's, so don't expect anybody to want to read mine … All I care about is true house music; I don't believe in genres, it is all house music to me.”
4. On Whether DJ Mag and Resident Advisor Charts Matter
2012 saw Darius earn a nomination in the category of “Breakthrough Producer for DJ Mag’s “Best Of British” awards. “You know, it’s great to be awarded with stuff like this,” he told Deep House Amsterdam. DJ Mag and RA, for most charted artists, are the two which are probably the most genuine, but honestly what does it matter? … “You see some absolute legends and producers who have changed the scene not ever get a mention, but then you see a kid who made a Beatport #1 who gets voted in, so it’s all silly really.”
3. Don’t Try to Please the Masses
In his Gray Area Spotlight interview, Darius Syrossian emphasized the importance of playing music for yourself. "Don't try to please the masses,” he told us. “If you look at the spectrum of people who go clubbing, 80% go because they think it's the thing to do. Whatever they’re told to do by the media and the music press high court, they'll jump on it. And when they've had their three or four years of going clubbing, then they're gonna have kids or whatever. I don't care about these people.”
2. It’s All House and Techno
“It’s all house and techno, and I’m not interested in fads,” reads another direct quote from a Darius Syrossian artist bio. A recurring theme in his commentary is the importance of artists finding their own sound signature and disregarding the allure of passing trends. To this, perhaps, he owes the fact that he can still stand behind every record that he released throughout different points of his career.
1. The Infamous Sankeys Tweet
Of course, no list of hot takes from Darius Syrossian would be complete without the tweet that ended his partnership with Sankeys Ibiza. “I always said, if Sankeys continue to oversell tickets and then abuse amd turn away fans who have traveled for miles I'll leave, simple as that!” he wrote. Sankeys Owner David Vincent fired him for “bringing the club and brand into disrepute.” Darius would later say that compared to the warfare he experienced as a child in Tehran, the temporary setback was “just not that important.”
