DJ Lag

DJ Lag joined Tierra Whack, Beyoncé, Moonchild Sanelly, Nija, Yemi Alade and Busiswa on “My Power,” a track from Beyoncé’s 2019 album The Lion King: The Gift. The collaboration placed the Durban producer alongside a broad cast of African and American artists, while drawing on the gqom sound he had developed in South Africa.

Born Lwazi Asanda Gwala in Clermont, Durban, DJ Lag is a South African DJ and record producer associated with gqom, the electronic dance style that emerged in Durban during the early 2010s. He is regarded as one of the genre’s pioneers. Before music, he had hoped to become a soccer player, but an ankle injury redirected him toward production. A cousin introduced him to FL Studio, and he taught himself to make tracks before beginning to DJ. His first reported performance took place at Durban’s Club Uhuru during a high-school graduation event.

His early gqom productions were built for club systems, with hard bass and coarse, percussive textures. Locally, the sound was sometimes called “uthayela,” an isiZulu term meaning corrugated iron. DJ Lag’s first EP was distributed through WhatsApp, with listeners able to sign up through his website to receive it free of charge. He later released the Ice Drop EP and DJ Lag 12 in 2016, followed by Trip to New York and Stampit 12. His 2019 Uhuru EP, released through Diplo’s Good Enuff Records, paid tribute to Club Uhuru, a Durban venue where producers including Rudeboyz and Naked Boyz tested new ideas before live crowds.

DJ Lag’s work has also connected gqom with other club-music forms. He collaborated with New York producer Epic B on “Going Modd,” with South African singer Shekhinah on “Anywhere We Go,” and with Okzharp on the Steam Rooms EP and the track “Nyusa.” In 2019, choreographer Mette Towley created a visual performance for his track “Switz,” directed by Bon Duke in New York. DJ Lag also curated “Something for Clermont,” an event launched with Boiler Room that invited emerging artists to experiment with new sounds.

His international appearances have included Unsound Festival in Poland, Cake Shop in Seoul and Afropunk in New York City. He has held a Rinse FM residency, featured in mixes on BBC Radio 1, and delivered a BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix hosted by Pete Tong. In 2019, he was also a featured speaker at Amsterdam Dance Event.