Audiojack (@audiojackofficial) and Kevin Knapp (@kevinknappofficial) return to Crosstown Rebels with Get It EP, landing May 22, 2026. The two-track release marks their third collaboration on Damian Lazarus’ label, following Under Your Skin in 2021 and Implications in 2017, and brings them back together around the kind of direct, pressure-led house music that fits both artists’ catalogs.
The Leeds-born, Ibiza-based Audiojack have spent two decades moving through house, minimal, and garage influences, with releases across Hot Creations, Solid Grooves, 8bit, Crosstown Rebels, and their own Gruuv imprint. Kevin Knapp brings his own history as a vocalist, producer, and DJ, with releases on Cuttin Headz, Repopulate Mars, Desert Hearts, and Plump Recordings, as well as appearances at fabric, Circo Loco, Elrow, and other major club spaces.
In the conversation below, Audiojack talk about access, mentorship, visibility, and the ways artists can open doors for one another without reducing the work to numbers or reach.
They discuss early support from Martin Dawson and Paul Woolford, the role Ralph Lawson and Damian Lazarus played in shaping their own path, and how Gruuv has allowed them to release early music from artists such as PAWSA, Black Loops, Emanuel Satie, and no.capz. It is a candid look at the modern industry through the eyes of artists who have benefited from key relationships and now use their own platforms to create space for others.
Interview With Audiojack
Was there a moment when someone extended access to you that meaningfully shaped your trajectory?
Is “extended access” like making human connections, only translated into a robot?
When we were first trying to get signed, the late Martin Dawson, aka King Roc, was incredibly supportive and gave us a lot of confidence. Paul Woolford also let us remix “Erotic Discourse” when we were total unknowns, typical Woolly really, and still a class act. Our label bosses, Ralph Lawson and Damian Lazarus, have also shaped our trajectory more than any gig or release.
In what ways, if any, do you try to create opportunities for others now?
We do that through our label, Gruuv. Some of our proudest achievements are not our own records, they are releasing some of the early releases from other artists like PAWSA, Black Loops, Emanuel Satie, and no.capz.
The industry can be surprisingly closed off, especially to newer artists without big reach and budgets, and if your music moves us and we dig your vibe, then we are listening. We also mentor a handful of artists who are close to breaking through, and Jamie offers one-to-one music tuition privately for those who want to learn how we do it.
How do you see access and inclusion playing out in today’s scene?
Talent is still important, and it is no longer enough on its own. Today’s numbers-driven industry rewards those with the biggest teams, biggest marketing budgets, and most relentless content output. This opens doors for those with the means, and excludes many incredibly talented artists who do not have the resources, personality type, or desire to treat music as a full-time content business. The challenge is making sure we are not confusing visibility with talent.
What practical ways can DJs help broaden lineups and perspectives within their circles?
Most DJs do not have much influence over lineups. That is usually down to promoters, agents, and bookers. The bigger issue is that a few super agencies now have an enormous influence over who gets booked to play at the major festivals and events. If you ever wondered why so many lineups feature the same artists, this is the answer. Monopolies are never good for fans, artists, or the music. Just ask anyone who tried to buy an Oasis ticket through Ticketmaster.
On an individual level, as DJs, of course, we can support new artists, sign interesting music, and use our DJ sets to showcase the music we love. In terms of broadening perspectives, the best thing anybody can do is travel, meet people, and experience different ways of life and cultures. The more you do that, the harder it becomes to see things in simplistic terms.
How do you recognize when it is time to share space or step aside for someone else?
That is a profound way of describing a DJ changeover. DJing is sharing space for us, as we usually play back-to-back. Two or more in a booth is snug though. Our DJ etiquette is simple: never correct each other’s mixes and keep drinks on the side you write with. It works great until one of us forgets. At the end, ask the next DJ if they want to mix or start fresh, wish them a great set, then step aside.
In a music context, we try to educate, motivate, and collaborate with others regularly. As we said on our latest record with Kevin Knapp, as a reminder to ourselves as much as anyone else, “ain’t shit coming for free. If you really want that thing, you gotta go out there and get it.”
In a wider creative sense, it is a privilege to have freedom of expression as your vocation. If the passion, curiosity, and desire to communicate something personal have gone, it might be time to step aside and let someone else have a turn. Technology will continue to evolve, and great music, art, and literature will always come from people with something genuine to say.
Will Vance is a professional music producer who has been involved in the industry for the better part of a decade and has been the managing editor at Magnetic Magazine since mid-2022. In that time period, he has published thousands of articles on music production, industry think pieces and educational articles about the music industry. Over the last decade as a professional music producer, Will Vance has also ran multiple successful and highly respected record labels in the industry, including Where The Heart Is Records as well as having launched a new label with a focus on community through Magnetic Magazine. When not running these labels or producing his own music, Vance is likely writing for other top industry sites like Waves or the Hyperbits Masterclass or working on his upcoming book on mindfulness in music production. On the rare chance he's not thinking about music production, he's probably running a game of Dungeons and Dragons with his friends which he has been the dungeon master for for many years.
