A fresh electronic music pairing between EDM mainstays LSDREAM and CloZee has resulted in an explosive new mind-bending joint project, LSZEE.
Consisting of L.A.-based Sami Diament (aka LSDREAM) and French-born/Denver-based Chloé Herry (aka CloZee), LSZEE is already off to a soaring start, as they’ve released their eponymous self-titled debut album. In addition to the mind-bending full-length, an effort full of cinematic soundscapes, dizzying melodies, and crunching beats, the two have also secured some massive headline shows and major festival bookings for the remainder of the year and into 2025.
It was just revealed that LSZEE are among the top-billed artists performing at Ultra Music Festival’s 25th anniversary in Miami in March 2025, as per the event’s recent Phase One lineup announcement. This past Oct. 5-6, LSZEE’s two-night sold-out events rocked the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Col. And that pair of shows were followed by big gigs at Brooklyn Mirage, Florida’s Hulaween, and Philly’s HiJinx Festival, among other dates.
LSDREAM debuted in 2018, blending wobbling bass tones, hip-hop influenced beats, spacey and ethereal synths, and powerful lyrical messages. As of last October, in addition to his work with LSZEE, Diament’s LSDREAM project celebrated a highly-anticipated part 1 of a fourth studio album, Heartwave. The album was accompanied by a massive fall ’23 North American headline tour, The Radical Audio Visual Experience, which hit more than 35 states.
In 2020, CloZee began a new journey with the launch of her own artist-friendly label, Odyzey Music, where she pridefully highlights the underground artists of bass music and beyond. With this, Herry released CloZee’s sophomore album, Neon Jungle, which went on to see track remixes from the likes of Lane 8, Emancipator, Of the Trees, and Opiuo, to be followed by her 2021 EP, Nouvelle Era.
Odyzey Music went on to host stage takeovers for festivals like Electric Zoo, Sonic Bloom, and CloZee’s own Voyage Festival. And to top it off, her third LP, Microworlds, was released this past July. Along with the 12-track album came a coinciding 2023 North American fall headline tour across 40 markets.
Following the late September release of their album, DJ LIFE caught up with Sami Diament and Chloé Herry to discuss all things LSZEE. It went down like this…
DJ LIFE: Walk us through a day in the studio when you’re together…
Chloé Herry: We are night owls, so we start going to the studio around 2 p.m. We eat a little food, drink some coffee, Yerbas… We usually tackle all the “admin” work in the afternoon to clear our minds, so that we can enter our creative bubble for the rest of the day. We are both similar in that way: we need space to get in the zone. We like working separately for some time to work on different songs, add our own ideas, emotions, and then we sit together to listen, share thoughts, bring new ideas, write new elements, have a coffee… We’ll repeat that process several times. Studio sessions typically end between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. Then we like to wind down by playing PS5 or watch a movie.
DJ LIFE: What are some routines, rituals, or must-have items for your studio sessions, either as solo or joint sessions?
Sami Diament: Studio must-haves are coffee, good incense, a SubPac, our own laptops and set-ups in the same room, and PS5 to wind down at the end of a night. Need Postmates/Uber Eats or wouldn’t survive. Also, Discord to screen share and work on songs online when we couldn’t be together!
Herry: Music gear aside… the delicious coffees that Sami makes. I do love my wine and we’re both puppy owners, so there is always big puppy energy during our studio sessions.
DJ LIFE: How and when did you first realize this pairing would become an official project?
Herry: At first, we just wanted to work on a song together. We had no idea that the inspiration to write new music was gonna flow so naturally. We just kept starting songs after songs, and we just vibe with each other so well… so when that happens, you know there is something special going.
Diament: We did an Airbnb studio trip to Joshua Tree and lived out there for a week writing every day. I really admired Chloé’s work ethic, and most ultimate chill energy, it just felt effortless and fun to create together. The real conversation about what LSZEE would become happened there in Joshua Tree.
DJ LIFE: You’ve just dropped your self-titled collaborative album, what can you share with us about what made you decide to work on a full-length album together?
Diament: I love writing albums because a body of work allows you to tell a story, dig deep for ideas, and explore a lot of ground, musically speaking. Having the chance to do that with Chloé is a dream! I was always down to make an album, having it progress beyond that was truly an amazing surprise.
Herry: There was a moment when we started talking about doing a live show with all the music we wrote, and so the idea of an album, a project, a live show… it all come together at once.
DJ LIFE: Share a bit about the album-making process with us…
Diament: First step in the process for us was obviously writing a ton of music. The next step, which is something that always intrigues us, is identifying the story and theme that naturally wants to emerge and allowing it to grow from there. The final step is honoring what came out and finishing it! For the LSZEE album, the theme is exploration and discovery. Sometimes a song was created from new sound-design journey, or using new plug-ins. Sometimes a song emerged by learning new techniques from each other, or making a song with a groove or BPM we don’t normally write in. Since we were constantly trading project files, you would always open it up and listen to what the other person did and discover the new elements and work the other person did, which would then lead you to where you wanted to take it. We decided to self-title it, cause it’s simply just about us collaborating. What we feel, who we are, what we made together.
DJ LIFE: The artwork for the LP is terrific. What can you tell us about it?
Herry: It was made by the genius Marko Slavkovic – @Marhko_art on Instagram. We’ve been loving his art and thought it would capture the spirit of our music so well. It’s mystical, complex, psychedelic, captivating.
DJ LIFE: How do your DJ sets together differ from your solo sets?
Diament: The main difference is all the LSZEE exclusive material we made for the project. For example, we did mash-ups and remixes of some of our solo material that we only play in a LSZEE set, and much of the original LSZEE music is only intended for those sets. In our solo projects, we tap into our own frequency, emotion, energy, so I think the combination of those elements in an LSZEE set, create a certain feeling and vibe neither of us cause achieve individually.
DJ LIFE: What are some of the pros and cons to working with a DJ partner or playing a B2B set?
Herry: Honestly, it’s been only pros. We uplift, support, inspire each other. Sami is an amazing human and we’re on the same page most of the time – except sometimes when we play games. We’re not imposing each other’s vision, or ideas, we respect each other’s music universes, and the LSZEE music is just a happy marriage between both of them. It’s also really fun and refreshing to share the stage with someone you’re close with. It makes these experiences so much more special.
Diament: The cons, for me, is being low-key jealous of Chloé’s insane musical ability, the grace and beauty she brings to a track. I strive to be able to reach that level of talent.
DJ LIFE: As you gear up for major shows at top-tier venues such as Red Rocks and Brooklyn Mirage, what can you tell us about what fans can expect when seeing your DJ sets live?
Diament: Well, yes, we are performing on Pioneer DJ CDJs, but we created something that extends beyond a DJ set. Our show is a fully curated music, visual, lighting, and laser experience. We are hands-on in every element of the show and work closely with our incredible team to bring our vision to life. For Red Rocks and Brooklyn Mirage, we are debuting an epic custom production element!
DJ LIFE: If you could bring in a third member as a special guest DJ for a set, who are some options you’d choose from and why?
Diament: If my dog Zeus – aka Fluffato – could DJ, he would already be in the group! Seriously, though, RJD2 – that would be insane.
Herry: Tough question. So many awesome DJs. But I think personally I’d love 20syl to be a third member.
DJ LIFE: Tell us what’s in store for the future of LSZEE…
Diament: More of everything! Really excited to share what we have planned next year when the time is right.
