Biography
Born in Detroit and now based in Brooklyn, Lauren Flax operates as a DJ and producer whose individual output moves between high-energy, pleasure-seeking house cuts and more reflective songwriting. Active across multiple dance genres since the late 1990s, she has worked with performers including Sia, Little Boots, Tricky, and Nina Sky both independently and as one member of the trip-hop duo CREEP. Vintage-styled acid house material began appearing from her in the late 2010s, followed by a turn toward an ethereal aesthetic on the 2021 EP Out of Reality. A 2023 collaboration with Pale Blue’s Liz Wight yielded the EP Liz & Lauren, consisting of trance-infused, breakbeat-driven house tracks.
Flax took up drums in childhood before adding guitar and bass during high school. She started DJing at Detroit-area raves and clubs, beginning with jungle and later shifting toward house, techno, and electro. Weekly residency duties at the Motor Lounge were shared with then-emerging selectors such as Mike Servito and Derek Plaslaiko. A 1999 relocation to Chicago preceded her appearance at the inaugural Detroit Electronic Music Festival in 2000. Brooklyn became her home in 2002, the same year a contribution to Le Tigre’s Remix EP marked her first released production. A joint live track with drum’n’bass artist Submerged surfaced on the 2004 release Obliterati EP 2.
Momentum built through the latter half of the 2000s. Between 2008 and 2011 she served as Fischerspooner’s tour DJ, while her debut solo single “You’ve Changed” arrived in 2009 featuring Sia, who later re-recorded the track for her own album. Fellow Detroit native MK and vocalist Carrie Wilds joined her on the 2010 single “Stronger Now.” With Lauren Dillard she formed the trip-hop-leaning duo CREEP, issuing singles that included Romy Madley Croft of the xx, Nina Sky, Holly Miranda, and additional guests. The 2013 album Echoes introduced further appearances by Sia, Tricky, Lou Rhodes of Lamb, and others. CREEP also supplied remixes for She Wants Revenge, Poly Styrene, and School of Seven Bells. Following the album’s release Flax turned her focus back to solo work, teaming with Kim Ann Foxman (formerly of Hercules & Love Affair) for 2014’s “Pleasure Principle” and with Jo Lampert on 2015’s “In the Night.” Remixes during this period encompassed Peaches, Oh Land, and They Might Be Giants’ cover of Jonathan Richman’s “I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar.”
The 2016 EP U Know, featuring Josh Caffe and Mister Wallace, appeared on the historic New York house imprint Nervous Records. Little Boots included her on the 2018 single “Picture,” and Chicago’s DJ Heather joined her on “The Acid.” Introduced by mutual acquaintance Jimmy Edgar to DJ Haus, she saw her EP Dance Trax, Vol. 16 issued on Unknown to the Unknown. One Man’s House Is Another Woman’s Techno arrived in 2019 via The Bunker New York, a Brooklyn collective connected to associates from her early Detroit club days. In 2020 she remixed “Breathe” for Mike Simonetti’s Pale Blue project, marking a move from acid house toward atmospheric textures and ethereal vocals. That direction continued on the 2021 EP Out of Reality, released by 2MR, alongside the collaborative Endless Summer with Posthuman and the two-track set You Can Take the Bitch Outta Detroit.
The Sweat EP landed on Super Rhythm Trax in 2022; she also appeared on Italian producer Lazy Ants’ Lazy Ants X Friends EP and joined Chrissy for the track “Come to Me.” DJ Mag’s Best of North America awards named her Underground Hero of 2022. The 2023 single “Dada Entry” paired her with Jason Burns and Peter Sheppard. September brought the breakbeat-heavy, vocal-rich EP Liz & Lauren with Pale Blue’s Liz Wight.
Flax took up drums in childhood before adding guitar and bass during high school. She started DJing at Detroit-area raves and clubs, beginning with jungle and later shifting toward house, techno, and electro. Weekly residency duties at the Motor Lounge were shared with then-emerging selectors such as Mike Servito and Derek Plaslaiko. A 1999 relocation to Chicago preceded her appearance at the inaugural Detroit Electronic Music Festival in 2000. Brooklyn became her home in 2002, the same year a contribution to Le Tigre’s Remix EP marked her first released production. A joint live track with drum’n’bass artist Submerged surfaced on the 2004 release Obliterati EP 2.
Momentum built through the latter half of the 2000s. Between 2008 and 2011 she served as Fischerspooner’s tour DJ, while her debut solo single “You’ve Changed” arrived in 2009 featuring Sia, who later re-recorded the track for her own album. Fellow Detroit native MK and vocalist Carrie Wilds joined her on the 2010 single “Stronger Now.” With Lauren Dillard she formed the trip-hop-leaning duo CREEP, issuing singles that included Romy Madley Croft of the xx, Nina Sky, Holly Miranda, and additional guests. The 2013 album Echoes introduced further appearances by Sia, Tricky, Lou Rhodes of Lamb, and others. CREEP also supplied remixes for She Wants Revenge, Poly Styrene, and School of Seven Bells. Following the album’s release Flax turned her focus back to solo work, teaming with Kim Ann Foxman (formerly of Hercules & Love Affair) for 2014’s “Pleasure Principle” and with Jo Lampert on 2015’s “In the Night.” Remixes during this period encompassed Peaches, Oh Land, and They Might Be Giants’ cover of Jonathan Richman’s “I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar.”
The 2016 EP U Know, featuring Josh Caffe and Mister Wallace, appeared on the historic New York house imprint Nervous Records. Little Boots included her on the 2018 single “Picture,” and Chicago’s DJ Heather joined her on “The Acid.” Introduced by mutual acquaintance Jimmy Edgar to DJ Haus, she saw her EP Dance Trax, Vol. 16 issued on Unknown to the Unknown. One Man’s House Is Another Woman’s Techno arrived in 2019 via The Bunker New York, a Brooklyn collective connected to associates from her early Detroit club days. In 2020 she remixed “Breathe” for Mike Simonetti’s Pale Blue project, marking a move from acid house toward atmospheric textures and ethereal vocals. That direction continued on the 2021 EP Out of Reality, released by 2MR, alongside the collaborative Endless Summer with Posthuman and the two-track set You Can Take the Bitch Outta Detroit.
The Sweat EP landed on Super Rhythm Trax in 2022; she also appeared on Italian producer Lazy Ants’ Lazy Ants X Friends EP and joined Chrissy for the track “Come to Me.” DJ Mag’s Best of North America awards named her Underground Hero of 2022. The 2023 single “Dada Entry” paired her with Jason Burns and Peter Sheppard. September brought the breakbeat-heavy, vocal-rich EP Liz & Lauren with Pale Blue’s Liz Wight.
Albums
Singles
