Alexander Zane Reed Lowe (born 1973) is a New Zealand radio
DJ, live DJ, record producer, and television presenter. After an early career in music creation, production and DJing, he moved to the UK in 1997. He came to prominence through presenting on
XFM and
MTV Europe (
MTV Two), developing a DJ career by opening sets for bands and eventually landing a slot on prime-time radio on
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and Contemporary hit radio, current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including ...
from 2003 to 2015. In 2015, he was hired by Apple to be the Creative Director of their new world-wide music station,
Apple Music 1
Apple Music 1, previously branded as Beats 1, is a 24/7 music radio station owned and operated by Apple Inc. It is accessible through iTunes or the Apple Music app on a computer, smartphone or tablet, smart speaker (such as the Apple HomePod), a ...
.
Career
Early career
Born in
Auckland
Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...
, Lowe attended
Auckland Grammar School and was a presenter on local music station Max TV. Zane was a member of Urban Disturbance, an early 90s hip hop group whose standout hit was "No Flint No Flame" and
Breaks Co-Op, alongside Andy Lovegrove and Hamish Clark. Lowe and Clark formed Breaks Co-Op in
Auckland
Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...
, releasing the electronic album ''
Roofers'' in 1997 before they both left New Zealand to travel and pursue other interests. Both would eventually develop their careers in the UK.
DJ

Lowe relocated to the UK in 1997. He initially worked at the Record and Tape Exchange in
Notting Hill, before being asked to cover for a show on
XFM, going on to host XFM's Music Response. In 2003, he joined
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and Contemporary hit radio, current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including ...
.
As a DJ, he has played sets at festivals including
Coachella,
Future Music Festival in Australia,
Glastonbury,
Creamfields and
Bestival. He has toured with artists including,
Skrillex
Sonny John Moore (born January 15, 1988), known professionally as Skrillex, is an American DJ, record producer, musician, singer. Raised in Northeast Los Angeles and Northern California, he began his career in 2004 as the lead vocalist of the ...
,
The Prodigy
The Prodigy are an English electronic music band formed in Braintree, Essex, in 1990 by producer, keyboardist, and songwriter Liam Howlett. The original line-up also featured
Rapping, MC and vocalist Maxim (musician), Maxim, dancer and occasi ...
,
Kasabian and
The Weeknd
Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (; born February 16, 1990), known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is best known for adding Pop music, pop, electronic music, electronic and hip-hop stylings ...
and opened shows for both
Muse
In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, the Muses (, ) were the Artistic inspiration, inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the poetry, lyric p ...
and
Foo Fighters
The Foo Fighters are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Seattle in 1994. Initially founded as a one-man project by former Nirvana (band), Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, the band comprises vocalist/guitarist Grohl, bassist Nate Mendel, gu ...
at their concerts at
Wembley Stadium. As well as being a regular performer at
Ibiza and Mallorca Rocks, Lowe is also Musical Director for the brand.
MTV
Lowe started his career on
MTV UK before moving to
MTV2 Europe (now MTV Rocks) presenting shows such as ''MTV News'' (1998–2001), ''MTV News Daily Edition'' (1999–2001) and ''Brand:New'' (1999). From 2002 to 2015, he presented ''
Gonzo'', its flagship music show.
BBC Radio 1
Lowe's
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and Contemporary hit radio, current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including ...
evening show was broadcast from 2003 to 2015. The show developed a number of features including the "Zane Lowe Meets" interviews.
On 15 February 2015 it was announced that Lowe would be leaving BBC Radio 1 in March 2015 to launch a new station with
Apple
An apple is a round, edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus'' spp.). Fruit trees of the orchard or domestic apple (''Malus domestica''), the most widely grown in the genus, are agriculture, cultivated worldwide. The tree originated ...
. Lowe presented his last show on 5 March 2015.
Apple Music 1
At the 2015 Apple
WWDC Keynote, Lowe was introduced as one of the DJs of
Apple Music 1
Apple Music 1, previously branded as Beats 1, is a 24/7 music radio station owned and operated by Apple Inc. It is accessible through iTunes or the Apple Music app on a computer, smartphone or tablet, smart speaker (such as the Apple HomePod), a ...
(previously Beats 1), a radio station part of
Apple Music
Apple Music is an audio and video streaming service developed by Apple Inc. Users can select music to stream to their device on-demand, or listen to existing playlists. The service also includes the sister internet radio stations Apple Musi ...
. He was also the host of the Apple Music show ''
Planet of the Apps''.
Awards and nominations
Ryan Jarman incident
Lowe saved
Ryan Jarman's life at the 2006
''NME'' Awards, in an incident which ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'' referred to as "engraved in indie folklore".
[NME 26/01/08] The incident occurred when Jarman's band,
the Cribs, accepted an award on behalf of winners
Franz Ferdinand. While on his way to collect the trophy from presenter
Russell Brand, Jarman fell onto the
Kaiser Chiefs' table and pierced his back with broken glass, narrowly missing his vital organs.
Jarman was taken to hospital but discharged himself to return for the show's after-party later in the night. However, he fell unconscious in a back corridor. Lowe, a fellow guest at the party, found Jarman lying on the floor bleeding profusely and another ambulance was called which took Jarman to hospital where doctors stitched up the injuries.
Discography
Remixes
Writing and production credits
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lowe, Zane
1973 births
Living people
New Zealand DJs
New Zealand record producers
New Zealand expatriates in England
BBC Radio 1 presenters
New Zealand television presenters
Apple Inc. people