The Phenomenal DJ Chris
11 01 2008
Hailing from the old English town of Mandeville, within the Parish of Manchester , Jamaica , Christopher Plummer otherwise known as DJ Chris , leaves no doubt in ones mind that he truly is a leader .
Whether or not you choose to believe in astrological mumbo jumbo, this charismatic and innovative young man , proves without doubt that he is a natural born lion. Standing proud and oozing confidence Chris who was born in August 1981, has finally found the time to sit still for five minutes , and allow us , his fans and the industry mogul’s , the privilege of getting to know the man behind the unique sound that is Disc Jockey and Producer extraordinaire DJ Chris.
Still relatively young at a mere 26, Chris is notoriously well known in Jamaica, recognised not only for producing, promoting and re-mixing some of the biggest and best artistes the island has to offer. But also fulfilling his main passion of disc jockeying , and spitting lyrics that entertain the masses at some of Jamaica’s leading parties, clubs and dance venues on a regular basis..
DJ Chris with all the humility of a new born lamb, is the first to admit that as a youngster he pretty much flunked out of school with no recognizable qualifications. However, if it wasn’t for his candour , one would be none the wiser. Chris is an articulate and well spoken young man, who has an edge which I am sure makes him extremely alluring to the ladies, and highly respected amongst men , honest and forthright would be words I would use to describe the way Chris responded to the interviewee’s questions .
With quick wit and humour embelished with moments of obvious consideration, he has done nothing but do himself and his “art” full justice and we at Reggae Movement , wish him the best of luck with all his future endeavours. Background Information…
DJ Chris comes from a Sound System family, both his grandfather and uncle were “sound” men and Chris says “it was a natural progression” for him to get involved. His uncle Paul Grant , took over a system from his father and re-named it “Zodiac Disco”. Chris , from the tender age of six years old, could often be caught up during the night hours, practicing his scratching techniques and mixing styles on the decks.
Quite the little bad boy, by all accounts many a night Chris would sneak out of the house to go to a local party or dance hosted by Zodiac. Until, at the age of fourteen Chris was finally given his first break, an opportunity offered by his uncle Paul, to hold the crowd and Dj on his own at a local house party. One can clearly tell by the wide smile on Chris’s face that this event holds some extremely fond memories , and was obviously the one that got him “hooked” passionately on his now legendary penchant for entertaining crowds of people at clubs and events across the island.
From that point on DJ Chris has built his reputation by playing out at all manner of special events, including birthday parties, barbeques , school fetes , dances and wedding receptions. In 1999 , at the age of 18 DJ Chris was accredited with the title 1st Place Winner in a local Remix Competition once held annually at Ward 21 night club in Mandeville Jamaica. DJ Chris now owns the sound “Zodiac Disco” and is progressively making a mark in the industry both as a DJ and a rapidly upcoming reputable and popular producer. DJ Chris further put his skills to the test in 2006 when along with his friend and fellow producer Mark “Arab” Chang, they formed the Independent Record Label MegaZodiac (MZ) Productionz
As business partners both DJ Chris and Mark ‘Arab’ Chang, share responsibility right down the line, DJ Chris says,
“We agreed from the offset that we would function jointly as producers. As a producer for MZ Productionz I rely heavily on all past musical experiences and have realized the invaluable amount of knowledge I had gained from functioning alongside my uncle Paul on Zodiac Sound. Selecting on Zodiac Sound as a professional DJ from 1994 really helped in enriching my knowledge, adding to my experience and aiding exposure to all the vital attributes one needs to posses in order to excel not only as a DJ but also as a successful producer and businessman.”
With so much under his belt already, and with a fan base stretching from Mandeville to the UK , USA and Europe, “RM” are proud to be able to say they have the questions we all want to ask , straight from the horses mouth , so to speak.
RM: If you had to pick one over the other Chris, music production or disc jockeying, which would come out on top?
DJ Chris: I must say that’s a very “tough2 question, but I honestly think I would have to rate DJ’ing over production, as its always nice playing for a huge crowd , who I can see appreciate and love the music. It brings me personal joy to know that I am pleasing their individual souls musically.
RM: Describe what it is you consider to be unique about your style as a DJ, and was that unique quality learned over time or something you think you were born with?
DJ Chris: Ok, well for me the music is an inborn concept. There was always a sound system in our house as I was growing up. Starting with my grandfather (“may his soul rest in peace”) and continuing down to my uncle. It was he , who taught me practically everything I know about music. So I would have to say my knowledge and understanding of music, my ability to mix seamlessly , my unique scratching technique and my original re-mixing skills are all part and parcel of what makes DJ Chris an absolute one –off DJ .
RM: Unifying sounds with samples, and or building tracks from foundation can be extremely hard work, have you any formal kind of training at all, or again is all that you are so talented in doing simply something you have without a doubt been blessed with?..
DJ Chris: You’re right both building tracks from foundation, and unifying sounds with samples , is definitely hard work, and I don’t have any formal training at all when it comes to beats. I have never studied studio engineering nor have I studied the basis of producing music at college. For me it is truly all a natural thing, from my passion for music to the influences of both my grandfather and uncle.
RM: Having the World Wide Web as a forum to air your music , must have tripled your fan base in a relatively short period of time. Are you able to produce new sounds and quality re-mixes equally as fast , in order to keep your following “crying out for more”.
DJ Chris: Music is my thing, I live and breathe music and so yes, I’m nearly always working on something new, whether it’s a re-mix or totally new beat. The web has definitely expanded my fan base, and obviously widened both field and scope that my music reaches to, I am grateful to my loyal Myspace fans who often pass on my details to their friends and so I continue on a daily basis to reach more people globally.
RM; When at work as a producer Chris , how do know when you have hit the lick, the one that’ll be a big seller.?
DJ Chris : For me that comes naturally. If I’m making a beat and I find myself nodding my head to the first 30-60 seconds , then I know right then and there that it’s going to be a hit .
RM: Working out of Jamaica, means you have an awful lot of competition, there are an abundance of good producers and disc jockeys alike, how do you maintain stability at the top of your game?
DJ Chris :Yeah, there is a lot of competition over here in Jamaica. But to be honest with you, I am not in this business to compete with anyone at any level. I see all aspects of the industry as my mission, not a competition. To maintain stability at the top of my game, as I have already explained to you, its my passion, this is what I live to do. Therefore I set my standards and stick to them, hard work , determination and persistence will lead me to accumulate award/ rewards and accomplish whatever goals I aim to be working towards.
RM: Name an International artiste you would like to feature on a DJ Chris dubplate, maybe RM can help hook you up in the not too distant future.
DJ: Chris Id love to feature T.I no doubt about that !! See what you can do for me RM , it’d be highly appreciated.
RM: As a producer you’re not signed to any label, if you were approached by one of the majors, would you consider signing up. Or do you prefer the freedom you have to express yourself as and how you choose at the moment, with completely unique and undiluted sounds and mixes?
DJ Chris: If I was approached by a major record label I would love to be contracted, I obviously enjoy my artistic freedom as it is now ,and I guess that all would be negotiated in terms and conditions of contract.
RM: How soon can we expect a CD / LP of Dj Chris’s productions for the fans to purchase?
DJ Chris : Ummm I haven’t set a release date as yet, but my latest production rhythm , should be available for the fans to purchase early in 2008.
RM: As a man who both produces music and plays out, what does DJ Chris do to unwind , to chill out and have fun?
DJ Chris: Well. I like to chill out at home with a nice home cooked meal, a good dvd , chilling out with the family or that special someone and of course clubbing , parties the movies, the beach and general stuff like most other people. I have to admit I really do like to party and have a good time though.
RM: Its been an absolute pleasure DJ Chris, thank you so much for making time in your busy schedule to hang out and give the fans a little insight into your life.
DJ Chris: You’re welcome, and if anyone out there wants to link me , they can do so on Myspace at www.myspace.comzodiacdisco
As Dj Chris has said if any of you readers wish to get further information about his gigs , releases, or simply just want to hook him up, you can hit him up on the Myspace forum. Where coincidentally you can also listen to his music and download his biggest hit to date the “Tranquilizer Riddim” , which featured practically every artiste of reputation in Jamaica, includingCapleton, Sizzla, Beenie Man, Vybz Kartel, Lady Saw, Little, Hero, Teflon, Perfect and many more (listed below)
This lick was played all over the globe BBC 1Xxtra shouted its popularity from the rooftops till Europe caught the bug too.
Lady Flame - “Hot Walk”
Tamar - “Gimmie What You Got”
Beenie Man - “East West”
Teflon - “Must Prevail”
Hero - “From Yuh Bless”
Mad Sam - “Flossing”
Ricky General - “Cola”
Perfect - “Got To Get That”
Adi Di Teacha - “Enjoy Yuh Life”
Sizzla - “Bullet Bullet”
Viper - “Ride”
So don’t be left out , catch DJ Chris before he goes platinum and you have to join a queue round the block to get a look in. myspace.com/tranquilizerriddim
zodiacentertainment@hotmail.com
rawpatois@yahoo.com One Love Peace and Stay Blessed
Categories : Producers
