- Hey Chris Valencia, how are you? We just heard your latest single ‘Falling’ and we wanted to ask you some questions about it.
Doing great guys. Thanks for having me.
- For starters, can you tell us who Chris Valencia is and how you got into the music industry? Where have you been resident at until now?
So, I’m a DJ & Producer based in Miami, FL. I actually started djing at the age of 13 after becoming friends with a local radio mix show DJ. He invited me as a guest Dj on his show every couple of weeks and from there I started spinning at clubs from a very early age. I’ve held residencies at Daer South Florida, SLS Hyde Beach, El Tucan, Sway, Mansion, E11even, Space, Nikki Beach, Mokai and SET to name a few.
- When we heard your song ‘Falling’ for the first time, we needed to play it again because Future Rave is so addictive. Can you tell us the story behind the song and what does Future Rave means to you?
The pandemic was really the first time I got a preview of what future rave was and I immediately became hooked. While working on that project, I came across the vocal and I thought it was amazing. From there, I built the track and created the melody around the vocal.
- We have noticed that you shared the stage with well-known artists like Alesso, Tiesto, and many more. Can you tell us how your journey was until you reached this level? Has it been easy for you?
It hasn’t been easy considering there’s as many Djs as there are palm trees in Miami, so I’d be lying to you if I said it was easy. However, once i was given the opportunity and crushed it, it definitely opened the door to many more gigs playing alongside acts such as Axwell Ingrosso, Kaskade, Diplo, Skrillex and so on.
- How would you describe your sound and mixing style, and where do you take your inspiration from when you’re producing music?
I don’t really have a definitive sound. I make sounds based on what I’m feeling and what gets me going through my DJ sets. I don’t think you should put yourself into a box because it limits the ability of exposing your music to a wider audience. As far as my Dj sets, I like to do a lot of live remixing with acapellas and loops of different songs like a mixture of Roger Sanchez and James Hype.
[here we can embed one of your sets, please paste the link here if you want]
- Name a person that you look up to or who inspires you and why?
I really look up to Roobie Rivera and Oscar G. Two local legends that are known worldwide. Everything from their productions to their Dj sets inspire me. I actually got into house music because of them.
- What was the craziest thing that has happened to you when you played to a live audience?
I was the headlining Dj at Sway Nightclub one night and Sacha Baron Cohen was shooting a segment of his show “Who is America” on Showtime. He was dressed as an ex-convict who had just gotten out of prison and wanted to become the next EDM superstar “Dj Solitary”. From the moment he got on everything that could possibly go wrong, did. When he tried to get on the mic there was massive amounts of feedback, he didn’t know how to start the music for set and the crowd was confused like “What the fuck is going on”? Needless to say, Sacha Baron Cohen opened for me, which is pretty nuts when you really think about it.
- How have you coped with the time without clubs and festivals due to the pandemic? And what’s your favorite thing to do in your free time?
To keep my sanity, I started my own livestream and it started to grow organically week by week. It was something I looked forward to every week. I started creating my own edits, which has really helped me with my sets since coming back from the pandemic. I also was able to connect with a bunch of producers from across the globe and discover new music that I normally wouldn’t have. Most important to be honest, was the amount of time I could dedicate to my original productions. With someone who DJs a minimum of 4 times a week, it gets difficult to sit behind a computer and create a project from scratch. In my free time, I like to workout and catch up on all my favorite shows that I can’t watch during the week.
- What are your plans for the future? What about your dreams?
Releasing more music, playing more outdoor festivals and collabing with some of my favorite Djs, including the 2 I mentioned earlier.
- This is all for now, thank you for being here and answering our questions. In the end, if you think we forgot something to ask you and you want to share it with our audience please write it down. Also, where can people find more about you?
You can always keep up with my new music on Beatport, Spotify, etc. through my Instagram @djchrisvalencia or my website www.djchrisvalencia.com.
Stream ‘Falling’ – here
