That Kid Chris Details

With inspiration from the 90's New York underground to ethnic rhythms heard around the world, Chris Staropoli's productions have been playlist staples to djs the world over. Getting his start by making mixed tapes and being coined "That Kid Chris" along the way, he turned a passion for music into what has become a career of deejaying, producing, and remixing.

Chris realized a love of music at a very young age with classic rock bands such as Led Zeppelin, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones and later on gearing his taste towards hip-hop and breakdancing; all the while, being exposed to music by his parents, who listened to Latin and early disco records. He enjoyed playing "dj" at his parents' house parties, which in turn gave him an incredible head start at amassing his huge vinyl collection.

In his teens, he was introduced to New York City's thriving dance scene. He visited legendary clubs like the Funhouse Disco, where he was turned on to electronic and underground dance music. Acts like Jimmy 'Bo' Horn, Kraftwerk, Soul Sonic Force, and Yazz provided the soundtrack. "It was all about train-spotting. We would run out to record stores like Vinyl Mania, the next day, to try and find the music we danced to the night before," Chris remembers. By this time he had acquired his own DJ set-up and was spending most of his free time making custom mixed tapes, which he would give out to friends in his high school. In the years to follow, as hip-hop became mainstream in New York, Chris gravitated towards house music frequenting clubs like The Red Zone and after-hours at The Sound Factory with Junior Vasquez. The vibe, drama and underground feel was very influential to him. By now he had built himself a make-shift studio in the garage and was creating tracks. The first actual That Kid Chris record was released on Digital Dungeon Records, an independent label owned by Ray 'Roc' and Juan 'Kato'. 'Keep On Pressin' was well received in the U.K., and included on Sasha and Digweed's first Renaissance mixed compilation album, which went on to become one of the highest selling dance music compilations. During this period the rave scene began to flourish in America, in which Chris found himself spinning at clubs like Limelight, Tunnel and Caffeine as well as traveling all across the U.S. Determined to stay underground he continued releasing tracks and building his dream studio. Early noise-makers such as 'Feel Tha Vibe', released in the U.K. on Manifesto Records went to #1 on the Muzik Magazine Dance Chart. His production career was now in full swing and he was just beginning, following suit with his release of 'Big Time'(the obscure 'Gettin' Lifted' 12 inch, which featured a huge drop out, sampling Al Pacino screaming "You think your big time...").

Having created his own collection of hits on labels such as Junior Boys Own, Cream, Yoshitoshi and Strictly Rhythm, he has earned the respect and support of some of the biggest names in the business. He's remixed some of Billboard's top artists including Santana, Missy Elliott, Brandy, Rob Thomas and Madonna, who featured his remix of 'What It Feels Like For A Girl' on her 'Greatest Dance Remixes' compilation. He's also remixed some of the most recognizable names in dance music from De'Lacy to Bob Sinclair, to Victor Calderone, whom he continues to collaborate with. His tracks have been featured on Pete Tong's Radio 1 Essential S Chris' latest undertaking involves a venture into original vocal production. 'Find Yourself , which feaelection. tures vocals by Melanie S., caught the ears of Deep Dish who released the duo's second single 'Sacred Dance' on Yoshitoshi under the pseudonym "Electric Mood", which was soon added to the Global Underground GU0025 Toronto compilation. Their third release 'Dirty Sex', led you to hot, dark places with drum rhythms for days, opening the door to their latest project 'Reflections'. This full vocal production once again showcases the merging of Chris' percussive electronic tastes and Melanie's melodic vocals that's a combination worth reckoning. The record is featured on Tweek'd Records, where Chris currently heads up A&R. He will soon launch his own label imprint, TKC Music, which will focus on forward thinking music encompassing all genres of house.

Having rocked the decks for nearly two decades, he has become a fixture in the global dance scene. Chris continues to captivate his fans with his hypnotic progressive touch and sinister tribal sound. Not only does he reinvent himself behind the decks, he continues to push the envelope with every production and remix. Producing and engineering his own records, he strives to be innovative in his attempts to master every idea, and give it life. With a fresh sound and the talent to create a classic dance record, you can expect that Chris will not hold back by any means in his relentless stream of new productions and remixes.