The Unstoppable Chris Lake
An Interview On His Collabs With Aluna & More
In terms of electronic dance music, Chris Lake is a bit of a juggernaut. He has no problem finding ways to innovate house music, constantly churning out hit track after hit track, collaborating with some of the biggest names in the industry, and giving us the soundtracks to many nights out on the dance floor.
His success is a result of his mastermind in the production studio, curating beats and sounds and blending them with strong vocals to give us hits like "Turn Off The Lights", "Delirious" with Steve Aoki and Kid Ink, and even remixing Portugal The Man's "Dummy." He's a prolific career includes a GRAMMY nomination, several #1 hits, and a repeat name on Billboard's Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart, and he's showing no signs of slowing down soon.
He's had a busy year- touring across the globe and performing at some of the biggest festivals and selling out two nights at the Brooklyn Mirage, doing B2B sets with fellow house-dominator FISHER, even debuting their Under Construction brand...where they design their own stages and perform memorable sets.
Chris Lake has the ability to turn any song into a chart-topper...but his recent collaborations with Aluna have made even casual listeners a fan. Starting with "Beggin'", which quickly amassed over 30 million streams globally, felt like the meeting of two titans in house music. Adding Aluna's sultry vocals to "Beggin'" and mixing it with a heavy drumbeat, you won't want to stop dancing until the song is over.
Now, they're back to give us more with "More Baby!" A track perfect for your nights out, your workouts, and anything in between- the high tempo and Aluna's mesmerizing voice makes you ready for whatever life throws at you. A duo for the ages, Chris Lake and Aluna prove they can make a hit...and another hit....and another. You can listen to the track here:
Chris Lake continues to set the bar higher and higher, and Popdust got the chance to talk to him about the tracks with Aluna, his Under Construction Brand, and more. Check it out below!
PD: Congratulations on “More Baby!” As your second single with Aluna following “Beggin”, do you guys now have a production process?
CL: Not one that we recognize no. We do have plans to get in the studio more though. We’ve only had a limited amount of sessions in the studio unfortunately. But, we’ve made two bangers so something is working.
PD: What inspired you both to work together again? Is this the last Chris Lake and Aluna track we’re getting?
CL: We did both of the tracks around the same time earlier this year. It was just difficult for us to release both of these around her album which had already been scheduled a long time previously.
PD: You’ve been working on your Under Construction Brand with FISHER. How did that start and what was it like creating it?
CL: At the root of this we’re just mates that love music and the few times we have played music together people have loved it. We’ve just essentially reacted at each stage to the last party and said -let's do this next time- and at one of those points we decided to start the Under Construction Brand. Honestly all we care about is having a laugh and having a party that we have all our friends and family at. It’s not all just about what the crowd sees but there is also a whole party going on behind the decks too which is just as memorable for us.
PD: You both have been performing B2B sets as well, with an Under Construction event coming up in LA. How do you blend your sounds together during these shows?
CL: That is a good question. I don’t know. I guess we just have a synergy musically. I trust him and he trusts me. Most of the time we don't have any plan we just follow each others lead and see where it takes us.
PD: You’re also the founder of Black Book Records. What was it like starting your own label and what do you look for in artists you sign?
CL: I am. I love that label. At the root of it it was an outlet for me to release my own music but more importantly, now it’s an avenue to develop and release music from new and exciting talent and it’s something that all of us at the label take very seriously. It’s our passion to release music that excites us and help expose and grow artists that we sign to a wider audience both through the success of the music itself and through the events they are abel to play off the back of those releases.
PD: You’ve got a few live performances to end the year. What are your favorite tracks to perform live?
CL: There’s loads. I still get the greatest kick from playing “Turn Off the Lights” because its still probably my biggest record and I’m proud of how it turned out and the reaction I get at my shows. It makes people happy which makes me happy too.
