Selections: Chrissy

“I don’t believe in guilty pleasures and I don’t really do ironic distance,” Chrissy told DJ Mag last year. “If I love a genre, I dive all the way in and embrace it completely.” If there’s one thing that could never be denied about the San Francisco DJ and producer, it’s that he really, really loves dance music in all its forms. Listen to one of his DJ sets and you’ll hear joyful house anthems, Hi-NRG stompers and garage snappers alongside percussive club monsters and techno bangers.

He casts a wide net in his productions too, with recent releases on labels like SHERELLE and NAINA’s HOOVERSOUND, Permanent Vacation and Shall Not Fade tracing radiant threads that connect classic rave breaks, jungle and footwork to deep house, disco and acid. He does all this with a seamless, loving touch that can only come from years of devotion, which originated for him in the early US rave scene.

“My biggest memory from early rave days was that feeling of just being in a cultural ecosystem that was completely ours and totally divorced from mainstream culture,” he told DJ Mag. “The diversity of the events, the fact that they were outside of the clubs, mostly alcohol-free, centred around music that the rest of the world hated and ridiculed. That feeling of having our own separate little paradise, however naive, is something I want to move back towards as a scene.”

It’s a vibe that he will surely capture now with his Maximum Airtime label, which launched last month with a jukey-ravey-ballroomy belter from himself and Mister Wallace, ‘It’s Time To Dance’, alongside a giddy remix from Paurro. The imprint dropped its second EP last week, ABSOLUTE.’s euphoric ‘Garage Queen’, which features a remix from Shaun J. Wright. 

With many more surprises in store on Maximum Airtime, you can fill your boots with ten gems from Chrissy’s personal record bag below, spanning melodic thumpers, rowdy club tools and mind-bending genre mashups. Dive in. 

“Carpainter is one of my fave producers these days, and part of the Trekkie Trax crew, who throw some of the best parties in Tokyo (as well as running a great label). This song is jammed full of big melodies and catchy moments, but still really thumps on a dancefloor.”

“This track is a masterclass in drum programming: the beat switches up so many times over three and a half minutes, but the transitions never feel forced, and it just keeps amping up the energy with every new development. And the part where the beat cuts out and they yell ‘Turn the fuckin’ music up pendejo’ is a MOMENT!”

“An absolutely inspired mashup – way more fun (and clever tbh) than some ‘serious’ boring techno record (I mean, yawn, amirite?)”

“Gorgeous synthwork, memorable melodies, interestingly wonky rhythmic curveballs, and an irresistible tension that builds throughout the whole track. I've been playing this in nearly every set.”

“Best breakdown of the year, hands down. It works great sped up, too!”

“Another beautiful, UR-inspired, melodic jackin' techno epic from this Mexican duo. Everything they do is amazing!”

“I really love ABSOLUTE.. In fact, the next release on my new label Maximum Airtime is from him! This tune from his previous release is a chuggy rave banger with huge hands-in-the-air piano breakdowns.”

“This cut from Miami-based producer INVT really works in so many different types of sets, from ballroom to bashment to UK funky to ravey breaks. Definitely a great tool for bouncing from genre to genre in a set.”

“Absolutely mind-bending half-speed acid techno that draws from footwork, jungle, rave, and classic Chicago house aesthetics. Great tune for a room reset or a tempo transition – you can slow it down to 110 or speed it up to 160 and it still works.”

“I love stuff that bridges different genres, so here's another one: an energetic peak-hour stomper that feels like equal parts footwork, classic Detroit ghettotech, Jersey club, and wonky UK gabba (or maybe donk?), from Hong Kong producer Kray. The combo shouldn't work, but it totally does.”