“Do you know Canadian DJ Chris Allen?”
It’s a question that nearly everyone in melodic dance music circles seems to be asking. To those from his hometown of London, Ontario, Chris Allen is known as the DJ they voted “Best DJ” for 2008. Those with an internet connection and a taste for quality tunes may know him from his popular monthly podcast and radio radio show, BOOM, on internet radio station DI.fm. Clubgoers from Europe, the US and Canada have been getting to know him from his various DJ appearances (including three at this year’s Winter Music Conference in Miami) where he’s played alongside the likes of Armin Van Buuren, Markus Schulz, Sander Van Doorn and Gareth Emery. Clubgoers from his newly adopted residence of Calgary, in Western Canada, are already abuzz from having witnessed his first few gigs in town since recently relocating here, while to his fellow DJs, he’s also known as the A&R and label manager for one of the melodic dance music community’s most respected imprints Andy Moor’s AVA Recordings – a label on which he’s also had releases of his own.
But for those who have been paying attention to Chris’ lifelong love affair with music, this multi-faceted involvement with the underground dance music community comes as no surprise. Raised in a musical family, Chris’ musical abilities were first proven on the trumpet, which he mastered in his youth. Moving onto decks and a mixer, Chris quickly translated his love of melody and his innate ability to perform for a crowd to a more technologically sophisticated medium, both as a DJ and as a producer and remixer.
As much at home in intimate venues as he is in superclubs like The Docks in Toronto or Stereo in Montreal, Chris’ musical versatility and professional experience as a DJ gives him the flexibility to play the moment, whether that moment is to fifty people or five thousand. Equal parts clubgoer and businessperson, Chris understands not just the magic of a peak-time set, but also the subtleties of the behind-the-scenes promotions and record-label worlds that make that magic possible. His DJ sets are at once accessible and engaging, yet upfront and unique – the product of his having one ear permanently to the ground of the global dance music community – while his remixes and original productions reflect both Chris’ conventional musical abilities and his countless hours spent filling and feeling out dancefloors.
Updated: August 16, 2008
