Chriss Vargas
Origin: None
We dare you to find a New Yorker who isn’t familiar with Chriss Vargas. With a residency at the legendary Pacha New York, Cielo in The Meatpacking District, and an array of Beatport charting tracks, Vargas is the embodiment of the underground New York sound.
Colombian by ancestry and birth, Vargas began DJ’ing and producing over a (bakers) dozen years ago after moving to the United States. With a strong musical background – Vargas is a self-taught drummer and pianist – and a love for technology and programming (Logic, Abelton, plug-ins), he morphed from an educated fan to the puppeteer behind the scenes, creating and playing his own music. 2014 saw the birth of Drop Dead Records (DDR), a place for the producer to expand on his own creations.
I am constantly inspired by the beat. Whether it’s creating it in the studio or banging it out behind the decks, it’s all amazing. ~ Chriss Vargas
The year was 2000. Sound Factory was THE home of dance music in New York City, and Chriss Vargas was asked to open the room for Junior Sanchez. Thus began the whirlwind, parlaying into a long standing residency at Pacha New York, gigs at Electric Daisy Carnival, Governors Island Music Festival, Black and White Music Festival, and a larger than life birthday celebration: Voodoo, which gets bigger and bigger each year.
Vargas regularly brings the sound of the underground to your laptop: with singles on stronghold labels including Nervous Records, KULT, Stereo and Dark Vibe, and original tracks like “Rib Breaker” and “Perceptions” on Beatport. His latest studio efforts include a 10-song album for Nervous Records, coming to digital retailers in Fall 2014, and multiple EPs for Waveform Recordings.
2014 saw the launch of Chriss Vargas’ Drop Dead Records (DDR), which Vargas describes as a label for artists from all over the world. DDR serves as a launching pad for Vargas to expand on his own musical creations.
DJ, producer, party starter. Music industry executive, talent discoverer, and music distributor. Is there anything Vargas can’t do? His story began thirteen years ago and shows no signs of slowing.
