Lee Foss
Origin: United States
Few DJs have made such a dramatic impact on the underground house and techno scene over the last few years as Lee Foss. Described by DJ Mag as “one of the most talented new forces in modern dance music today” and by fellow future house innovators Art Department as their favourite producer, Lee has firmly established himself in dance music’s collective consciousness. Lee and his Hot Natured band mates Jamie Jones and Infinity Ink are currently leading a whole family of like-minded producers that includes Richy Ahmed, WaFF, Digitaria, Robert James and Miguel Campbell, who are currently re-writing the rulebook of how to make evocative, emotive house music. In 2010 he was the highest new entry into Resident Advisor’s key Top 100 DJs poll, entering at number 38 and by 2011 he had climbed to number 18 in the chart, a huge feat given that he only played his first European gig in 2009.
Having hit the UK charts with ‘Benediction’ as part of deep house super group Hot Natured, with genre-spanning hits such as ‘Electricity’ (with MK) and ‘Reverse Skydiving’ under his belt, alongside remixes of chart topping artists such as Rudimental and Lana del Ray, Lee Foss is one of the most exciting forces in modern house music. Not forgetting Hot Creations, the groundbreaking label he runs with partner Jamie Jones, which is arguably one of the world’s most innovative house labels. His unique sound, born out a lifelong love of classic house, 90s hip hop, 80s electro and Detroit techno, has earned him fanatical grassroots support from clubbers in both Europe and North America.
Born and raised in Chicago, the birthplace of house, Lee now lives between London and Los Angeles. Lee made his name on both sides of the Atlantic playing at clubs like Fabric (London), Warung (Brazil), The Warehouse Project (Manchester), The Standard Rooftop (Lost Angeles), The Marcy Hotel (Brooklyn), Watergate (Berlin) and Spybar (Chicago). Lee’s rapid rise to prominence has been as much down to his focused but all-encompassing approach to DJing as it has his pioneering take on nu-school house and synth-heavy techno, backed up by a string of hit releases on labels like No 19, Culprit, Wolf+Lamb and his own Hot Creations imprint.
While growing up in Chicago, Lee cut his teeth on the clubs and raves of the late 90’s, experiences that initially sparked his interest in house and disco. However, it was a chance visit to Ibiza back in 2001, that changed his whole approach to music and helped steer his musical destiny for the next decade and beyond. It was in Ibiza that summer that he first became friends with Jamie Jones and the pair formed a tight brotherly bond that quickly blossomed into their highly acclaimed Hot Creations label partnership with Richy Ahmed, and later their Hot Natured band project with Infinity Ink and their worldwide event brand, Paradise.
Since then, Lee has gone on to release a string of hits on a variety of labels including ‘The Edge EP’, ‘Equilibrium’, ‘U Got Me’ and ‘Starfruit EP’, all of which have been independently awarded ‘Tune of the Month’ in Mixmag at various points. Lee has recently joined forces with house legend MK and vocalist Anabel Englund to form a second electronic outfit, Pleasure State. The trio’s first EP, Electricity, has already landed to much success with Pete Tong announcing the title track as his ‘Essential New Tune’ earlier this year.
With this many accolades under his belt in such a short space of time, it would be easy for Lee to rest on his laurels but this couldn’t be farther from the case. Hot Natured’s latest single release ‘Reverse Skydiving’, is shaping up to be one of the summer’s biggest hits. The debut Hot Natured album is due to follow in the summer, and backed by Pete Tongs legendary FFRR imprint is already garnering incredible anticipation ahead of its release. The innovative Hot Natured Live Show kicked off with two back to back sold out shows at Brixton Academy earlier this Spring and will lead into the band headlining slots at the new Silver Hayes dance stage at Glastonbury, Sonar in Barcelona, Bestival on the Isle of Wight and Wavefront in Chicago. Undeniably this is shaping up to be yet another career-defining year for Lee Foss.
