Chris Lake. Courtesy of Corey Wilson.
Corey Wilson
When Chris Lake steps behind the decks, it’s more than him playing a set: it’s a journey into his world, one that is polished, cool, fun but slightly unexpected. The artist’s productions are forward-thinking and push boundaries, all while staying true to his brand. Upon entering Lake’s sonic atmosphere, we can’t help but dance to his infectious rhythms. And soon, New York City will be dancing, too.
Today through Sunday, June 7, Lake comes to Brooklyn’s Under the K Bridge Park to headline three consecutive shows. Due to demand following the Friday and Saturday shows going on sale, a third show was added on Sunday. Lake’s final set of his weekend takeover at Under the K Bridge Park will take place at sunset, offering an experience that differs from his typical late-night performances. The three-night run boasts support from Omnom, Stixx, Ayybo, Lumia, Tiga, Eli Escobar and Ksenyeah, with select artists playing each night. Tickets for the shows can be found here.
“I think New York has been such an unbelievable market for me to play in. All the shows are always just great, fun, memorable, and they’re just lively. It is one of my favorite places to play for sure,” Lake says, adding that he will be playing out a lot of new music during the sets.
The tastemaker’s forthcoming shows at Under the K Bridge Park this weekend are presented by his imprint, Black Book Records, alongside promoter The Bowery Presents. This year marks the 10th anniversary of his label. While Black Book Records is now known as an esteemed imprint, it was founded on a whim.
Lake says prior to its inception, he was on a Skype call with acclaimed radio host Danny Howard, who was filling in for Annie Mac on BBC Radio 1’s Dance Party at the time. Lake played Howard a song dubbed “Operator (Ring Ring),” which was unreleased at the time. This occurred on a Tuesday. The next day, Howard told Lake he couldn’t get the track out of his head, and he wanted to make it the “hottest record of the world,” according to Lake. Howard wanted to play “Operator (Ring Ring)” on BBC Radio 1’s Dance Party that Friday, a mere two days later.
Lake called his management and explained how he saw this as a good opportunity, so while they weren’t planning to release the track yet, he thought they should. The label was then founded, and its logo was drawn up that very moment. Thus, Black Book Records was born.
“It was just because we were being reactionary to an opportunity that we had to get the record played on Radio 1, and it was definitely one of the best moves I ever made,” the sound designer says. “We started signing records from other people, and now, 10 years on, we’ve had a bunch of releases with a bunch of phenomenal artists. I think we’ve made our mark.”
Lake has established himself as one of the most prominent figures in dance music, championing the genre with productions that push the scene forward. However, he is cautiously optimistic when it comes to the future of house music, particularly with AI’s part in it. The sonic storyteller believes there are positives to it, but he worries it’s leading many artists to rely too heavily on sampling instead of creating something new.
“There’s got to be new out there to keep things moving forward, or else we’re just going to end up in like a recycling center. At the moment, we’re in a little bit of a period of everything kind of being recycled,” Lake says. “If you’re thinking about the health of where things are heading, I feel as if it’s important for people still to be trying to find new ideas.”
What has kept him reigning among the top names in dance music is his ability to create inventive tracks that are authentically him. “As an artist, you want to identify what makes you unique,” he says. “Everyone’s got their fingerprint.”
“I think it’s really important to remember that if you want to stand out, there’s no point trying to fit in,” Lake says. “I just tried to focus on standing out by doing my own thing, irrespective of trying to fit in with others. It’s kind of like, over the years, it’s ended up working out for me. I wouldn’t say it was the easiest path, but it’s nice to reflect back on and feel like I’ve done things my way and true to me.”