Common, infuriating comments women DJ/producers often get are something like "a man actually produced their music" or "they're only popular because they're hot." Thus, women producers are often forced into the defensive, giving studio tours and slogging away at every aspect of making a track on their own.



Of course, men are not held up to these same standards.




As Femme House co-founder and piano house queen LP Giobbi pointed out in a poignant 2021 conversation with rising tech house star J. Worra, most men at the top do not do everything alone. And having tracks mixed and engineered by someone else is standard across all genres of music. Also, no one is going to be stellar at every part of the process. Collaborating with a skilled instrumentalist or songwriter, for example, can offer a new perspective, nuance, and sonic diversity to music that you wouldn't get working solo.

"I think there's a lot of value for you as an artist working through it and figuring it out on your own, but I've been producing for eight years now, [sigh] and it almost hit a point where I just need some help," J. Worra said.


The "Check Out" producer revealed that it was an impactful conversation with tech house king Chris Lake that made her reconsider her commitment to doing everything by herself. While sitting next to Lake at Sound nightclub in Los Angeles, she told him she was doing everything independently.


"He was like, 'Why are you doing this to yourself? That's great and all, but why are you trying to do every single thing on your own? I've had instances where I've had full years where I've sent tracks to Marco Lys to mix down or Chris Lorenzo to fix something,' she said of the advice Lake gave her.


"That made me shift my perspective, because for the longest time I thought if I didn't do everything on my own, I'm not going to be a real artist and people aren't going to consider me. So, it takes a while to kinda let go of all of the control."


It's only fair that all artists have access to the tools that can help them and their music thrive and grow, including being able to collaborate and ask for help.

Chris Lake Inspired J. Worra to Shift Her Perspective 

UK producer and DJ Cloonee is on a fast track to icon status due to his undeniable ability to get people moving on the dance floor. Cloonee has released an avalanche of bangers over the past few years, all injected with slinky sub basslines, infectious vocal samples, and a serious ear for spicy percussion. And while his growing catalog drips with sexy dance floor-filling singles, we picked five tracks that catapulted him into the tech house spotlight (in no particular order).




1. Cloonee - The Ciggie (2018)




"The Ciggie" was released in December 2018 and is one of Cloonee's first chart-toppers. While his track "Separated," released in 2016, had done quite well, it didn't even come close to the success of "The Ciggie." Released on the stalwart tastemaker Solid Grooves, not only is his highest streaming tune, it gives an early taste of his penchant for wonky sub bass and crispy drums.










2. Cloonee & Wade - Mi Amor (2021)




"Mi Amor" is a crowd favorite and will undoubtedly get an entire room moving within seconds. Released on CLNE, Cloonee's series of self-releases it's a collaboration with Spanish producer Wade. The track masterfully samples a Spanish horn which Cloonee says was an unintended addition to the song, which is perfectly on brand for this pair. The two threw ideas back and forth for nearly a year before they were happy with it. In an interview with Mr. Afterparty, the duo talks about how they have more music together that probably won't ever see the light of day. They expand on the fact that it wasn't necessarily the track that took a long time to make but more so creating something together they could actually release.




3. Cloonee - Sun Goes Down (2021)




"Sun Goes Down" is another undeniable club banger released by Cloonee in January of 2021. Sampling the classic "Sound of Violence" by French duo Cassius, released initially in 2002, it was an instant hit when Cloonee teased it before its release. After two years in his collection and countless messages from fans badgering him about the release, it came out strong under Big Beat Records.




4. Cloonee - Get Stupid (2020)




"Get Stupid" is a super funky and playful track released by CLNE in August 2020. The 90's boom bap hip hop vocals give it a decidedly vintage feel while maintaining a sound that's become a hallmark of Cloonee.







5. Chris Lake, Cloonee - Nightmares (2022)




Although this track is super fresh and was just released this year, the official collaboration with house music legend Chris Lake will cement Cloonee's spot as a tech house superstar for years to come. The track was released under Chris Lake's Black Book Records in May 2022 – Friday, the 13th, to be exact, which is fitting for the song's spooky vibes. This collaboration is quite the accomplishment for Cloonee, a long-standing fan of Chris Lake.



5 Tracks that Made Cloonee a Tech House Super Star

Cloonee has been slowly making his way to tech house superstar status over the last few years. He’s become a regular on the global festival circuit, and his music is instantly recognizable by dancers and DJs worldwide. Not to mention, the UK-based DJ and producer runs two labels, CLNE, exclusively for his records, and Hellbent, where he’s helping incubate a new generation of tech house beatsmiths.




With Cloonee’s steady movement to the top of the charts, it doesn’t seem like he plans on slowing down any time soon. Amongst his releases in 2022, fans witnessed his most significant collaboration to date – “Nightmares” with Chris Lake. The track dropped on May 13th, 2022, a fittingly spooky Friday, the 13th. The hairraising track brings some seriously ghastly vibes. Of course, a collaboration with Chris Lake is a huge deal for any artist, and Cloonee has been a long-time fan of the house music icon.

The release of “Nightmares” marks Cloonee’s first official collaboration with Chris Lake. However, it came on the heels of the producer’s remix of Chris Lake’s iconic song “Turn Off The Lights.” He also made his debut on Lake’s Black Book Records with “What Ya Want” in May 2020.




How did this duo come to be? Although he couldn’t get in front of a live audience throughout the pandemic, Cloonee could get into the studio and work on tons of music. He was also working toward building a relationship with Lake. “Chris is probably one of the few that has always had his inbox open, and he’s even sent me a few of his records which was weird,” Cloonee shared in an interview with Festicket.



“He’s just so respected in the industry and has been such a pillar for God knows how long,” he continues. “To have someone like him wanting to work with me is crazy. We’re in talks to hopefully do some shows together in the States.”




Cloonee and Lake met virtually and chatted online, but their first in-person meeting wasn’t until the 4th of July, 2021, in San Diego. Cloonee was opening for Chris Lake at Petco Park, and the duo went on to play another sold-out show at the Brooklyn Mirage shortly after.




“I was kind of nervous to meet him. But he loved all of my music, so there was a mutual respect there for each other… He’s got such a kind heart,” Cloonee told Dancing Astronaut.




While Cloonee’s bass-heavy, worldly take on tech house speaks for itself, having the cosign from one of dance music’s most respected figures doesn’t hurt. And when you consider his quick ascension to the main stage, it’s only a matter of time before Cloonee can pay it forward for another artist.



How Cloonee Started Working With Chris Lake

Each passing year represents a shift in the music industry. The evolution of sound, how listeners consume music, rehashing old tropes. In 2021 we learned that there could be new ways to consume music even in a crowded streaming market. Twitch and Audius blossomed as two new platforms for dance music fans to get that house music fix. We also witnessed 90s nostalgia in full swing, whether we liked it or not.

2021 had a bit of everything. As we enter 2022, we can reflect on one thing 2021 has taught us: nothing is promised. The pandemic put a halt to live music and concert tours, and artists had to get creative in how they continued to reach their fans and put out new music. 

The slowdown of the music business in 2021 has forever changed the shape of the industry. Yet it produced some groundbreaking trends that we hope are here to stay. 




Social Media Livestreams


Livestreams became popular, with venues in flux in 2020 and 2021. Social media platforms with video streaming and sharing capabilities such as Twitch and Facebook Live have provided musicians and their fans the opportunity to connect through streams. They gave us a forum to enjoy our favorite artists and explore new tunes in real-time while interacting with fellow house heads.   

Whether the streaming media included short, raw performances hinting at future music or full-fledged online music festival. These performances allowed giants like Paxhau, Dirtybird, and Desert Hearts to move forward with doing what they do best, entertaining the masses.   

And for emerging artists, they provided limitless opportunities to advance their careers. By the time live shows returned, artists like Mary Droppinz and Nala had established new and growing fan bases that helped make them enticing to festival promoters. While artists like LP Giobbi and Sofi Tukker, while already fan favorites, streamed their way into superstar status because of their daily presence on Twitch.





Festivals such as Electric Daisy Carnival, Awakenings, Ultra, and Tomorrowland continue to maintain live streams, making festivals more attainable to the masses—further propelling house music artists to household names.  




Music Video Comeback

The days of MTV being an actual music network that played actual music video are long gone. Music videos used to be a must for any hit song. However, social media sites and YouTube have reintroduced them as a necessary promotional tool. And yet another way for artists to creatively express their vision.   

Music videos add a sheen to a song. They eliminate the uncertainty of understanding what an artist is trying to covey. They elevate the artist's vision and often add an additional layer of nuance to the message. There is power in creating curated and compelling visual narratives for the music. Artists like Will Clarke have mastered the medium, creating solid, visually stunning music videos.

Cross-Genre Collaboration

Collaborations allow artists to tiptoe the line between genres and maybe do something that lies slightly outside of their comfort zone. While they aren't new to dance music, cross-genre collaborations exploded in 2021 due to the pandemic. Artists were in discovery mode. They had time to experiment with music and the ability to collaborate across vast distances via Zoom, Dropbox, Splice, and any number of collaborative platforms.

The door was wide open in 2021 for performers to pair up with their favorite artists of any genre. And the collaborations were nothing short of magical. With critically acclaimed partnerships in-house music with pop, rock, and hip-hop artists alike, we've seen dance music explode into the mainstream in unprecedented ways. The underground is becoming truly massive.



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DJs Ditching the Decks

When a DJ drops the decks and plays live, it's a thrilling way to experience their work in a new way. Watching them actively create or remix their music is a kind of magic generally reserved for production studios. 







Over the past couple of years, we have started seeing a spike in Live Sets. Groups like Bob Moses, Wajatta, Rufus Du Sol, and WhoMadeWho are no strangers to the festival circuit. But seeing artists like this on more lineups only proves the value of "playing live." 

The immense creativity and emotional weight that artists like Georgia Anjuli, Hannes Bieger, KiNK, and Motez, have created in performing their music live are indisputable—and seeing someone working multiple machines to create soundscapes before our eyes create an immensely meaningful dance floor experience that is difficult to match. 

Here are some other producers taking the house music to new heights as live acts: Jacques Green, Rodriguez Jr, Rybo, and Jamie Jones with Kate Simko as Opus 1.




Rise of the Indie Artists 


The internet and its many devices have allowed independent artists to find inventive ways to get in front of broader audiences in 2021. With touring out of the question for almost half the year, younger artists stepped out front as they took control of platforms like Tik Tok, Twitch, and Instagram and created new opportunities for growth outside of live shows.

They've allowed people the advantage of keeping their music constantly at their fingertips with personally curated playlists, creative content, unique livestreams, and insider videos. They were masters at manipulating the algorithms. As a result, the ever-growing ability to find underground artists across a changing digital landscape is more powerful than ever.

2021 was a treasure chest of indie artists starting to shine. Niles Shepard, Sammy Legs, Arnold & Lane, Nick Siarom, and Lubelski harnessed their powers and are fast becoming names to watch. The future continues to be bright for the underground.   

5 Trends in House Music we Loved in 2021

On today’s festival circuit, there are few names more widely recognized than that of Chris Lake. In the years since his 2006 breakout single, “Changes (feat. Laura V.)” reached No. 10 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Airplay chart—and transformed the UK-born DJ/producer into the household name he is today—Lake has amassed a loyal and hearty fan base and established a sound that is equally at home on a main stage or at a house party.

After the success of “Changes,” Lake continued to release chart-topping tracks, including “Only One,” “If You Knew,” featuring Nastala, and “Carry Me Away,” with Emma Hewitt. In 2012, Lake was nominated for his first Grammy for his collaboration with deadmau5 on the album ‘4X4=12.’ He also earned early support from Skrillex, BBC Radio 1’s Annie Mac, and the editorial teams at publications including 

Lake’s career certainly hasn’t slowed down since then. In addition to touring the world with his own act—and on the lineups of some of the most well-regarded festivals in dance music—Lake has also made a name for himself through his long-standing professional relationship with fellow DJ/producer, Chris Lorenzo. As Anti Up, the two have teamed up to create a collaborative project that melds both of their musical voices. Lake is also increasingly associated with DJ/producer Fisher; collaborations and B2B sets between the two have quickly become fan favorites.

In addition to his own original productions, Chris Lake is also well known for his remixes, in which he adds his own flavor to tracks like Calvin Harris and Disciples’s “How Deep Is Your Love,” Swedish House Mafia and The Weeknd’s “Moth to a Flame,” and Missy Elliot’s “WTF.” Lake is also at the helm of his very own record label, Black Book Records.

Chris Lake

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