Chip E.

Chip E. was recently featured in the January DJ Mag. His classics "Time to Jack" and "It's House" are credited as the 'Blueprint for House and Techno'. Born and raised in Chicago, he is one of the originators of its legendary house music scene. (The term “jacking” originated from one of his early records, the evergreen floor-filler ‘Time To Jack’.) Notably, his records have become a font of inspiration (and samples) for other artists. Listen close and you’ll hear Chip E’s beats on DJ Sneak’s remix of Eddie Amador’s classic “House Music”, Jeff Mills’ “Skin Deep”, Paul Johnson’s “It’s House” (bootleg), and the Nintendo “Sonic Rush” video game, as well as a collaboration with Scottish techno kingpins Slam on “Like This”, and his remake of "Time 2 Jack" with Carl Cox. Nicknamed The Architect for his crisp, immaculate construction, Chip E brings the same creative approach to his DJ sets. Whether he’s spinning at the @Ultra Music Festival or his home-town club, his sets are more live performance than simple mixing. “Back in the day, the DJ supported the party. Now, the DJ is the party,” he says. “I like to play on four decks to really express myself and move the crowd. It’s very spontaneous.” Chip E blurs the line between studio and dancefloor. “DJing is an extension of my production. Even if I’m playing recorded music it is a performance, I’m going to do something creative. Producing and playing out are both extensions of creating music.”