Chris Ramos has created a dance music masterpiece on his debut album, Evolution.
Ramos' early career was fueled by a series of singles signed to the then-emerging Monstercat label, as well as a prestigious collaboration with influential duo Tritonal, among other notable releases. Evolution marks her first release in eight years following a long hiatus of healing and self-discovery.
Spanning 13 tracks, Evolution is an expansive project that effortlessly transitions between several genres of dance music, from progressive house and dance-pop to drum & bass and techno. Featuring a sizable roster of featured artists and producers, the album showcases his collaborative spirit while highlighting his unique experience as a dance music veteran.
“Underwater” kicks off the project with its melodic techno production and anthemic vocals before tracks like the organic “Pushin” and the gritty “Mike Tyson” continue the sonic journey. “Bad For Ya,” a drum & bass anthem, is an undeniable highlight, while “Liars Say” closes the album on a melancholic note with its downtempo production and hypnotic synths.
We caught up with Ramos to chat about the album, as well as his extended break from releasing music and his future plans.
EDM.com: Evolution marks your first release in eight years. What led you to make the decision to take this extended break?
Chris Ramos: It's been a minute! There are many reasons related to the long break, but the main cause was mental health and the need to get better. Looking back, I grew up with anxiety and ADHD, but I didn't fully understand it. As I got older and things started to get better, the anxiety didn't get better… it just intensified. I put a lot of pressure on myself, and without the right attitude and control, it can unfortunately become a bit toxic.
I slowly went from loving the process and journey of being an artist/DJ, from feeling nervous before a show, to losing control of my anxious thoughts. Once it started ruining the fun and dulling the passion, I knew I needed to make the hard decision and take a break. Club residencies, records playing at festivals, getting played on the radio… I had to put it all on hold. I also had a lot to learn musically and technically, and I just needed to grow as a person.
EDM.com: What kept you busy all these years?
Chris Ramos: The long vacation turned out to be a blessing in disguise! From life experiences and lessons learned to the production and sound engineering skills I’ve developed further… It’s been really great. I also founded a record label during the pandemic, which catapulted both my passion and purpose, and opened my eyes to a whole different side of the music industry.
Developing artists and releasing their music is a completely different thing. Helping and inspiring others has become one of my favorite things to do, and the exchange of energy between artists is unmatched. Traveling to Europe, Los Angeles, and Costa Rica brought me inspiration, new perspectives, and some really cool vibes. And I also worked on music for some of the biggest brands and video games in the world, which really pushed me out of my comfort zone and gave me new ways to approach my own music.
EDM.com: Tell us about the making of this album: what was the process like?
Chris Ramos: Where do I start? It’s funny because in my head I feel like I started making this album maybe a year ago, but I’ve actually been developing it since 2020. I just didn’t know it yet. I’ve been writing songs about my life experience and letting them guide me to their final form. Everything has felt natural and fluid, pouring myself into every aspect.
“Underwater” is basically about seeing myself drowning underwater, hitting rock bottom, and how I get back out of it. “Bad For Ya” is about a traumatic breakup, and the lyrics are inspired by her perspective… I wrote and sang it shortly after the experience, so there’s a lot of raw emotion behind that recording. “Out Of My Head” deals with the post-breakup experience pretty well, and even “Hypnotherapy” plays with the theme of giving so much of yourself that you lose sight of who you really are.
I'm thankful for the amazing team that has collaborated with me on these records as well! Dani Doucette really hit the nail on the head and emotion on his records, and his energy is always amazing to be around. MXJ brought his fun afro vibes and really took my drum work to another level. S_Zero and I really fused our styles and showed what a perfect collaboration looks like, while Joe McCann pushed the experimental boundaries, inspiring me to take things further with a “Spanglish” vocal. Together, they've all inspired and pushed me to be better, and made the journey of this album even more enjoyable.
EDM.com: You have a very hands-on approach to creating art, from singing and producing to mastering and creating visual art for your records. What does the process of learning to do things for yourself mean to you?
Chris Ramos: There are two sides to every coin. In this case, I would say that the fact that I have learned to do so many things on my own has manifested itself for a couple of reasons: first, it is what happens when you love learning new things, have ADHD, and strive to perfect what you do. Second, a lot of it has come out of necessity.
Making music, high quality music, isn’t cheap or quick. And unless you have a huge budget and a team behind you, it’s not easy to really make it. Studio costs, engineers, singers/songwriters, musicians, producers, graphic designers, etc. I love being creative and I have the ability to do all of these things, so why not work hard and get good at it? And the singing part… I was always shy about singing, but as a recording engineer, I’ve heard from so many singers that I need to start recording myself more and singing on more music. So I decided screw it all, this is my time to be me and do what feels right to me. I love singing, improvising, and making music. Instead of holding back, it’s time to show my true self to the world.
EDM.com: What are some of your favorite songs? Evolution And how do they fit into the entire narrative of the record?
Chris Ramos: Can I answer another question? Haha. It's a tough one, I love all 13 albums on here. My favorite album would be Underwater. Since it's about coming out of the depths and this album is about my personal evolution coming out of the shadows, it really sets the tone for the whole album.
“Out Of My Head” was a fun song to make. I can see Hans Zimmer collaborating with MEDUZA, with Eric Prydz adding a little spark. I was able to bring out my soundtrack experience in this song, and fusing that world with electronic dance music was a fun challenge I set myself.
“Hypnotherapy” was one of the fastest and most natural projects on this record. It's definitely a bit related to my ADHD with the twists and turns and the tempo changes, but that's what I really love about that record. And Dani's dreamy vocals, of course. A huge hit all around.
“Breakdown” and “Mike Tyson” are the more aggressive records, releasing pent-up aggression after an epic crescendo and drawing on my martial arts background respectively.
And all the collaborations were so much fun to do. They really inspired me to keep pushing myself.
EDM.com: Your debut single dates back to 2010. When did you start making music and how has that evolution been for you?
Chris Ramos: Let's start at the beginning. My parents saw that I loved playing the piano when I was a baby, so they quickly put me in piano lessons at the age of 3. At the age of 13, they kindly gave me my first piano. real Keyboard, which had a built-in sequencer. Little did my family know that I would soon begin recording ideas, experimenting with loops, and making tracks. [laughs]I grew up surrounded by all kinds of music, but my mother would play dance, trance and European music when I worked out and I loved the energy and excitement behind it all. Tiesto, Robert Miles, Global Deejays, Ace Of Base, Basshunter… I was hooked. At 16, I became passionate about making this a career and that same year I signed my first record deal with a small label in Miami. My passion for being in this industry was cemented.
From there, I learned how to DJ and started playing at all-ages events around Toronto. By the age of 20, my first record was played on the radio, I was playing clubs, and I started doing residencies at some of the best venues in the city. It seems like music has always come naturally to me and will always flow through my veins.
EDM.com: What have been some of your favorite career moments so far and what can fans expect from you throughout the rest of 2024 and beyond?
Chris Ramos: There have been so many fun moments, it really is an exciting career and industry to be a part of. Opening for Porter Robinson and Madeon is one of my favorite shows. The atmosphere was perfect and the crowd was amazing.
Hearing my name for the first time on my favorite radio station was surreal. I was driving at the time and almost crashed my mom's car, haha!
Collaborating with Tritonal was an absolute dream. Being a fan of theirs and hearing that they wanted to collaborate on my album “This Is Love” was such an honour. They are such fun guys and I could never have expected such an epic response. We hit the charts BillboardIt charted on Hot Dance, it cracked the Beatport top 100, it reached my first million plays and we played at all the biggest dance music festivals in the world. To make things even more surreal, Darude joined the group and remixed the record. A true legend. What an experience!
Looking ahead, fans can expect a lot more from me. This album is not just about my personal evolution, but about me coming back from the shadows, with all my strength catapulting me forward. Expect more music, epic content, and soon live shows. No more restrictions. It's time to bring all the emotions to the world.
FOLLOW CHRIS RAMOS:
Facebook: facebook.com/chrisramoslive
Instagram: Instagram.com/chrisramoslive
X: x.com/chrisramoslive
Spotify: spoti.fi/3LEw75P
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