We're joined by Cody Chase, a talented DJ and producer from the US who's poised for a big year in 2023. He just released a brand new track on Friday titled "Don't Talk" and has a techno EP called 'They Don't Know' coming soon. Cody gives us great perspective about how his background led to his pursuit of a career in dance music, and shares his excitement for everything that lies ahead!

Hey Cody, thanks for joining us today! Starting out, can you please introduce yourself to our readers?

Hey 1001Tracklists readers! Cody Chase here and I like to jokingly refer to myself as the best DJ you’ve never heard because soon, it won’t be a joke and you’ll be watching me play all over the world! I play bass-heavy house and techno. Outside of music, I am an entrepreneur who owns a dope canna-business. I am married to the love of my life and we are expecting our first child, a son, in July. 

Take us all the way back – when did you get started with a career in dance music?

I am often told I have music in the blood. My grandfather was a professional musician. During WWII he was a band leader in the army, singing and playing trumpet for troops on their way to fight in the European, African or the South-Pacific campaigns. Once he returned home from service, he then proceeded to lead an incredibly popular band in New Jersey that played nearly every wedding and sweet 16 around the tri-state. An apple not falling far from the tree, my father became a professional drummer at 14 when he began drumming for my grandfather’s band.

By the time I was three, my dad had me playing on his drum kit. I’ve always had a deep rooted love for beats and percussion. Makes sense why I love dance music and DJing.

 My journey into dance music first started in 2003 when someone gave me a CD of Benny Benassi’s Hypnotica. At 13, I had never heard such a revolutionary sound in my life. I was hooked, diving deep through Limewire and Kazaa’s libraries looking for this style of music I had just newly discovered. 

 2008 was when I got my first chance to experience dance music live and loud. I was an 18 year old freshman at the University of Colorado. A friend of mine from back home in New Jersey, a sophomore with a car, drove us to Denver and took me with him to my first rave. I saw DJ Icey slay a crowd of over 1000 in a sweaty warehouse rave. That was a night of firsts. I saw my first light show, and for the first time, had my breath taken away by the live energy of music. Striking up conversations and making connections had never been more fun or easier. It made me want more.

What made you want to learn DJing and producing?

A few weeks later, we went back to Denver to a club called Beta, well-known for its top-tier sound provided by a Funktion 1 system. We saw none other than Benny Benassi, which ironically had brought my journey full circle. The emotion, the power, the control that Benassi had over the crowd was remarkable. It had left me in awe. How could someone make an entire crowd of people move and dance and feel just by playing music? It was that day I knew that I would have to be a part of something. Something that had been and would continue to be a lifelong love affair with dance music. 

 That winter break, I went back home to NJ, where a friend of mine would take me to Pacha NYC to see Mark Knight. I was introduced to Brian M, a DJ playing at Pacha. We quickly hit it off and stayed in touch. Brian told me that he would teach me to DJ if I showed I was serious about it. Not wanting to show any lack of interest, I went to my piggy bank and spent every last dollar on a pair of CDJ900s and a Behringer DDM4000. Taking me under his wing, Brian showed me how to play, how to find music, and how to craft a set. From there I spent hours and hours on those decks honing the craft until a few months later, I too, was ready for Pacha.

 One of the best pieces of advice I could give to a new DJ would be to cover the BPM display with a sticky note and learn to mix by ear alone.

 How would you describe your style as both a DJ and as a producer?

I would describe myself DJing as a great mixer. My DJ rig includes 4x CDJ3000s and a DJM-V10. What I love about that setup is the freedom it provides for me to keep a 3 or 4 deck mix running at any given time. It gives me the opportunity to reinterpret music live and on the fly. It also prevents my listeners from ever hearing the same mix twice. I love to line up tracks where I take a kick and bass from one deck, the tops from another, the lead/synth from a third and a vocal running on the fourth completely transforming those 4 songs into something entirely different. As the V10 offers 6 channels, I have begun to incorporate a live rig that I plan to transition in and out of. That setup includes a DJS-1000, Roland TR-8S, and a Roland TB-3. 

 My house and techno sound is heavily focused on driving the subwoofers. My favorite things to play and produce are usually centered around interesting and driving basslines. The more I can make your chest rumble, the better.  

How was your year in 2022, and what were some of your highlights?

2022 was a great year for me. I spent a majority of the year in the studio and have put together a ton of new music that I plan on releasing throughout 2023. While I wasn’t able to perform most of the year, I did make many advancements in life. I was able to grow the revenue of my canna-business, hire a CEO and leave my full time role to pursue a career in dance music full time. Toward the end of 2022, my wife became pregnant and we can’t wait for our son to arrive in July. 

 You have a brand new track that you just released titled "Don't Talk." Tell us more about this one – where did the idea come from and what was the production process like?

"Don’t" Talk was a fun track to produce. Once the bassline was crafted the track almost wrote itself. And since I loved how it slapped, I figured f*ck it, tell the listener to be quiet and not miss the best part. Don’t Talk!

Can you pick out your favorite musical element in "Don't Talk" and tell us why this stands out to you?

Without a doubt, the tone and sound of the bassline is the central focus of the track and my single favorite part of the arrangement. While given only in somewhat short bursts, that bassline is made to hit the listener in just a way to make a reaction face to the bass and groove into the beat. 

 Do you have any new music in the pipeline that you can tell us about?

I have a ton of new music coming in 2023! Along with "Don’t Talk", I have a 3 track techno EP called They Don’t Know dropping around the same time. I have a ton more techno and tech house tracks that will be released on some of our favorite labels, but for now we must stay quiet. 

What goals do you have for yourself for 2023? What about long-term goals?

Goals are important for a guy like me. I like to look at them everyday to remind myself that this is a marathon, and not a sprint. While the path may change, the destinations will remain the same. So I have a few sheets of paper printed out and hung above my desk. While I won’t go into detail, I will share a few of my favorites. 

 Goals for 2023:

- Launch and grow my new radio show The Chase coming out in a few weeks and in syndication all across the globe a few weeks after that.
- Receive support from some of my favorite DJs.
- See successful label releases of some tracks.
- Tour some dope spots in the US and Europe.
- Get signed to a talent agency (Big shout-out to Team-Wass!).

 Long-term Goals:

- Share my knowledge, passion and talent for dance music while slaying the decks for fans around the world.
- Produce a top-tier traveling event featuring some of the most advanced light and sound technology available.
- Perform at Ultra Miami, my favorite festival. 

 There are so many more that I could share with you, but I’d rather have you come along and join me on this journey. Please subscribe to my socials and follow my development as I begin to introduce the world to the sights and sounds of Cody Chase! Make sure to check out my newest releases; "Don’t Talk" just dropped on all platforms last week and will be soon followed by the They Don’t Know EP. Thank you for reading, I’m so excited to show you what I can do!