Chris Ramos has created a dance music opus in his debut album, Evolution.
Ramos’ early career was driven by a number of singles signed to then-emerging powerhouse label Monstercat, as well as a prestigious collaboration with the influential duo Tritonal, among other notable releases. Evolution marks his first release in eight years following a lengthy hiatus of healing and self-discovery.
Spanning 13 tracks, Evolution is an expansive project, effortlessly traversing between various dance music genres, from progressive house and dance-pop to drum & bass and techno. Featuring a sizable list of featured artists and producers, the album showcases his collaborative spirit while spotlighting his unique experience as a dance music veteran.
“Underwater” kicks off the project with its uplifting melodic techno production and anthemic vocals before tracks like the organic “Pushin” and the gritty “Mike Tyson” continue the sonic journey. An uplifting drum & bass anthem, “Bad For Ya” is an undisputed highlight while “Liars Say” wraps the album on a melancholic note with its downtempo production and mesmerizing synths.
We caught up with Ramos to chat about the album as well as his extended break from releasing music and future plans.
EDM.com: Evolution marks your first release in eight years. What led you to the decision to take this extended break?
Chris Ramos: It has been a minute! There are multiple reasons connected to the long break, but the root cause was mental health and the need to better myself. Looking back, I grew up with anxiety and ADHD but didn’t fully understand it. As I got older, and things started picking up, the anxiety didn’t get any better… it only escalated. I put a lot of pressure on myself, and without the right mindset and control, it can unfortunately become a little toxic.
I slowly went from loving the process and journey of an artist/DJ, from the exciting pre-show jitters, to losing a hold of my anxious thoughts. Once it started ruining the fun and dimming the passion, I knew I needed to make the tough call and take a break. Club residencies, records playing at festivals, being played on the radio… I had to put it all on pause. I also had still a lot to learn musically/technically, and just needed to grow as a person.
EDM.com: What kept you busy throughout all these years?
Chris Ramos: The long break turned into a blessing in disguise! From the life experiences and lessons learned, to the production and sound engineering skills that I’ve further developed… It has really been great. I also started a record label during the pandemic, which catapulted both passion and purpose, and opened my eyes to a whole other side of the music industry.
Developing artists and releasing their music is a whole other ballgame. Helping and inspiring others has become one of my most favorite things, and the energy exchange between artists is like nothing else. Traveling to Europe, Los Angeles and Costa Rica brought in inspiration, new perspectives and some really cool vibes. And I also worked on music for some of the biggest brands and video games out there, which really pushed me out of my comfort zone and gave me new ways to approach my own music.
EDM.com: Walk us through the creation of this album–how did the process of making it look like?
Chris Ramos: Where do I start? Its funny because in my head I feel like I began making this album maybe a year ago, but in reality its been in development since 2020. I just didn’t know it yet. I’ve written songs about my life experience, and let them guide me into their final form. Everything has felt natural and smooth, pouring myself into every aspect.
“Underwater” is essentially about me seeing myself drowning underwater, at rock bottom, and pulling myself out. “Bad For Ya” is about a traumatic breakup, with the writing inspired by her perspective… I wrote and sang it not too long after the experience, so there is quite a lot of raw emotion behind that recording. “Out Of My Head” hits the post-breakup experience pretty well, and even “Hypnotherapy” plays on giving so much of yourself that you lose sight of who you really are.
I’m grateful for the amazing team that has collaborated with me on these records too! Dani Doucette really hit the money and emotion on her records, and her energy is always amazing to be around. MXJ brought their fun Afro vibes and really pushed my drum work to another level. S_Zero and I really merged our styles and showed what a seamless collaboration looks like, while Joe McCann pushed the experimental envelope, inspiring me to push things further with a “Spanglish” vocal. Together they have 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 yourself mean to you?
Chris Ramos: There’s two sides to every coin. In this case, I would say that learning to do so much myself has manifested for a couple of reasons: first, this is what happens when you love to learn new things, have ADHD, and strive to perfect whatever you’re doing. Secondly, a lot of it has come out of necessity.
Making music, real high-quality music, doesn’t come cheap, nor does it always come quick. And unless you have a massive budget and team to back you, its not easy to truly thrive. Studio costs, engineers, singers/writers, musicians, producers, graphic designers, etc… I love being creative, and have the capacity to do all of these things, so why not work my rear end off and become good at it! And the singing part… I’ve always been shy about singing, but as a recording engineer, I’ve heard from so many singers that I need to start recording myself more and sing on more music. So I decided f*ck it, this is my time to be me, and do what feels right. I love to sing, jam out, and make music. Rather than hold back, its time to showcase my real self to the world.
EDM.com: What are some of your favorite tracks from Evolution and how do they fit within the whole narrative of the record?
Chris Ramos: Can I answer another question? Haha. This is tough, I love all 13 records here. My top record would have to be Underwater. Being that it is about pulling myself from the depths, and this album is about my personal evolution coming from the shadows, it really sets the tone for the whole record.
“Out Of My Head” was a fun one to make. I envision Hans Zimmer collaborating with MEDUZA, with Eric Prydz adding some sizzle on top. I got to bring out my score experience in this one, and merging that world with electronic dance music was a fun challenge I set out for myself.
“Hypnotherapy” was one of the quickest and most natural projects here. It’s definitely a little linked to my ADHD with the flips and changeups, but thats really what I love about that record. And Dani’s dreamy vocals of course. Such a bop all around.
“Breakdown” and “Mike Tyson” are the more aggressive records, releasing built up aggression after an epic crescendo, and playing off of my martial arts background respectively.
And all of the collabs were so much fun to make. They really inspired me to continue to push myself.
EDM.com: Your debut single dates back to 2010. When did you start making music and what has that evolution looked like for you?
Chris Ramos: Let’s start at the beginning. My parents saw that I loved playing piano as a baby, so they quickly put me into piano lessons at age 3. At 13 I was graciously gifted my first real keyboard, which had a built-in sequencer. Little did my family know that I’d soon start recording ideas, experimenting with loops, and begin making tracks [laughs]. I grew up with all types of music around me, but my mom would play dance, trance and Euro when working out and I loved the energy and emotion behind it. Tiesto, Robert Miles, Global Deejays, Ace Of Base, Basshunter…I was hooked. By age 16, I became really passionate about making this a career, and that same year I signed my first record deal with a small label out of Miami. My passion to be in this industry was solidified.
From there, I went on to learn to DJ and started playing all-ages events throughout Toronto. At age 20 I had my first record on the radio, was playing clubs, and started to hold residencies at some of the best venues in the city. Music seems to have always come naturally to me, and it will forever 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’s truly an exciting career and industry to be a part of. Opening for Porter Robinson and Madeon have to be some of my favorite shows to ever play. The vibes were on point and the crowds 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 mother’s car haha!
Collaborating with Tritonal was an absolute dream. Being a fan of theirs, and hearing they wanted to collaborate on my record “This Is Love” was such an honor. They are such fun guys, and I could have never expected such an epic response. We charted on Billboard’s Hot Dance charts, broke Beatport’s top 100 overall, hit my first ever million streams, and we were played in every major dance music festival in the world. To make things even more surreal, Darude came to the fold and remixed the record! Such a legend. What an experience.
Looking ahead, fans can expect a whole lot more from me. This album is not just about my personal evolution, but about me coming back from the shadows, with full force catapulting myself forward. Expect more music, epic content, and soon live shows. No more holding myself back. It’s time to bring all the feels to the world.
FOLLOW CHRIS RAMOS:
Facebook: facebook.com/chrisramoslive
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Spotify: spoti.fi/3LEw75P