Zone Magazine Issue 037 Spring 2023

You have releases on a lot of top
labels worldwide, can you tell us
about it?
Late 90s and early noughties I remixed and
released for lots of labels around the world as well as UK
labels such as Rennaissance, Automatic, Whoop, Decipher,
Limbo, Method & Belfast based Red n Raw Recs. I also
had releases with Portugese based ‘Feed Me Records’
Swedens ACDC and Inkfish Recs, Canadian Release
Records, Germanys Hadshot & On a Mission labels and I
was lucky enough to remix for the likes of Minilogue, Tom
Novy, Inkfish, Hardy Heller. More recently Ive released
6 tracks with Beat Boutique from Israel, Mango Alley,
Movement Records, UK based The Soundgarden, Forensic
Records and remixed the likes of Dmitry Molosh, Weekend
Heroes, EANP, Jiminy Hop, Lucas Rossi, Glenn Morrison.
you started your own record label
tell us about how its going so far
I decided to set up ‘If You Wait’ nearly 4 years ago
having had previous experience working for ‘Mixmaster &
Shine Recordings. I knew it was something that I enjoyed I
also felt it would give me a free reign creatively that I could
release whatever and whenever I wanted. Over the 4
years I've also been very lucky to have had the pleasure of
signing and releasing from various artists throughout the
world the likes of Dowden, Cream, Weird Sounding
Dude,Kaspar Tasane, Domingo & Mariner & Hardy Heller
& Alex Connors.
You released a new album just a
few months ago, tell us more about
that & how has the feedback been,
how is that going?
My first album was released in 2009 so i felt it was
about time I followed
that up with a second album. It began during lockdown
when I was writing lots of music but was keeping it to
myself, then during this time my mother passed away and
music seemed to be my only way of coping with that.
I then decided I would write an album and donate
all of the profits to ‘The Friends of the Cancer Centre’ based
at Belfast City hospital, it is my way of doing my bit I
suppose and that is what I did. The feedback was really
cool as the album combined alot of various musical taste
from ambient to breaks, deep beats to Progressive
Peaktime stuff so the response was great from all types of
DJ's from Cattaneo to Warren to Pappa to Quivver.
Can you run us threw this years
release schedule?
New 3 track Ep on OneDotSixtwo due out in June
this year and will feature remixes of each track being
released later in the year. A second collab with Alexander
Church and featuring the beautiful vocalist Rebekah.
Coming out on Configurations of Self. A brand new
retake on the Progressive classic by Pako & Frederick
‘Western Approaches’ and a remix for a rising star of the
future Luis Damora both of which will be out on If You Wait
Music.
Has there been any new artist /
producers who have caught your
attention?
Loving the work of Luis Damora, Kaspar Tasane,
Nopi, Paul Deep to name just afew.
You have played some live shows
this year, tell us about that.
I scaled back my gigs at the beginning of the year
and I'm slowly coming out of hibernation from this summer
on and I can’t wait. I've been touring on and off for 20 plus
years and have managed to go through quite a few
passports and clock some serious air miles.
Were can we catch some of your
live shows?
I have a few shows this summer around Europe
that Iam looking forward to especially at Rockerill in
Belgium in June that will be my first time in Belgium and
the start of a summer of gigs.
Were else can we catch you
playing (radio show / soundcloud
mixes etc)?
I upload all of my DJ sets and new mix shows to
my Soundcloud page https://soundcloud.com/chriscargo
If I am a young DJ trying to make it
onto the DJ circut?
Go to local gigs get to know the promoter and the other
DJ's, support them and pester them but not too much, bide
your time and perfect the art of warming up a crowd.
If I am a new artist / dj wanting to
start a record label?
Learn to produce, work hard, put the time and
effort in, get some music released on other labels so as you
have some sort of fan base to pitch your music too. Get in
touch with digital distributors and have a good marketing
plan to push your label, have a good social media strategy
in place also.
Anyone who would want to get into
the music industry in general?
Dont do it hahaha! no seriously do it for the love
and if you get some success from that then amazing if not
don't get hung up on it!! Never give up and most of all
enjoy the process!