Chris Salt a man who has made a huge impact on the progressive house scene over the past few years. His break through single ‘Dub Sonar’ now hailed a classic, his productions receive support from influential DJs such as Sasha, Nick Warren, John Digweed and Sander Kleinenber. He has DJ’d alongside esteemed names such as Phil K, Futureshock, Jody Wisternoff and many more. With compilation mixes released on Silver Planet & other labels, this man’s star is burning bright - it will be a pleasure to see him fire up Perfected this Friday!

1. Hey Chris, can you tell us a bit about your first musical influences or memories, not necessarily dance music?

I was really into rave tracks as a kid (must have been about 11 at the time), and they all really fired my imagination – I’d been having piano and violin lessons but this made me want to actually write music myself. At the time it was amazing that you could actually write a dance track on your computer, and I spent most of my time writing music on my old Amiga. I’ve been writing tracks ever since really.

2. Can you name a few dance music tracks that inspired you to be what you are today?

The Prodigy – No Good (Start The Dance) and Firestarter had a massive influence on me as a kid, and it was awesome that tracks like that were all over Radio 1. I loved Satoshi Tomiie – Love In Traffic, Sasha – Xpander and Bedrock – Heaven Scent when I started to DJ in my bedroom, and one of the first tracks that really inspired me to seriously get into production was Bedrock – Emerald (Charlie May’s Quartzite Cluster Remix). That track really is amazingly well produced.

3. What were your early clubbing experiences like, and where? Any funny stories?

I used to be a Crasher kid! That must be funny enough? I used to go there every week, mainly for the wicked main-room progressive warm-ups and some of the chunkier house in room 2. I got photographed in my custom crasher top DJing at my first ever gig on my 21st birthday at uni! Shocking.

4. How do you think Technology is shaping the future of dance music as we know it?

Technology is shaping dance music no end. One of the most important things is that it’s really levelled the playfield, so now you can score the next big hit on your home computer without needing a 30k studio. It’s also fantastic the way you can receive promos by e-mail or buy tracks from download stores and burn them to CD hours before your gigs. Ableton has had a massive impact on things as well, although my take on it is that I prefer to play out with CDs and my EFX unit and prepare a few cheeky re-edits with it beforehand.

5. How would you describe your current sound?

Bigroom, eclectic and different. I play tracks spanning techno, progressive, electro and minimal; if a track fits into my kind of sound and I think it would work well with my set and the crowd then I’ll play it. When I’m not warming up, I always aim to tear the roof off - and it’s always more fun to do that in your own unique way rather than just playing the same big tunes as everyone else.

6. Name just one track right now you think would blow the roof off any club, any set for you?

DC Digital – Oslo! I dropped this at the Electronic Sessions boat party last Saturday and it tore the place apart. A massive rave-influenced big-room electro-edged track with some really solid beats.

7. You’ve had the fortune to travel whilst following your passion for music; tell us about a stand out gig, event or trip in general.

One of the gigs that had the most impact on me was my first after signing to Silver Planet in 2003. Literally a month after signing the contract, I was playing out in Tokyo. I’d booked a few days off work, bought a massive record case and got on a plane to Tokyo with the people that ran the label. Apart from the 11 hour flight, the jetlag and the culture shock at arriving in a totally different land, the prospect of playing my first international gig was really daunting! I was so nervous beforehand, but the set went down really well and I was on such a high afterwards. The trip was also great because I got to meet Satoshi Tomiie in person the night before, and I handed him a test pressing of Dub Sonar (my first record). I was really star struck! That was a pretty special gig.

8. What other DJs do you aspire to or admire? Why?

I guess Sasha more than anyone else; his sets are always spot on, and the fact that he’s put so much into the production side of things as well is really impressive - that’s really one of the key ways to influence the scene. Another of my favourites is James Zabiela – I used to live down in Southampton and I went along to see him play the local bars and clubs at every opportunity. He’s spot on at reading the crowd and was one of the first DJs to almost completely rewrite tracks on the fly with his EFX unit and CDJs.

9. Tell us about what you have planned for the future.

I’m getting very busy with production work again as I’m currently setting up my record label, Aesthetix Recordings. It’ll be interesting to see where it goes, but the agenda really is about bringing something new to the scene. There are a lot of wicked tracks out at the moment, but rather than put out generic electro or techno that every DJ under the sun will play, I’d rather put out something different – tracks that you could hear at the cinema, or at home, but that will be equally just as at home in a club. The project has really captured my imagination.

10. Lastly, what can we expect from you at Perfected on Friday the 19th of this month?

All the biggest tracks in my record case and a few secret weapons twisted up with my EFX unit - it’ll be an eclectic mix of big-room house, techno, progressive and electro. I’ll also be debuting one or two new tracks forthcoming on my label, so you’ll be the first to hear them!

After a glorious debut in London at none other than the world famous Cross venue, Perfected is riding high and returning with another event that is sure to build upon the past and ignite the Cross on October 19th!



The previous event was hailed a huge success, with highlight sets by a very busy Paul Woolford, who flew back from Ibiza to grace us with his globe-trotting sound, and Mistress de Funk who showed us why she is the Queen of the dance floor. Resident duo KNL and solo electronica maestro Kriess Guyte also demonstrated their mastery of the craft with superb sets that impressed all.



Once again looking to provide the very best in cutting edge, forward thinking Electronica, the minds behind Perfected have enlisted the services of two top class International DJ talents to drive the message of quality dance music home.

Chris Salt is a man who has made a huge impact on the progressive house scene over the past few years. He scored his first record deal back in 2003 and has since had many massive tracks, remixes and compilations released, all too high acclaim. His break through single ‘Dub Sonar’ is now hailed a classic and his productions have received support from such influential DJs as Sasha, Nick Warren, John Digweed and Sander Kleinenberg and he has DJ’d alongside such esteemed names as Phil K, Futureshock, Jody Wisternoff and many more. With compilation mixes released on Silver Planet and other labels, this mans star is burning bright and it will a pleasure to see him fire up Perfected and experience his sound.

J-Me is our second super-talented artist to grace the main room at the Cross. Not just a mere ‘two track in the mix’ DJ, J-Me has been the scratch DJ for the mighty Hybrid both live and on their many singles and debut album. These days he can be found working with both M-Audio and Ableton to showcase how the future of DJing is moving. His set will see a crafty skilled combination of Ableton Live, CDJ and vinyl scratching to offer something totally unique.



His history in the dance music scene is vast, from starting to play out in clubs at the age of 16 to spinning at some of the biggest nights in the world: Ministry of Sound, Fabric, Creamfields, Miami Ultra Beach Festival… a veritable where’s where of the hottest nights in club land. Musically? Expect an amazing mixture of progressive, tech-house and other related genres with some infused breaks, a real one-off blend. With production credits and releases on such labels as Desyn Masiello’s Alternative Route as well as Distinctive and many more, this mans knowledge of music knows no bounds.

KNL are back once again to provide the Perfected flavour of the night to those who arrive for the full duration. Individually as Matt Kaycee and Dean Lorel they have a combined DJ age of over 15 years, and have rocked such esteemed nights as Peach and Prehab at some of London’s most loved venues, like Turnmills, Hidden and Camden Palace. Now they have combined forces to forge a strong partnership founded on a love for world class electronic music and to showcase how two really is better than one!



Kriess Guyte returns to the main room of Perfected to highlight the current musical state of mind. Having been DJing now for over seven years and played at some of the capitals biggest venues (SE1, Camden Palace and of course the mighty Cross to name but a few), Kriess’s wealth of experience and hypnotising blend of Electronica will be sure to leave you mesmerised. Promises of debuting tracks and exclusive edits of some well-loved classics from the progressive scene mean his set is one not to be missed! His well-trained taste for quality dance music comes from working at legendary labels such as Lost Language and Hooj, as well as working in other areas of the dance music scene.