October 30th 2009 in Zagreb's Boogaloo club was the first time I listened to Chris Knowles (aka Chris Liberator) live. Plain and simple, he annihilated the dance floor. It is not often we get members of London's legendary and pivotal Stay Up Forever collective down here, so every opportunity I get to attend a gig they're at - you can count me in.
Back to Chris. Production wise he is a well known and respected underground legend, a pioneer in London's squat scene, with countless acid techno classics tucked under his belt, as well as (more recently) harder, no nonsense techno bangers, like the stuff you can hear on Henry Cullen's Hydraulix imprint. Numerous remixes, collaborations and involvements in many projects marked his constant presence on the scene, but above all, his dedication and determination to always deliver the raw, fresh and plain different music is breath taking. Never venturing into mainstream waters, at least not intentionally, his productions are sharp and very (hate me for saying it) danceable. Favorites remain to this day the frenetic and pumping X-Ray O.K. recorded under the Star Power moniker, Cat's Eye, released on the "Typhoon EP" released on Prolekult (KULT 24) in 1998, and the toss-your-hands-up-in-the-air take on D.O.M.'s Acid War!
After the aforementioned party was over, I had the chance to run into him at the bar, and we had a nice fifteen minute chat about the history of acid music, the classics, the ups and downs of today's scene and so forth... A very down to earth, friendly and communicative guy. I gotta thank him for all the info about the music and so forth. Above all, a big amount of respect for carving his name into our ears, and for delivering such a powerful and furious set, at these times when it seems the slower and bleaker music you play, the more chances you have entering that top 100 DJ list.
Great guy, don't miss the chance to catch him live.