Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Granillo.
Chris, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My musical journey began at a young age, playing saxophone and guitar throughout grade school. I was introduced to my first DAW (Digital Audio Work Space), Garage Band(™) as a senior in high school. I started using Garage Band(™) and quickly fell in love with making beats and the ability to creatively express myself. Soon after, I sought out more advanced programs to enhance my music and discovered Ableton(™). After attending my first rave in college, I realized DJing and producing go hand-in-hand and decided to seriously pursue both. As it goes, I accepted any gig at first; house parties, frat parties, quinceaneras, even family barbecues. As time progressed, I was offered my very first paid gig at AC Lounge.
After that first gig, I was invited to enter a DJ competition at Analog Bar in downtown San Diego hosted by my now good friend DJ Saber. I performed well, networked, and made a few key contacts with some important people in the downtown scene. Soon after, I auditioned for an opportunity to join the Event Vibe and Amplified Access team, who were throwing parties at Fluxx, House of Blues, and Bassment. After securing my spot on the team, I began playing downtown regularly and made a ton of good connections including some DJ friends I am still close with to this day. Pete Prado and I joined forces to create Dirtyprado and played Omnia, Bassment, and other downtown staples as well as a few out-of-town gigs. Dirty Prado joined the label Tribe Out West and our style progressed to house and techno. Our duo ran strong for about three years, eventually splitting amicably due to the desire to pursue different styles of music. I owe a lot of thanks to Pete for mentoring me and showing me how to read the crowd and adapt my style.
Through Tribe Out West I met Memo Rex, Sam Teitelbaum, and Reed Armstrong, who I worked with diligently in the studio six days a week developing my own style and perfecting my production skills. Not long after, I secured a residency at Kettner Exchange and got the opportunity to play regularly at a few local spots in San Diego. Memo and I, along with Lee Reynolds and Mitch Dodge created our own record label, Frequency Clash. The four of us spent many hours in the studio together creating around 20 tracks, goofing off, and making solid memories.
In the last few years producing has become my focus and I’ve been able to release my tracks on labels such as; Desert Hearts Black, Dirtybird, Snoe Berlin, Tech Ave, Hood Politics, Lapsus Music, and others. My latest accomplishment is joining Music is for Lovers Artist Management and Agency. In the future, you can expect to see more music from me and find me in new cities throughout the US.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There have definitely been a few bumps in the road on this journey. Deciding to end the Dirtyprado duo after playing together for almost four years was a difficult decision but ultimately allowed both Pete and me to grow as individuals. Later, a similarly difficult decision arose when we closed our label Tribe Out West for good. However, as we know when a door closes another opens and these hurdles helped me develop my own sound and grow as an artist. I honestly wouldn’t be where I am today without all of these experiences and I am grateful for the knowledge gained and friendships created.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
As a House and Techno DJ and Producer, I’m known for my energetic sets and original music. In a city full of talented DJ’s it’s hard to say what truly sets me apart, all I know is that I love making music and seeing a dancefloor full of people connecting under one roof.
What does success mean to you?
I believe success is being able to do what you love and make a living doing it. For me, if I’m able to connect with someone from across the world through my music and somehow lift them up or make them dance then I feel like that’s a success for me.
Contact Info:
- Email: djsusiomusic@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.musicis4lovers.com/agency/?profile=susio
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susiomusic
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/djsusio
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/dj_susio
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/dj_susio
- Other: https://www.beatport.com/artist/susio/553679
Image Credits
1st action photo (Fngers Crssd photo) : Saber (Joe Garcia) Headshots: 2nd Nature photo (Myles Heidenreich) Last photo: Open Fire Photography (Drew Pador)
