Sound Revolt: But also house music is growing. You know who’s doing the next “Balance” compilation? It’s Desyn Masiello. We’ll have a house compilation then.
Chris Fortier: We’ll have a Desyn Masiello’s record whatever he’s into. I’m sure when I was doing “Balance” everybody thought it would be progressive house. And people still probably call it progressive house.

Sound Revolt: You’re saying he’s going to surprise us too?
Chris Fortier: What I’m saying it’s little presumptuous to go and say it’s going to be this, it’s going to be that, he’s this, he’s that. DJs who care about what they’re really trying to do are artistic in a wrong way. I mean they are not really trying to grow. Desyn Masiello started off just like lots of other DJs. I’m sure when he first started DJing out and getting some gigs it was progressive house and now you’re calling him a house DJ. My separations of music are good or bad and what I’m playing is just underground house in all forms of it. I always ask people just to sit in front of speakers and relax instead of figuring out what exactly is going on. Just relax, enjoy the music and let yourself get lost in it again.

Sound Revolt: But there’s a movement into different genres these days. Lots of DJs are escaping from progressive into house, electro and whatever. Did you hear the latest Kiss100 mix from Steve Porter? It’s a beach house set! Where’s old good Porter?
Chris Fortier: Steve obviously is growing up. When he was 18-19 years old he was making energetic rave styled records, because that’s what he was DJing, that was his world. But he’s always been into all kinds of music and he expands his horizons about what he likes. Thing is Steve has been playing a lot of house and funky house over the last 4-5 years but everything that he has done is still called the progressive house thing. Even “Homegrown” people call a progressive house record, but I don’t think it is. I don’t think Steve plays progressive house! I think he’s just a good DJ.
It’s all relative. I get stuff all the time from German labels that is chic here. Germany is a hot source for music...

Sound Revolt: But it’s also a very hermetic market. I live in Frankfurt where one can hardly find a party different from minimal, techno or electro. I think they don’t know about progressive at all.
Chris Fortier: Yes, but if I play a record from a German artists that no one knows who the producer is, then everybody call it progressive house. When I say it’s from Germany they say “well, it’s German house”.

Sound Revolt: Was it difficult to get gigs in Germany? It’s quite a big country but you’re not a frequent guest here, I suppose.
Chris Fortier: I used to come and play here back in ‘96 and ‘97. The guy who was doing those parties used to work for Intergroove. There was one place playing progressive music, and not techno kind of thing. What’s interesting, the club was really packed and the people were really into the music, but there was no one else in the country and the guy couldn’t go anywhere else. Yes, it has been tough. But the great thing about Germany is they have its own world musically and nothing is going to shake what they are doing. And they actually don’t need the rest of Europe or England or America – they don’t give a shit about that. They care of what’s going on in Germany and that’s great. In America they think the grass is green on the other side of the world. “Oh, he’s from England, so I rank him higher than I rank you”. Every American wants to say “cheers” and “mate” now - it’s the most annoying thing I’ve ever heard when Americans try to be British.

Sound Revolt: You’ve been traveling a lot. How does it look when you travel to Europe. Do you come back on Monday to the States after each gig in Europe and then fly back to Europe next Friday?
Chris Fortier: Yes, I have been doing that. Actually I come back on Sundays. I prefer it, because if I stayed I would get into troubles somewhere, like partying or whatever. Otherwise I’d be in a hotel spending all my money and loosing time. I use to run the Balance Record Pool, I manage Steve Porter and I have my own life and career. And I’m married, I own a label – that’s a lot of work. So if I’m not at home to do this... I’ve run the label over myself, I do everything with manufacturing records myself. We don’t send a CD-R to a distribution company and then all the records appear on my doorstep. I have to deal with everything. With Steve Porter’s career I was dealing with every tiny detail that he was working on. The Record Pool – obviously I had some help on that but I’m still consulting and talking about things every single day. And my wife...

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