Artist Profile - Chris Cornelius

Meet Chris Cornelius. He’s an eclectic Inner West boy, who's grown up on a weekend diet of raves and warehouse parties. From the early days of playing at shitty bars in Kings Cross (when that was still a thing), he’s now one of the masterminds bringing the Front Left experience to the doorstep of the Inner West.

What originally got you into producing electronic music? 

From memory my love of electronic music began with “Who’s afraid of Detroit” by Claude Von Stroke back on Ministry of Sound’s Clubbers Guide to 07’. The album was packed full of huge tracks, but this one stood out the most to me. I just loved the warped, synthetic nature of it all. From there on I became obsessed with all different types of dance music. Everything from electro bangers, to hardcore, dubstep and drum and bass. I’ve gone through so many different styles and genres, but always found myself coming back to techno. It encapsulates everything I love in music. It’s raw, hypnotic and relentless energy gets people moving, and keeps me coming back for more.

How has your love for different genres and styles over the years, shaped where your sound is now?

I’ve taken out bits and pieces from each, more so from the darker styles. It definitely comes through in the music that I’m playing now - dark, driving, industrial sounds. The kind of thing you want smashing the dance floor in the early hours of the morning. I’m still shooting for the same idea or essence that I was when I first began producing, it’s just the way I now deliver it has changed. With techno it’s much more about the intricacies that develop over time, as opposed to big impactful builds and drops. I find it fascinating that you can essentially take one bar and make that 7 to 8 minutes of something that’s constantly transforming. It’s also influenced more than my sound, but the parties too. The way that I look at the gigs that we’re putting on now, is somewhat reflective of the parties that I have been to in the past. When coming up with a concept for a party, designing the decor or the production I try to replicate that feeling in new and interesting ways.

How do you translate a mere thought, into a rumbling techno banger? 

For me, it’s about sound more so than anything else. It’s different to songwriters who tell a story with their words, my tracks are about creating a sonic palette, where you experience the depth of sound in a way that paints a picture. It takes you on a journey that can only be felt. When I go into the studio, I always relate the sounds I’m creating back to the environment it’s going to be played in. It’s about inserting myself into the situation and developing an understanding of it. I think back to all of the parties I’ve been to and how I felt when I’d heard a specific track. I try to channel that exact feeling and translate it into the sound I’m working on. My track "Charge", which was released on the first compilation (check Soundcloud) is a great example of that. I just tried to encapsulate where I wanted the party to be at that point.

What is it that you find so enticing about techno and the sound you can create? 

It’s the epitome of synthetic, mechanical sound. It’s just so unnatural. When you listen to a guitar or a vocal, it’s very tangible and familiar because you’ve heard it many times before. A lot of techno really strikes me, because you have to think - where did this sound come from? And it’s one thing to have a sound, but how do you then use that to make it engaging and create that feeling? Listening to how producers take those sounds and embellish them across an entire track has always fascinated me.

Is it sometimes surprising how far you can push the boundaries of sound? 

Yes absolutely! There are some producers that I listen to and I’m just like, you know you've really taken that somewhere that I didn’t expect. Especially when you get into the modular thing where it’s all about unpredicted, randomisation. The techno I like is typically very a-tonal, and doesn’t usually follow any particular chord progression or key. It’s a big collection of sound, without limitations and that’s what I find interesting.

Now, let’s get onto the party. Where did the initial concept of Front Left come from? 

Well firstly, the name came from the whole “meet you front left” culture we have here in the Inner West. It’s always been a known thing, that no matter what gig we were at, we would always find each other front left of the dance floor.The party itself was a combination of the rave upbringing Kiran and I had, and the sounds that we’re currently into and have been for a while. Front Left is so much more than just another party. Rather than coming to see a particular artist or go to a certain venue, you’re going for the party itself - the whole experience.A big thing for us, particularly with signing a producer to the label, or involving anyone in the project, it needs to be an organic fit.  We don’t just find someone and pay them to do whatever. That’s not what it’s about - it’s a labour of love and it’s a creative project that we’re building collaboratively with our whole team.

What is it that you think sets Front Left apart?

It’s both the community we’ve built and the music. You know, sure there’s other parties that offer one or the other, but rarely do you find a party where that exists together, and so consistently. Everything is aligned from top to bottom, so when you look at the artwork, then come to the gig, you see the decor and production are all in line with that. It’s all one big thing. It’s not like we’ve just plucked out an idea for each, it all has to work together - there’s a story to tell from start to finish. 

What excites you the most about Front Left?

Seeing my good friends play their own music at a party - that’s something that is really cool to me. Giving creative people  a platform to deliver something interesting, express themselves - there’s a vibe and a community that’s involved in that. From everyone that’s producing, to doing the artwork, the design, lighting, sound, everything - everyone knows each other, respects each other and has a great fucking time together. Also, seeing what we come up with for future events and the music that the guys are coming up with. We try to get a lot of different inspiration from other art, parties and each other. There is so much art out there that is used for one purpose or another, but then putting that into a situation that is married up with a techno party makes it something new again.