For more than twenty years, Chris Lake has shaped the pulse of house music, but this past year has pushed him into an even sharper creative stride.
Fresh off the momentum of “Chemistry,” his debut album, Grammy nominations and a run of global festival slots that have stretched from Europe to the U.S., Lake arrives in Miami for Miami Art Week.
Even at his scale, the preparation behind his live sets isn’t about rehearsing transitions or mapping out every beat. It’s about building the music itself.
“It’s not really about practicing the DJing part,” Lake said. “I’m constantly making new stuff with the idea of incorporating it into my shows.”
The unseen work creates the surprise moments his fans chase. He treats each performance less like a stop on a tour and more like a world he’s personally responsible for shaping.
“These are my shows,” Lake said. “I want to make sure the whole experience is right for everyone.”
Still, even with the scale and pressure of international touring, Lake keeps his instincts grounded in something simple: watching the crowd. He laughs while describing the moments where the energy dips and he’s forced to pivot.
“If they’re looking miserable, then I probably need to change something.”
But he’s quick to clarify that his decisions aren’t based solely on pleasing the room. In fact, he plays best when he’s following his own curiosity.
“A lot of what I do is born out of selfish decisions. I’m doing things for myself first,” Lake said. “I believe if I make it interesting for me, it’ll be interesting to others.”
That trust in his own compass is what gives his sets their shape — a mix of instinct, risk and a willingness to choose the unexpected. It’s also what keeps his individuality intact in a scene where trends move fast and imitation is easy.
“You can emulate others, or you can focus on your own compass,” Lake said. “That’s what makes you stand out.”
Lake’s sense of identity extends beyond his performances and into his label, Black Book Records, which has grown into a platform for some of the most exciting grooves in house music.
This week, he brings a Black Book Records showcase to Miami Art Week featuring Marco Strous, Sirus Hood, Amanda Moore and longtime collaborator Chris Lorenzo. The lineup is both intentional and, in his words, selfish.
“I love their music,” Lake said. “I want to see them DJ.”
As Lake moves through one of his most successful periods yet, he isn’t chasing reinvention or spectacle, he’s sharpening the edges of what he already does best. Making music that excites him, building shows that reflect his fingerprints, and trusting that the right people will meet him where he is.
He’s stepped into a role to design, surrounded by artists he believes in, testing ideas he made in the quiet hours long before anyone else hears them. And like every chapter in this latest run of momentum, he’ll do it with intention, instinct and the confidence of someone fully in his element.