- DJ Empress
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Empress (born Christina Ingram) is DJ, artist, producer, songwriter, musician, vocalist, bandleader, songwriter, and label owner. She began her DJ career in the American northeast in 1996. Empress was the first American DJ to perform in London’s elite drum and bass scene[citation needed], and the first drum and bass DJ booked in Macedonia and Tahiti.
Empress relentlessly pursued a career as an international DJ from as young as 14 years old. In 2009, she slowed down her international bookings to produce, compose, record and engineer an entire album for her infamous style of dance metal and assemble her live project featuring her singing, also under the name Empress. In 2011, after meeting with many major labels and wanting to get her music out as soon as possible, she empowered herself, forming her label, Empower Recordings. She has even contemplated changing her name legally to Christina Empress.
Contents
Early life
Christina Ingram was born at New York Hospital in New York City, New York. Her father, Dan Ingram, is an American Top 40 radio disc jockey and one of the first famous radio personalities. Christina is the eighth of her father’s nine children. Her parents separated in 1986, and Christina temporarily moved to Greenwich, Connecticut with her mother and sisters in 1994.
Christina’s mother forbade her from playing instruments and took her out of chorus when she began to show promise. She habitually ran away from home between the ages of 10 and 14. She discovered the rave scene at age 13 when she attended a Morbid Angel concert followed by a dance party at NYC's notorious club, the Limelight which Superstar DJ Keoki was the headlining act.
Christina’s relationship with her mother became increasingly tense, and after six years without contact, she reached out to her father and arranged to move in with he and his fourth wife, Maureen Donnelly (National Board Member, SAG) in Manhattan, New York. While attending high school there, she worked as a buyer at Connecticut’s only electronic music store for two years.
Education
Christina attended elementary school at Rye Country Day School, middle school at Louis M. Klein, and went to high school at Greenwich High. At age 16, Christina was accepted to Bard College at Simon’s Rock. She graduated in 1998 with an associate of science degree in psychology, minoring in sculpture and acting. Rather than pursue another degree at the behest of her father and stepmother, she ended her educational career and became a full-time DJ.
Career
Since 1997, Empress has led a dazzlingly ambitious career as an international DJ, making appearances all across North America, Europe, and Asia. She performed at Winter Music Conference and the Ultra Music Festival from 2000–2008, and holds an impressive residency history. Since 1998, she has intermittently isolated herself in her studio, determined to perfect her skills as a producer and songwriter. Empress is also now the bandleader, vocalist, producer, engineer, and songwriter for Empress & Empower Recordings. She founded Empower Recordings in 2011.
Chronology
1994-1999
Empress worked at Joey D’s Records, then the only electronic music store in Connecticut, from 1994-1996. She began to develop her DJ skills there, and continued to practice daily in college. In 1996, she received her first rave bookings in New England.
In 1998, Empress gained employment at New York City’s Satellite Records as an in-house drum and bass specialist. As Satellite’s drum and bass buyer for New York City, Atlanta, Boston, and the online store, she tripled store sales in less than a month. She worked long hours, attended and performed at events, and taught herself to produce electronic music in her spare time.
Empress attended Winter Music Conference for the first time in 1999. That year, while performing in Toronto, Empress met Jumping Jack Frost, who invited her to play at V Recordings’ club night Movement in London. She accepted the offer, which coincided with a previously scheduled UK trip. This made her the first American DJ to play in London’s elite drum and bass scene.
2000-2003
Empress made US west coast appearances in 2000, where she toured with drum and bass DJ/producers UFO! and Sage. She collaborated with the two as Triadd for Hydroxy, which was released on Skunkrock Recordings in 2000, and toured Europe that year as well.
Empress broke her neck on tour in Seattle in 2001. She eventually went on a one-month hiatus to recover, resuming her performance schedule in 2001 at Liquid Room in Tokyo, Japan. That year, she and roommate Jinsoo Kim – then Blondie’s keyboard tech – remixed the theme from New York, New York for a New Year’s Eve performance by The Rockettes. The two also produced a drum and bass remix of For the Love of Money by the band Sonny Boy.
Empress recorded Stateside Sessions: Drum & Bass Vol. 2 for Topaz Recordings in 2002 and embarked on a three-month promotional tour in North America and Puerto Rico.
In 2003, Blondie hired Christina and Jinsoo to produce and mix four songs, including Paint Your Face and Songs of Love, for The Curse of Blondie.
2004-2009
Feeling the need to branch out as a DJ, Empress began playing eclectic sets in New York City in 2004. The same year, she sampled Roy Ayers’ We Live In Brooklyn for Brooklyn Baby (released on New Identity Records UK’s Jazz & Bass Sessions IV LP), which was licensed for the HBO film Life Support. From 2005 to 2007, she held a residency at The Park in NYC’s Chelsea district, performing weekly 8-hour sets and at special events, such as the Tribeca Film Festival, Condé Nast mixers, a My Super Sweet 16 party featuring Lupe Fiasco (and other MTV events), and a variety of events for Victoria’s Secret, Godiva, Food Network, and international art and charity functions. Wishing to broaden her performance repertoire, she began taking vocal lessons in 2006, completing her first vocal production, Only Love (aka Clarity), the following year. Empress spent 2007 in the United Kingdom, staying in London, Brighton, and Bristol, and performing throughout Europe and England. To date, her October 2007 podcast for the Dogs On Acid online forum has been downloaded over 100,000 times.
Empress booked an extensive five-month drum and bass / hip hop tour in London in 2008. She worked with )EI3(‘s Maldini on the drum and bass song Faithful (made available on SoundCloud), and spent considerable time visiting the studios of veteran drum and bass producers.
After returning to the US in late 2008, she began to conceptualize a live act featuring her singing about her life experiences.
Since April 2008, Empress has intermittently released Empowercast, a very popular podcast available through the iTunes Store.
2009-Present
Drained from perpetual touring and lack of a personal life, in 2009, she accepted only a handful of the best DJ bookings. Inspired to form a band and put her vocal and songwriting talent to work, she isolated herself in her studio and began developing material for a dance metal album. A chance meeting online with guitarist/producer Rob Cruz (aka “Blackey”) sparked the formation of Empress & Empower Recordings.
By summer 2009, the lineup for Empower was finalized. Empress launched her Empower blog at the end of May 2009 to offer production tips and chronicle the making of her album, which she completed at the end of 2009. Empress wrote, played, recorded, mixed, produced and mastered it in its entirety.
In 2010, Empress formed her live act, hiring some of NYC's most promising musicians. She taught them the album she wrote and they began performing at clubs in NYC. Arlene's Grocery was one of the venues that asked if she would agree to a residency, but exhausted from wearing too many hats, Empress decided to focus on releasing her music & curating DJ friendly dance remixes of those songs.
Empress founded Empower Recordings in 2011. In early 2011, she released "Alien Nation" with a drum & bass remix by GenR8, a Dubstep remix by Optimus Gryme, another dubstep remix by SST & an industrial/electro/experimental version by Thrash. In May 2011, she began filming "Alien Nation"'s video, slated to be released with the rest of the LP, entitled "Savior" due July 2011.
Residency History
Years Event Venue Location 1997–Present Konkrete Jungle Coney Island High, Wetlands, Pyramid Club New York City, NY 1999-2002 Movement Bar Rhumba London (UK) 1999-2003 Prohibited Beats Club Shine New York City 1999-2008 Ultra Music Festival Winter Music Conference Miami, FL 2000-2004 Ignite Liquids New York City, NY 2000-2005 Eklectic 79 Minna Street San Francisco, CA 2001-2006 Testpress Sundays Drinkland New York City, NY 2006-2007 n/a The Park New York City, NY 2008–Present Torque Crooked Bayou Orlando, FL Discography
Release Label Year Description / Format Hydroxy / Digital & Spirit Remix Skunkrock Recordings 2000 12” vinyl Stateside Sessions: Drum & Bass Vol. 2 Topaz Recordings 2003 Mix CD The Curse of Blondie (mixing / production) Sony UK 2003 LP For The Love of Money Remix (original by Sonny Boy) n/a 2004 ? Brooklyn Baby Licensed and sold to Life Support 2004 n/a Clarity n/a 2007 n/a I Hope n/a 2007 n/a Dogs On Acid podcast n/a 2007 Podcast Live from Seattle Podcast n/a 2008 Podcast Faithful (with Maldini) n/a 2008 n/a Distraction n/a 2008 n/a Empowercast Podcast n/a 2009 Podcast Radiobomb Podcast n/a 2009 Podcast External links
Sources
Abang, A. (February 17, 2010). Telephone interview.
Categories:- Living people
- American DJs
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