German born Christian Hofsass, better know as Chriss Ortega has been rather busy of late. Not only has the man been working on a few remixes for the ever popular Born To Dance Records, he’s been working late in to the night for some of the worlds leading dance artists & is continuing in his flight to global domination taking to the decks across the globe.

We caught up with the German dance purveyor for a quick chat.

Chriss, you’ve been on the circuit for a few years now, but what is it about dance music that got you hooked?
"Yes, I’ve now been in the business for a couple of years. I’ve been working as a DJ for 10 years and 5 years as a producer. Dance Music has so many styles and faces that it will never be boring to work with. I also like other genres as Funk, Soul, R&B and Rock but Dance Music is definitely my passion."

Can you tell us a little bit about your journey so far, where it all began & what’s lined up for 2010?
"I started as DJ 10 years ago and was very fascinated by trance music. At the beginning I was only playing vinyl at home and recorded mix tapes for friends. One day I gave a tape to my friend, Woody Van Eyden, two days later he called me and offered me the first job to play in a German club near the Netherlands. I worked there as resident for 4 years and after a while I got more and more offers from other clubs. So the first steps were done. When I finished school I decided to study audio engineering .Post graduate I worked as a mixer in different studios. In my free time I always did my own music because I play three instruments and started to build up my own home studio. After a while Woody got the first remix job for me and the ball was rolling. I got more and more into this business and one day dance music was my daily business. I did a lot of remixes in the last years. Sometimes people call me THE REMIX MACHINE but for 2010 I will concentrate more on my own productions, my first album and of course my label."

You’re a bit of a whizz in the studio & have been consistently knocking out club hit after club hit. What’s the secret of a successful dance track or remix?
"Yes I did a lot of stuff. I don’t think there is a recipe to do a successful dance track or remix. For me it is important that the track always has a special vibe, that all elements fit together and that the people can dance to this track. If all these points are done the track will work for me but if it will be successful is decided the people who buy the music."

Sticking on the studio side of business, when you’re asked to do a remix how do you go about doing it? Where do you start & where do you go?
"First of all I must like the song. If I don’t feel anything it makes no sense to do a remix. When I have all remix parts, I load them in my system and sort out which can be useful for my remix. After this I start to programme the groove to get the feeling. When this step is done I play a little bit around with some sounds and synths. I add them step by step. After that I start to arrange all elements. I don’t really know where to go, it is a feeling and the song/remix that gets it’s own flow."

Can you share any production tips or tell us what your favourite studio tool is?
"Many people ask me how I get the powerful sound in my production. The answer is very simple: I am working with the Universal Audio Plug Ins and they have great compressors, EQ’s, limiter etc.. These plugs are a masterpiece for every producer who works on a software based system and they simulate all the old expensive hardware, which you don’t really need today anymore."

You’ve recently set up Groovebox Recordings & have been releasing some top quality house, electro & trance records. How’s it going for you so far & do you think the global “recession” has affected the music business?
"Yes Groovebox Recordings is my own imprint and it works very well. It is supported by most of the DJ’s in the world and it grows more and more. I don’t think that the global recession has affected the music business. In my opinion it is the digitalism in our world which destroys the whole market because of its illegal downloads."

Now, it’s a sore point for many labels, but what are your thoughts on illegal downloading & has it affected you? What do you think we can do to combat it?
"That’s a really difficult thing. I am also affected by this like any other producer or musician. Illegal copies exist always in our life but with the internet it becomes much easier. The people share their music everywhere and they don’t think about the consequences. Even if a record label sends out some promos to special DJs or radio jocks, there are few people who don’t take care of this and share this with their friends and put the songs in the net before the official release.. That is a vicious circle which cannot be stopped anymore because the people who do this, loose their values to spend money for music. I don’t think there is anything we can do at the moment but I hope this will change one day."

As a DJ, you’ve travelled far & wide but where holds the best memories for you & where in the world would you like to play more?
"he best memories I have in my resident club 3001 in Düsseldorf. I play there nearly every Thursday since six years and the whole atmosphere is incredible. It is like a family and very relaxed but I also have nice memories from gigs around the globe. I had too many gigs the last years and cannot really say which is my favourite memory. I can only say I love to play in Canada and in the UK and I hope I can play there more often in the next years."

Do you have any embarrassing or funny moments to tell us about?
"Yes. When I started my career in the first club, I played there every time from 10 till 6. On Saturdays we always had more Dutch than German guests and the Dutch people make an awesome party. I played the last record and the lights go on and the floor was still full. I said: Sorry this is the last record. After that a few people came and offered me their necklace and their watches to play a few records more. I talked with the boss and played 2 hours longer but I did not take their stuff. That was in incredible night."

What’s next for Chriss Ortega?
Building up my own label and finish some of my own productions. The new Chriss Ortega Single will be released soon and in 2010 I will do my first album.