When you think about tech house legends who’ve consistently delivered absolute bangers, Chris Lake sits firmly at the top of that conversation. The Scottish-born, Los Angeles-based producer has been crafting dancefloor weapons since the mid-2000s, and honestly, his ability to create tracks that work equally well in massive festival settings and intimate club environments is nothing short of remarkable. Over nearly two decades, Lake has evolved from producing vocal house tracks to becoming one of tech house’s most influential figures, and his discography reads like a masterclass in bass-heavy, groove-oriented electronic music.
What makes Lake’s production style so distinctive is his unwavering commitment to that fat, bouncy bassline—you know the one I’m talking about, that low-end thump that makes your chest vibrate and your feet move involuntarily. His tracks typically feature infectious vocal chops, crisp percussion, and a groove that refuses to let you stand still. Whether he’s releasing solo material on his own Black Book Records label or collaborating with artists like Chris Lorenzo on their Anti Up project, Lake maintains an unmistakable sonic signature that’s made him a festival headliner and an Ibiza resident DJ staple.
This collection spans his entire career, from breakthrough hits that launched him into the mainstream consciousness to recent releases that prove he’s still operating at the absolute peak of his creative powers. If you’re building the perfect house music playlist on the best audio equipment, these tracks deserve serious consideration. Let’s dive into the essential Chris Lake catalog.
Operator (Ring Ring)
This track absolutely exploded when it dropped, and for good reason—the infectious “ring ring” vocal hook combined with that signature Chris Lake bassline created an instant classic that dominated festival stages worldwide. The production showcases Lake’s ability to take a simple concept and build it into a relentless groove machine. What really makes “Operator” special is how the arrangement builds tension through minimal elements, letting that bouncy bass do most of the heavy lifting while punctuating it with perfectly timed vocal stabs. You can hear this track from across a festival ground and immediately know exactly what’s coming, which speaks to its cultural impact within the dance music community.
Turn Off The Lights (with Alexis Roberts)
Featuring sultry vocals from Alexis Roberts, this collaboration represents Lake at his most sophisticated, blending tech house grooves with genuinely memorable songwriting. The track manages to be both radio-friendly and club-ready, a difficult balance that Lake navigates brilliantly through careful arrangement and production choices. Roberts’ vocal performance adds genuine emotion to the track, transforming what could have been a standard tech house number into something with real staying power. The way the bass pulses underneath those vocals creates this hypnotic effect that works whether you’re listening on quality earbuds during your commute or experiencing it through a massive sound system.
In The Yuma (with Chris Lorenzo)
Released under their Anti Up alias, this track captures the raw, stripped-back energy of warehouse raving with a modern production sheen. The title references Coachella’s Yuma tent, the festival’s dedicated house and techno stage, and the track delivers exactly that dark, pounding aesthetic. What strikes you immediately is the hypnotic repetition—Lake and Lorenzo understand that sometimes the best dancefloor moments come from relentless, unchanging grooves that put you in a trance-like state. The minimal vocal elements and focus on percussive elements showcase a different side of Lake’s production palette, proving his versatility extends well beyond vocal house territory.
Lose My Mind (with Chris Lorenzo feat. Lazy Rich)
This Anti Up collaboration brings an aggressive, almost electro-house influenced energy to the tech house framework. The vocal hook is deliberately distorted and processed, giving the track an edgy, almost confrontational quality that stands out in Lake’s catalog. You can feel the influence of both producers here—Lake’s signature bounce meets Lorenzo’s grittier, more industrial-leaning approach. The breakdown is particularly effective, stripping everything back before that massive bass drop hits and reminds you why this track became an ID that ravers desperately Shazamed for months before its official release.
I Want You
Here’s a track that showcases Lake’s ability to work with classic house music tropes while keeping everything feeling contemporary and fresh. The filtered disco sample work is exceptional, chopping and rearranging the source material in ways that create entirely new melodic content. What really elevates “I Want You” is the arrangement—Lake knows exactly when to bring elements in and out, creating dynamic shifts that keep the energy fluctuating throughout the track’s runtime. The percussion is crisp and punchy, sitting perfectly in the mix to drive that relentless forward momentum that defines great house music.
Chest
“Chest” is pure, unadulterated tech house stripped down to its essential elements—a massive bassline that’ll rattle your ribcage, tight percussion, and minimal vocal elements that serve the groove rather than dominating it. This track represents Lake’s philosophy that sometimes less really is more when you’re trying to move a dancefloor. The title is almost literal—you genuinely feel this track in your chest cavity when it’s played on a proper system. It’s become a staple in countless DJ sets, and its popularity stems from that universal appeal of a perfectly constructed tech house weapon that just works in any context.
Deceiver (with Solardo)
This collaboration with UK duo Solardo brings together two of tech house’s biggest names for a track that’s darker and moodier than Lake’s typical output. The eerie vocal samples and ominous atmosphere create genuine tension, making this perfect for those 2 AM moments when the vibe shifts from celebratory to something more introspective and hypnotic. The production is immaculate—every element sits exactly where it needs to be in the mix, creating space for that massive low-end while keeping the arrangement interesting throughout. You can hear the creative synergy between Lake and Solardo, with each producer’s strengths complementing the other perfectly.
Lies (with Matroda)
Teaming up with Croatian producer Matroda, Lake delivers a track that balances accessibility with underground credibility through clever vocal work and arrangement choices. The vocal chops are processed and manipulated in ways that make them percussive elements as much as melodic ones. What makes “Lies” particularly effective is how it builds—starting relatively minimal before gradually adding layers that increase the energy without overwhelming the core groove. It’s a masterclass in modern tech house production, showing how you can create tracks that work across multiple contexts from festival main stages to intimate club environments.
Free Your Body (with Gene Farris & Walker & Royce)
This collaboration brings together some of house music’s most respected names for a track that pays homage to classic Chicago house while maintaining that contemporary Chris Lake production aesthetic. Gene Farris brings decades of house music knowledge to the table, and you can feel that legacy informing every element of the production. The vocal is commanding and direct, delivering exactly what the title promises—a call to physical movement and abandon on the dancefloor. The groove is absolutely infectious, with that perfect swing and shuffle that makes house music so irresistible when it’s done right.
How Deep Is Your Love (with Gorgon City)
This massive collaboration became one of the biggest crossover dance hits of the mid-2010s, showcasing Lake’s production prowess in a more commercial context without sacrificing quality. The vocals are soulful and emotive, giving the track genuine depth beyond its club functionality. What’s remarkable is how the production manages to feel both polished enough for radio play and raw enough to work in underground club contexts. The bassline has that characteristic Chris Lake bounce, but the overall arrangement is more songwriting-focused than many of his other tracks, creating something that transcends typical dance music categorization.
The Answer (with Armand Van Helden feat. Arthur Baker & Victor Simonelli)
Collaborating with house music royalty Armand Van Helden, this track brings together generations of production excellence. Arthur Baker and Victor Simonelli’s contributions add that authentic New York house flavor, creating something that feels both classic and contemporary simultaneously. The vocal samples are chopped and arranged with surgical precision, creating rhythmic patterns that drive the track forward. You can hear the influence of early house music in the arrangement and structure, but the production quality is undeniably modern, creating this perfect bridge between house music’s past and present.
Piano Hand (with Chris Lorenzo)
Another Anti Up release, “Piano Hand” does exactly what the title suggests—building an entire track around a simple piano motif that becomes increasingly hypnotic through repetition and subtle variation. The production is stripped-back and focused, letting that piano element be the star while the rhythm section provides steady momentum. What makes this track special is its restraint—less experienced producers would have been tempted to add more elements, but Lake and Lorenzo understand that sometimes the most effective tracks are the most focused ones. It’s particularly effective in extended DJ sets where you need tracks that can create momentum without overwhelming the overall flow.
A Drug From God (with NPC)
This collaboration leans into darker, more psychedelic territory with swirling effects and a menacing atmosphere that’s quite different from Lake’s more accessible material. The title perfectly captures the intoxicating, almost overwhelming quality of the production, which layers elements in ways that create genuine disorientation and excitement. The breakdown is particularly effective, stripping away the chaos before slowly rebuilding into that massive drop. You can feel the influence of acid house and techno in the sound design choices, showing Lake’s ability to incorporate influences from across the electronic music spectrum into his tech house framework.
All Night (with Lee Foss)
Teaming up with Hot Creations co-founder Lee Foss, this track captures that perfect after-hours energy where the sun’s coming up but nobody wants to stop dancing. The production is warm and enveloping, with lush pads creating atmosphere while the rhythm section keeps things moving forward steadily. The vocal elements are used sparingly but effectively, adding just enough humanity to the production without overwhelming the groove. It’s the kind of track that experienced DJs reach for when they need to maintain energy levels without going for obvious peak-time bangers.
Stand Alone (with Fantastic)
Featuring vocalist Fantastic, this track brings genuine soul and emotion to the tech house framework through passionate vocal delivery and thoughtful production choices. The arrangement gives the vocal space to breathe, understanding that sometimes the best approach is stepping back and letting the performance shine through. Lake’s production provides the perfect foundation—solid, groove-oriented, and professional without being overly busy or complicated. The result is something that works both as a focused listening experience and as a functional dancefloor tool, which is honestly the holy grail of dance music production.
Whistle (with Walker & Royce)
This collaboration with the LA duo Walker & Royce brings together producers who share a similar aesthetic vision of groove-heavy, vocal-driven tech house. The whistle element is used cleverly throughout the arrangement, becoming both a melodic hook and a percussive element depending on the context. What really makes this track work is the overall vibe—it’s fun and playful without being frivolous, maintaining that professional production sheen while keeping the energy light and celebratory. You can tell these producers genuinely enjoy making dance music together, and that chemistry translates directly into the final production.
If You Knew (with Lazy Rich feat. Jareth)
Featuring vocals from Jareth and production contributions from Lazy Rich, this track represents Lake at his most melodically sophisticated. The arrangement is complex and detailed, with multiple elements weaving in and out to create evolving textures throughout the track’s runtime. The vocal performance is genuinely strong, adding emotional weight that elevates the track beyond typical dancefloor functionality. When you listen on proper audio equipment, you can really appreciate the production detail—every element is carefully placed in the stereo field, creating this immersive sonic experience that rewards close listening.
Sundown (with Riva Starr & Dances With White Girls)
This collaboration brings together multiple perspectives and production styles for a track that’s more experimental and varied than Lake’s typical solo output. The vocal samples are quirky and unexpected, giving the track genuine personality and character. The production aesthetic leans slightly more toward the underground than Lake’s bigger commercial releases, with rawer textures and less polished elements that create authenticity and grit. It’s the kind of track that reminds you Lake came up through the underground club scene before becoming a festival headliner, and he’s never lost that connection to those roots.
Stomper (with Chris Lorenzo)
As the title suggests, this Anti Up release is pure dancefloor destruction—heavy, relentless, and designed specifically to move bodies. The bass is absolutely massive, dominating the frequency spectrum in ways that demand to be played loud on proper sound systems. There’s minimal melodic content here—this is about raw energy and hypnotic repetition creating that trance-like state that defines the best moments in club experiences. Lake and Lorenzo understand that sometimes the most effective tracks are the most focused ones, stripping away everything unnecessary and doubling down on what works.
What I Want (with Paul Woolford)
Collaborating with UK producer Paul Woolford, this track brings together two producers known for their ability to blend underground credibility with accessibility. The production is polished and professional without losing that raw energy that makes house music exciting. The vocal chops are processed and arranged to become rhythmic elements as much as melodic ones, driving the track forward through their own momentum. What’s particularly impressive is how the arrangement maintains interest throughout—there are constant subtle variations and changes that reward repeated listening while keeping the overall vibe consistent.
Helium
“Helium” showcases Lake’s ability to create tracks built around simple concepts executed flawlessly. The pitched-up vocal elements give the track its name and its character, creating this euphoric, almost childlike quality that contrasts beautifully with the heavy, adult bassline underneath. The production is detailed and intricate despite the minimal nature of the arrangement, with careful attention paid to percussion programming and groove development. It’s become a festival favorite because it brings genuine joy and celebration to the dancefloor without being cheesy or overly commercial.
Let Me Take You (with Riva Starr)
This collaboration with Italian producer Riva Starr brings European house sensibilities to Lake’s American tech house aesthetic. The groove has that characteristic shuffle and swing that defines the best European house productions, creating movement that’s almost impossible to resist. The vocal elements are seductive and inviting, perfectly matching the track’s title and overall vibe. It’s sophisticated and mature without being boring, maintaining energy and momentum while adding layers of detail that reveal themselves over multiple listens.
Stompin’ (with Walker & Royce)
Another collaboration with Walker & Royce, this track lives up to its title with aggressive, forward-momentum energy designed specifically for peak-time sets. The production is chunky and bold, with individual elements occupying clear sonic space in ways that make everything feel powerful and impactful. The arrangement builds effectively, creating anticipation before delivering satisfying drops that reset the energy and momentum. You can hear how this track would work in festival contexts—it’s got that immediate, accessible quality that connects with massive crowds while maintaining enough production sophistication to satisfy more discerning listeners.
The Calling
“The Calling” represents Lake exploring more atmospheric and melodic territory while maintaining his signature production approach. The track has genuine emotional depth, using pad work and melodic elements to create feelings beyond simple dancefloor functionality. The bassline is still present and powerful, but it serves the overall composition rather than dominating it completely. What makes this track special is its versatility—it works in multiple contexts and points in a DJ set, from opening warm-up sections to reflective moments during longer performances.
Changes (with Nastia)
Collaborating with Ukrainian DJ and producer Nastia, this track brings techno influences into Lake’s tech house framework for something darker and more intense than his typical output. The production is raw and uncompromising, with industrial textures and aggressive sound design creating genuine tension and excitement. You can feel Nastia’s influence pushing Lake toward harder, more underground territory, and the result is something that stands out in his catalog as particularly uncompromising and focused. It’s proof that Lake can operate effectively across different tempos and styles while maintaining his core production identity.
Deceiver (Extended Mix)
While technically the same track as the Solardo collaboration mentioned earlier, the extended mix deserves separate consideration because it represents how Lake approaches extended arrangements for DJ use. The additional runtime allows for longer buildups and more gradual tension development, giving DJs more flexibility in how they deploy the track within sets. The extended version reveals production details that get abbreviated in the radio edit, showing the full scope of Lake’s arrangement vision. It’s the definitive version for club play, designed specifically for dancefloor functionality rather than streaming or radio consumption.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Chris Lake’s biggest hit song?
Chris Lake’s biggest commercial hit is arguably “How Deep Is Your Love” with Gorgon City, which achieved mainstream radio play and streaming success beyond the typical dance music audience. However, within the house and techno community, tracks like “Operator (Ring Ring)” and “Turn Off The Lights” are considered equally significant for their dancefloor impact and influence on the tech house genre. His recent releases continue to chart on Beatport and receive massive support from DJs worldwide, maintaining his relevance across nearly two decades in electronic music.
What genre of music does Chris Lake produce?
Chris Lake primarily produces tech house, a subgenre of house music characterized by heavy basslines, minimal arrangements, and groove-oriented rhythms. His style specifically emphasizes bouncy, fat bass sounds combined with crisp percussion and often features vocal elements that are chopped and processed into rhythmic components. Throughout his career, Lake has also explored influences from electro house, techno, and classic Chicago house, but his core sound remains firmly rooted in contemporary tech house aesthetics that dominate festival stages and underground clubs alike.
Who has Chris Lake collaborated with?
Chris Lake has collaborated with numerous prominent electronic music producers throughout his career, including Chris Lorenzo (as their Anti Up project), Walker & Royce, Solardo, Armand Van Helden, Gorgon City, Matroda, Gene Farris, and Riva Starr among many others. These collaborations bring together different production perspectives and regional influences, resulting in tracks that blend Lake’s signature sound with his collaborators’ unique styles. His willingness to work with both established legends and emerging talents demonstrates his commitment to creative growth and community within the electronic music scene.
Where can I listen to Chris Lake’s music?
Chris Lake’s music is available on all major streaming platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music, as well as electronic music-focused platforms like Beatport and SoundCloud. His tracks are also frequently featured in DJ mixes and live sets from festivals and clubs worldwide, which are often shared on platforms like SoundCloud and Mixcloud. For the best listening experience, particularly for appreciating the bass-heavy production that defines his sound, quality audio equipment is essential to capture the full frequency range and dynamic impact of his productions.