Come take a ride with me to a little place called Disco Heights

Disco Heights

C.C. Rider is Co-founder of FatFunk Productions and is one-half of the dynamic duo, Beatlab, and . He also hosts a monthly podcast, Digitech FM, on Sugar Shack Radio the first Saturday of every month from 2-4pm CST. C.C. Rider has held several residencies over the last couple decades including ELEV8 and Paulie's! His funky style and unparalleled passion have kept him going in a forgotten land along the I-55 corridor smack dab between Chicago and St Louis. 

C.C. Rider aka Chris Thompson usually plays with his counterpart Hijinx as Beatlab, but occasionally steps outside of that for solo mixes, and this is where you can find those unique grooves! Chris has been influenced by artists like Joey Negro, DJ Dan, Mark Farina, Miguel Migs, Giano and Jamiroquai. Also, Breaks legends DJ Icey and DJ Baby Anne and Techno powerhouses like Timo Maas and Frankie Bones. Chris grew up a classically trained musician.  Raised on Funk, Soul, Jazz and Blues, his influences are evident throughout his mixes and performances! Chris began his DJ career in 1998, and has traversed the dance music landscape. Experimenting with multiple genre sets in his early days saw him garner some nice local support, but he is best known for his unrelenting groovy baselines and energetic style behind the decks!

Chris has been involved with the Central Illinois House Music scene for nearly 2 decades, and along with the FatFunk crew, their hard work is evident in a ripe scene with a nice depth of talent. The Chicago and Midwest dance music scene had a strong impact on many people in central Illinois. This fact is reflected in the many faces of talented DJs across central Illinois. FatFunk was founded in 2012 and is comprised of about a dozen incredibly talented DJs and Artists with a vast level of combined experience. Together, they put on some of the best intimate affairs in the Midwest!! Chris' vision for the last 5+ years, has been to unite those artists and DJs through quality event production and a relentless approach to bringing these talented individuals out into the light for all to see.