About Me
2006
Cleveland Music Award winner for Best
DJ
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Download Deviant's mixes
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View Deviant's latest chart
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Deviant hosts new Proton Radio
show
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Scene Magazine interview, March
15, 2006
de·vi·ant
One that differs from a norm, especially
a person whose behavior and attitudes
differ from accepted social standards.
Deviant, aka David Christopher, began
playing his tripped-out blend of deep
progressive house in 1998 at venues throughout
New York City, including Vinyl, Limelight,
Roxy, and Cheetah. In 2000, Deviant founded
HeadRush Music, a promotions company that
pioneered the use of online and e-mail
event marketing in New York City. In 2003,
following a move to Cleveland, Ohio, and
with the addition of partner Amy Dana,
HeadRush Music continued its mission to
spread progressive music to progressive
minds.
In 2004, Deviant and Amy founded Toes
in the Sand Recordings , which has
grown into one of the world's most respected
progressive labels. Toes started off with
a bang, with their first release, "Bound
for Ascension" by Michael Lanning, appearing
on Anthony Pappa's Balance 006. Since
then, the label has been committed to
exposing the globe's best underground
talent, including Siberian Son, Alican
& Soner, DJ Tarkan, Andrew K, Naveen G, The
Last Atlant, Storyteller, Pablo Roma,
and Drew Nichols.
In 2006, Deviant shifted HeadRush Music's
focus from events to a second record label,
focusing on edgier, harder sounds that
didn't quite fit on the more melodic Toes
in the Sand. The new label features established
artists like RND( ) and Singo, as well
as up-and-comers like Pablo Roma, Nick
Hogendoorn, and Chris Eberhart.
As a DJ, Deviant's late-night sound has
been the perfect finish during closing
sets for Sean Cusick, Steve Porter, Hybrid,
John Howard, Jerry Bonham, Mazi, Randall
Jones, Habersham, and Thomas Penton, helping
him twice earn the Cleveland Music Award
for Best DJ. He has also proven his ability
to warm up the dance floor, opening for
Sandra Collins, BT, Max Graham, Jondi
& Spesh, Tim Skinner, Trendroid, Austin
Leeds, Micro, Noel Sanger, Three, Steve
Gerrard, John Howard, George Acosta, and
Pete Moss. Deviant has also played the
headliner role at events in San Francisco,
Miami, Orlando, Louisville, Syracuse,
and Pittsburgh, and even spun on Cleveland's
FOX Morning Show to promote Paul Van Dyk's
Rock the Vote event and HeadRush Music's
Get Your Vote Out event with Dennis Kucinich.
In August 2004, Deviant's contributions
to the American dance music scene led
to an invitation to join the Balance
Record Pool , a hand-picked collective
of the top 40 progressive DJs in North
America, including Chris Fortier, Jimmy
Van M, Sandra Collins, D:Fuse, and Deepsky.
In 2006, Deviant was also invited to join
the Release
Promo Pool .
Following through on HeadRush's commitment
to getting underground music to the masses,
Deviant actively participates in numerous
radio shows around the world. Despite
not being a trance DJ, Deviant appeared
on SIRIUS Satellite Radio's "The Peak
Hour with Victor Dinaire," putting him
in the company of past guests like Paul
van Dyk and Ferry Corsten. Deviant has
also appeared on ProtonRadio.com, FriskyRadio.com,
Galaxie 95.3 FM France, EccentricBeats.com,
Rotationz.be, Beatfactor.net, and on FM
radio from Argentina to Belgium. Deviant
currently hosts the Toes in the Sand radio
show on Proton
Radio .
Deviant has been creating music since
1992, long before he ever stepped up to
a turntable, drawing his influences from
across the musical spectrum to create
songs (and DJ sets) that defy typical
dance-music formulas. His last release,
"That Marijuana Track," was
the #5 top seller at EDMDigital.com. He
also remixed Jairus Miller's "Cobra"
for Infamous Light Recordings, Brahma's
"Peaks of Destiny" on Toes in
the Sand Recordings, and is currently
hard at work on other remixes and original
tracks.
David is a resident at Cleveland venue
Abbasso, where HeadRush Music helps to
lead a movement to revive Cleveland nightlife
and push the sounds of progressive house.
