Active on the scene for over a decade, Chris shot to international acclaim with 2013 hit single ‘So Good To Me’ which catapulted him into becoming a household name, racking up over 53 million hits on YouTube alone. The track hit #1 on Shazam’s most searched songs, and gained the attention of one of electronic music’s most coveted tastemakers including Pete Tong as well as adored international superstar Adele who called the track “Beautiful.”
Releasing on the highly sought after now defunct label French Express, this was followed up by ‘If U Got It’ the following year, a similarly sunkissed dance track that reached #7 in the UK Dance charts. Chris proceeded to release music via his own imprint 2 Crows as his music career continued to blossom. As did his touring career, Malinchak found himself gracing the stages of Coachella, Creamfields, and BBC Radio One in Ibiza and, more recently, making regular appearances at Elsewhere in NY and Sound in LA.
Fast forward to 2020, ‘The Godfather of Chill’ fittingly re-launched his legendary weekly Friday night show on Sirius XM Chill. He has taken the lockdown period to launch ‘Friday Night Live’, a regular live piano performance that sees him play what comes to mind/heart and record via Instagram Live, a testament to his abilities as a multi-instrumentalist outside of the world of electronic music.
Malinchak, who refuses to be constrained by one genre, is getting ready to release his most ambitious project to date, Night Work, due out in 2021 via Ultra Music, his first original full-length album.
CHRIS MALINCHAK INTERVIEW WITH FRANKIE SALT
Please tell us where you are from & a weird/wonderful fact about your NY/your hometown?
Right now I’m just outside NYC on the edge of a wildlife preserve in northern NJ. Turns out if things had gone differently back when, I’d be looking out the window at a runway! This swath of land almost became an airport. But a lot of people that cared took action and fought hard to leave it be. I think this area may retain the distinction of being the first federally protected wildlife preserve. It was a worthy battle. Incidentally, the airport was eventually built in Newark 🙂
Is there something inspiring about where you currently live? Or perhaps a cool experience/day trip to be had?
I just got back inside from feeding a few red-winged blackbirds and a doe and her two babies. imagine that, right? Sometimes you can feel the seasons change by the moment. Beauty and majesty all around you. By the way, seeing those red-winged blackbirds is a comfort. They mean spring is just around the corner 🙂
Whilst not being able to tour mysterious lands abroad, have you found some wicked places to explore locally?
The wicked explorations have been creative in nature! Of the mind…writing, thinking, making new things. Riding my mountain bike up and down all these big hills at 3 in the morning is part of it.
In the past, what has been your favourite party in Europe to play at & why?
It’s tough to pick one. Each and every show is bananas and incredible and a privilege. But the things that stay with me are the occasions that surround them. The instant I read that question I thought of the cab driver in Scotland speaking of “Scottish hospitality”. And of the impeccably dressed driver in France suggesting a place to enjoy the best bread in Paris. Or of the bird landing on my shoulder while strolling alongside the canals in Amsterdam. And of the setting sun striking the the wet cobblestoned streets of Manchester, painting a rainbow across the sky. And the hug and kiss I shared with an exceedingly lovely and exciting stranger later that night after the show 🙂
Throughout 2020 into 2021, have you learned a new skill? Used a new app? What has been keeping you active & stimulated during lockdown?
The break in touring opened up some space, so I thought I’d make the most of it. Thus “Friday Night Live” was born. I’ve played the piano since I was a baby, and I wanted to share the joy and magic it has always brought me and the people I’m with. So I decided to go live every Friday night and play whatever comes to mind! No plan! Just have fun! Throw in my cool sweet cat buddies Katie and Kev and a joke or two and you’ve got a concert and a cozy hang all in one 🙂 Been writing like a demon too…lots of push-ups and pull-ups…but all this is business as usual. Oh and you know what? I fired back up my weekly show “The Malinchak Show” with Sirius/XM here in the states and with friends around the world!
Please tell us about your debut album & the inspiration behind it…
There’s no real reason. Just sounded like fun 🙂 These songs in some way, for me, work together.
