Mason (musician)


Mason is the stage name of Dutch music DJ & producer Iason Chronis. He had a number one on the UK Dance Chart in 2007 with his track "Exceeder". Exceeder had originally been an instrumental and had received a vinyl-only release in the UK in 2006. The new version of the track, "Perfect ", was a mashup with American rapper Princess Superstar's song "Perfect" and reached number 3 on the national British chart in January 2007. The track was a big hit in many countries worldwide. He also had chart success in 2011 with his song "Runaway", which was a modern version of "Runaway" by Eruption, and "Boadicea", featuring Róisín Murphy, in 2016 with "Fashion Killa", and with many club releases since. Mason is the owner of the record label Animal Language.
Mason has released music on numerous electronic music labels, such as Island Records, Defected, Skint, Toolroom, Great Stuff Recordings and Fool's Gold Records, and remixed artists such as Moby, Steve Aoki, Hadouken, Don Diablo, Mat Zo, 2Unlimited, Mylo, Metronomy, Tommy Trash, Martin Solveig, Robyn and Gabriella Cilmi.
Mason plays live shows as well as DJ sets and has performed at festivals such as Sensation White, Dance Valley, Tomorrowland, Nature One, Creamfields, Global Gathering and clubs such as Fabric, Ministry of Sound, Green Valley, Space Ibiza, Zouk, Octagon, Air and many others in more than 50 countries around the world. Mason is the organiser behind several parties throughout the Netherlands, including the Animal Language Kafe Rave and Avondwinkel at Club Nyx in Amsterdam. He is also on the members board of Buma/Stemra.

Biography

Iason Chronis was born in Amsterdam to a Dutch actress Adrienne Kleiweg and Greek sculptor Jorgos Chronis. Both his sisters have been TV actresses too.
Chronis began learning the violin at age 6. In 1987, he sang in the eighth version of the Kinderen voor Kinderen choir and would continue to do so until the twelfth edition in 1991.
In 1995, he started doing DJ performances, initially in and around Amsterdam but later abroad. In 1999, he took a four-year course in Music Composition and Performance, which he graduated with honours and for which he received an award from the Dutch Royal Family. He used his violin skills during his DJ sets between 1999 and 2005. During his world tour with Tiësto in 2004, he played the violin during a live performance of "Lethal Industry", as well as being Tiesto's warm up DJ. In 2006, Coen Berrier joined Mason in the studio and during live shows, but left Mason in spring 2014. Berrier has had earlier UK pop chart success with "Husan" by Bhangra Knights.
In 2008, Mason launched his own label Animal Language. In 2011, he released his debut album They Are Among Us, which featured collaborations with Róisín Murphy, DMC, Sam Sparro, Kurtis Blow and Aqualung. In 2014 the second Mason album ZOA was released, featuring Jocelyn Brown, Zoot Woman, Rouge Mary among other featured artists.
In 2015, his single "Papapapa" on Loulou Records reached the number 1 position on the online DJ store Beatport. In the same year, Mason released his Nite Rite series, a collection of numbered Nite Rites, released on each full moon. Nite Rite Ten featured Danielle Moore from the UK indie band Crazy P on vocals. He also collaborated on releases with German house acts Moonbootica and Sharam Jey and remixed fellow Dutch acts Kraak & Smaak, Janne Schra and Arling & Cameron that year.
In 2016, Mason signed to Island Records and began work on material with US hip hop artist Azealia Banks. However, after racial and homophobic comments by her on Twitter, he ceased the collaboration and started to work with UK grime artist Stefflon Don, which led to the "Fashion Killa" single release, that reached a number 4 position on the UK dance chart. This song was also used for television ads for Boohoo.com, Deezer and America's Next Top Model. The song was widely supported on BBC Radio 1 and other UK national radio stations. He also mixed and compiled the Toolroom Miami Poolside album this year, which was released on Toolroom Records.
In 2017, Mason got signed to house label Defected Records, which released his single "Rhino", which got chosen as "hottest record in the world" on BBC Radio 1. He also collaborated with UK tech house producer Betoko and has remixed Sting and James Hype.
Since 2018 Mason released 'Dance Shake Move' via Skint/BMG records. This record got used for TV ads for brands like Colgate and Vodafone. He has also collaborated with Alex Clare the UK/US top 10 vocalist on Spinnin Records, released his second single for Island records featuring UK grime act The Manor as well as a collaboration with UK vocalist Jem Cooke and Shingai Shoniwa from The Noisettes.

Discography

Albums

TitleAlbum details
Top of the Clubs Volume 34
  • Released: 23 February 2007
  • Label: Kontor
  • Format: 2xCD
  • Note: mixed by Mason
5 Years Electronation
  • Released: 15 October 2007
  • Label: N.E.W.S.
  • Format: digital download
  • Note: mixed by Mason
    • The Amsterdam Tapes, Vol.1
  • Released: 27 October 2008
  • Label: New State
  • Format: digital download
  • Note: mixed by Mason
    • Mason presents: Animal Language
  • Released: May 2010
  • Label: Mag
  • Format: CD, digital download
    • They Are Among Us
  • Released: 17 July 2011
  • Label: Animal Language
  • Format: CD, digital download
    • Mason presents: Animal Language
  • Released: 1 April 2012
  • Label: Animal Language
  • Format: digital download
    • ZOA
  • Released: 1 September 2014
  • Label: Animal Language
  • Format: CD, digital download
    • Nite Rites
  • Released: 26 Februari 2016
  • Label: Animal Language
  • Format: digital download
    • Toolroom Miami Poolside, mixed by Mason
  • Released: 4 March 2016
  • Label: Toolroom
  • Format: CD, digital download
    • Mason Remixed
  • Released: 14 June 2019
  • Label: Animal Language
  • Format: digital download
    • Track listings for select albums

    Singles

    2004
    2005
    2006
    2007
    2008
    2009
    2010
    2011
    2012
    2013
    2014
    2015
    2016
    2017
    2018
    2019
    Track listings for select maxi singles

    Remixes

    2005
    2006
    2007
    2008
    2009
    2010
    2011
    2012
    2013
    2014
    2015
    2016
    2017
    2018