VirtualDJ - Christopher Embrey

About

I got my first taste of spinning to cover for a late arriving DJ Dovan at Skoochies Seattle in 1985 (though I had been messing around with 4-track reals since 1982). I later went to DJ what was called the “dark side” with DJ Scruff at The Omni in Kent during 85-86, and later at the Spectrum in Federal Way. These were great times with the release of great club industrial dance labels like Waxtrax, Cleopatra, 4AD, Metropolis, and Netwerk just to the north of us supporting bands like Skinny Puppy. Kind of strange to go to a night where you could here SPK, Chris and Cosy, Madonna and Kajagoogoo in the same hour.
I got my first taste of spinning to cover for a late arriving DJ Dovan at Skoochies Seattle in 1985 (though I had been messing around with 4-track reals since 1982). I later went to DJ what was called the “dark side” with DJ Scruff at The Omni in Kent during 85-86, and later at the Spectrum in Federal Way. These were great times with the release of great club industrial dance labels like Waxtrax, Cleopatra, 4AD, Metropolis, and Netwerk just to the north of us supporting bands like Skinny Puppy. Kind of strange to go to a night where you could here SPK, Chris and Cosy, Madonna and Kajagoogoo in the same hour.

Then I made the financial mistake of going to “broadcast school” but later became a Production Intern at KPLZ/KVI `86-`87, where I was reacquainted with DJ Drew who also worked there at the time. At this time the underage clubs were virtually null and void in Seattle due to the political climate. I recall after the city closed The Monastery, Skoochies, & the Retro closed, we were left with City Beat where DJ Donald Glaude was spinning and then later came Club Broadway another failed try by former Monastery Owner George Freeman, but great fun while it lasted.

Later in the 80′s DJ Scruff and I would spin at Club Bananas (hate the name) in 1988, then later moved the Chris and Scruff show to Club OZ for 88-89. Here we were able to get great live acts to come as well like Ministry, Xymox, Book of Love, and A Flock of Seagulls. At one point shortly after I left the DJ life for a bit to become a Computer Operations slave for TicketMaster (we called it TicketBastard) and later went to work for the Paramount and Moore Theaters when they reopened after the great renovations done by Ida Cole. I ran away to Hawaii for a year to find myself in turbulent times and returned to Seattle to work for the ACT theater and started spinning again at the Catwalk 1996 where I would open for DJ Drew and finish the night again on the “dark side”. That name seems to follow me. After that I spun at MachineWerks 96-97 on Sunday nights. Later I would help run the Aurifice Internet Café 1999-2003 where I also played music and it was the only underage venue for Convergence 6 in Seattle. Since then, I returned to College and received a BA in Sociology from the University of Washington.

I have also been a Guest DJ @ Vogue (the original) on 1st, Mercury, Noc Noc, & the Skoochies Reunion to help raise funds for youthcare.org which helps teenage homeless and runaways. Long live the DJ’s and creators of music and let us all share what makes our ears and hearts happy.

previously spinning live as the host of “Eclectic Blender” every Saturday 5-9pm PST on Radio Black Light. playing music from the genre’s of Industrial, EBM, Electro, Hardcore, Darkwave, IDM, Noise, Electronica, a little Goth and Dubstep and whatever else pops up in the giant random electric eclectic industrial strength blender for 5 years!

Currently hosting "On The Edge". It is a weekly specialty show on KNHC 89.5 FM, KNHC Digital Channel 1, and can be heard streaming world wide on www.C895.org from 8PM - 2AM Pacific time. *My 400th and final show was on 10/9/2022 follow me on Mixcloud at https://www.mixcloud.com/christopher-saint-embrey/