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Felix da Housecat

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Felix da Housecat is the stage name of Felix Stallings Jr., an American DJ and producer from the Chicago area, born in 1971. He belongs to the second generation of Chicago house. As a fifteen-year-old schoolboy in Park Forest he came into contact with the acid house pioneer DJ Pierre, who helped him get started. His first single, Phantasy Girl, appeared in 1987. He then studied media and communications and became interested in hip hop and R&B.

Music and breakthrough

In the 1990s he released work under various names, including Aphrohead and Thee Maddkatt Courtship. He founded the label Radikal Fear. His breakthrough to a wide audience came in 2001 with Kittenz and Thee Glitz, an album he made with Miss Kittin and Tommie Sunshine, among others. At the end of that year it won the prize for best album at the Muzik Awards. After that he made remixes for Madonna, Britney Spears and Kylie Minogue. Later albums were Devin Dazzle and the Neon Fever in 2004, Virgo Blaktro and the Movie Disco in 2007 and He Was King in 2009.

Influence

His music combines house with the cool, synthetic sound of electroclash. Silver Screen (Shower Scene) was used in video games and in the film Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Felix da Housecat shows how Chicago house developed, in the years around 2000, into a glamorous, nightlife-oriented form of pop.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Silver Screen (Shower Scene) and notice the tight, electronic rhythm and the cool, almost robotic vocals. Which sounds keep returning, and how does the track build?

Discography

Studio albums

Categories: ArtistsElectroclash