email me: info@djc-los.com
Growing up as a teen in the mecca of new underground
music genres, breakdancing, and the development of the “live” mobile
DJ in 80s Chicago, whose music culture was being exposed in movies such as
BeatStreet or Breakin’, it’s no surprise that Carlos “C-los” Medrano
began record collecting and self-teaching himself how to DJ with his mom’s home
stereo and a Realistic mixer at an early age.
What drew him to DJing, he credits to the first live local dj he saw at
a local function, known as Jumpin’ Reggie. Like a puppeteer creating
magic by moving and controlling the crowd’s mood with his hands, C-los was
drawn to the aura and craft of the dj and began DJing local teen parties in his
neighborhood.
He crafted his cuttin’ and scratchin’ technique listening
to the legendary DJ’s of Chicago such as the Hot Mix 5, Julian “Jumpin” Perez
and the ever-popular Bad Boy Bill. C-los’ style was influenced by the music
played on Chicago’s BMX radio which catered to the underground sounds of
hip-hop, Italo-disco, New York electro sounds, high energy, and a genre to be
known as House music coined after “The Warehouse” where a Chicago DJ,
Frankie Knuckles was playing a new style of music.
Moving to Houston in the 90s, he was a member of two
local rock band projects as a DJ and music producer. He was a scratch DJ for a
band called Aftershock which was signed with Retrograde Records (Phoenix, AZ)
and won several Houston Press Awards in the 90s. He played a sampling keyboard
for a group called Shock13 and won the 2000 Houston Press Underground category
award.
In the 2000s he returned to his roots as a dance and
house music dj with local Houston EDM groups, DJ events, opening up for
international touring DJs, resident DJing at nightclubs and later creating his
own monthly “HouseYoBody” parties. Although the EDM (Electronic Dance Music) culture in
Houston preferred high energy dance, drum and bass and trance music popularized
by the early rave culture in the 90s, C-Los’
Chicago style of mixing house with dance remixes, Chicago dance classics
and funk was uniquely his own. A highlight in his career was DJing at a Miami
Winter Music Conference event in 2004 alongside legendary Chicago deep house DJ
Ron Carrol.
Recently his 80s music mixes, ReGeneration Radio, were
broadcast on a popular dance and house Internet radio station, cyberjamz.com.
Not one to seek out the limelight or boast about his
accomplishments, not many DJs can say they actually made it out of their
bedrooms touring with a band, DJing for almost two decades, and making it out
with his ego intact.
Today, Carlos’ recent projects include making beats on
his original AKAI beat machine and Nord keyboard for independent short films.
When he’s not playing around in his home studio, he home decorating which includes
building small wood accent furniture, collecting designer and antique American furniture.