Vinyl set: Karl Almaria

From identifying a Bob James song in an elevator, performing an air guitar riff to a Led Zeppelin song, singing along with the latest Auto Zone TV commercial, to dropping the latest underground house cut, Karl Almaria is all about enjoying music. Karl loves a wide range of music, but living in Chicago almost all of his life has given him the opportunity to witness the evolution of house music over the years from its local early stages to the worldwide sound it is now. Today, Karl Almaria can be found not only enjoying house music, but living it as well. Whether its spinning alone, at a bar for 15 people or at an event for 1500 people, Karl is simply a DJ at heart that enjoys it all. 'Yeah, theres nothing like creating a vibe and connecting with a receptive crowd but there's also something special about connecting with the music alone.' In the early days Karl was content listening to mix tapes, collecting records, and spinning at home. It wasn't long before others took notice and he began playing out on a regular basis. 10+ years DJ experience, a creative mixing style, and on-point track selection have now taken him to DJ gigs in 17 states in the US and have earned him an ever-growing booking schedule including several residencies in his hometown of Chicago and beyond. In addition to DJing, Karl is also part of Epiphic, a Midwest-based deep house collective that has promoted hundreds of regular and one-off events. Karl also heads up house record label, Bunchlox Music. The imprint's consistent quality releases have quickly created an international following. Bunchlox tracks have received DJ support from house heavyweights such as Diz, DJ Heather, East Coast Boogiemen, Mark Farina, and Miles Maeda. Like DJing, Karl's great ear for music has been successful in selecting the best of both established and up-and-coming producers. Bunchlox Music has been one of the first labels to sign artists such as Avondale Music Society, Jake Childs, Jazzy Eyewear, Jonn Hawley, Sound Republic, and Southern Roots. 'If its good, its good and people will feel it, no matter whose name is on the record.' Along with DJing and running Bunchlox, Karl has recently been focusing on production. With only a few years in the studio, his original tracks and remixes are already appearing in big name DJ sets (including Derrick Carter, Diz, DJ Heather, Mark Farina, and Raoul Belmans) and have become the subject of track IDs in many underground house circles. Karl has been signed for several releases (Hudd Traxx, Guess Who?, Red Brunette) and has been working on many more. 'Never thought that I would ever say this, but I might enjoy producing just as much as I enjoy DJing.' Enjoying the music more than ever, Karl is showing no signs of slowing down. Be on the lookout, as Karl Almaria and Bunchlox Music are two names you will continue to hear much more from in the future!