Catching Up With... Chris Maran + His Live Fuse Mix

East London’s Chris Maran is a straight up purveyor of the afterhours. As part of the Fuse collective and co-promoter of intimate parties with his partner in crime Lee Rands, he’s never afraid to explore the musical depths of our urban concrete jungle at any given time day or night. Chris joins the mUmU family who have made a household name in quality house and techno shindigs from its homebase in Liverpool to our capital city. To celebrate their fourth year in the making – mUmu are hosting a special birthday party in Room Three on Saturday, 31st March with brilliant beat makers, Varoslav and Jan Krueger topping the bill. In building anticipation, we caught up with Chris to chat about what’s in store for the night, his recent time in the studio and we get a live recording taken from his recent set at Fuse recorded around 5pm whilst warming up for Davide Squillace. DOWNLOAD: Chris Maran Fuse Mix What’s your musical background- did you always know you wanted a career behind the decks? I discovered electronic music when I was at school. Me and a couple of friends started getting into garage music and I began recording sets from a few pirate stations to play on my walkman. That's when the hunt for music began! I first tried my hand at mixing when I was about 15. My brother had a pair of old Soundlab decks and a box of vinyl he'd bought from his mate. The mixer would cut out when the faders hit certain points and the right deck would speed up by itself so it was a long and painful learning process. Eventually when I was 17 I had my first Ibiza experience and started raving with my brother and his mates. It’s fair to say this was the point when I realised that I wanted music to be more than just a hobby, so I took out a loan to buy a pair of 1210’s and start my record collection. How did you hook up with mUmU crew? What’s your history together? Lee Rands is one of my best mates. I met him on his 21st birthday when we were booked to play at the same night. We both really liked each other’s music so we got chatting and ended up back at his mates flat to continue the celebration. The rest is history. I met the rest of the mUmU crew in Liverpool through Lee. Trev then came to one of our ‘Unwind’ nights and was amazed by the connection that we had behind the decks so he started to book us together. What’s the best birthday party you’ve ever had? My 7th birthday was pretty special! My parents hired an inflatable Velcro wall to put in the garden. I had all my mates round in Velcro suits and we spent the day launching ourselves onto the wall. Maybe an idea for my 27th… Have you seen mUmU mission statement change since it started out? What would you say it is to those who aren’t aware? The mission statement is 'Thank you for dancing' which hasn't changed. People are still dancing and mUmU are still thankful. How are you looking forward to playing in Room Three alongside Lee Rands, Jan Krueger and Varoslav? What musical style and spirit can newcomers and devoted fans expect on the night? I can't wait!! Me and Lee really buzz off each other when we play together and this time we’re lucky enough to be playing both the first and last set of the night. I’m looking forward to having the opportunity to set the tone and build through the deeper shades of house and techno as well as finish off with some of our favourite records from the past few years. Room 3 is so intimate and ideal to build a close connection with the crowd so I’m really excited to play there. Jan Krueger is an amazing DJ so I’m buzzing to be playing alongside him; I think our sounds will really complement each other. I haven’t actually seen Varoslav play before but I’m a fan of his productions so I’m excited to see him. All in all there should be a really nice flow of music throughout the night. Can you tell us about the mix you’ve done for us? This is actually a live recording from my set at Fuse a couple of Sundays ago. I wanted a mix that would represent what I play in a club so a live mix was the obvious choice. It was recorded around 5pm whilst warming up for Davide Squillace so the mix is deep but still aimed towards the dance floor. It’s a good idea of what people can expect in Room 3. Have you been spending much time in the studio recenetly? I've been working hard in the studio for some time but I'm quite meticulous when it comes to my own productions so I haven't officially released anything as yet. I have an EP scheduled for release later this year on the Fuse London label so keep an eye out for that. What other exciting projects do you have in the pipeline for this year? Me and Lee are starting a new project with a couple of friends later this year. We’re all really like-minded people and share the same vision of our ideal party so we’re just finalising the plans now. I've also been working in the studio with a few friends which has been really productive so expect to hear some collaborations later in the year. Finally, tell us three things you can’t live without? Friends, family, ear plugs.