“I’m not the type to just sit there and listen, I want to be involved,”

says Kristina Childs. “The first time I heard this music, I knew I wanted to play it.” Childs was introduced to electronic music in 1995, but being involved in the punk scene remained a closet technohead until her first party in 1998. Shortly thereafter she was introduced to deep house, and immediately knew it would become a fundamental part of her life. It did, and within a year she was playing parties and after-hours around the Seattle area. Starting in 1999 with a mixture of house, techno and jungle, Childs quickly evolved her style into the eclectic mix of genres she plays today. Never one to color inside the lines, her range has allowed her to share the stage with leading artists from vastly different musical pockets. A sample list would include names like Speedy J, Richard Devine, Paul Wall, Akufen, Thomas Fehlmann, Nico Luminous, Christian Martin, Keith Mackenzie and Bassnectar.

As well as being a guest DJ at nearly every club in the Seattle area and half of the US, Childs has held countless residencies and headlined events in Europe and South America. She’s had terrestrial radio airplay in Canada and Germany as well as the US, is the creator and curator of Plasmodium, co-creator of KRAKT! and as a founding director of Decibel Festival played a crucial role in establishing it as one of North America’s premier electronic music festivals.

Her diligence in Seattle earned her a reputation as a Northwest tastemaker. Dubbed a “local favorite” by XLR8R Magazine, Cascadians love her excellent track selection, technical skill, energetic performances and uncanny knack for reading a crowd. In 2007 she won the Battle of the Mega-Mixes competition, successfully defended her title in 2008, and in 2009 was invited to judge alongside Pezzner and DJ Introcut.

Childs is a DJs DJ. She is known primarily for her techno and house sets, however you can hear her play everything from ambient to hip-hop, downtempo, electro, disco, breaks, new wave, funk or whatever else she feels like playing depending on the event. Her debut release was 2004 in the form of a vocal appearance on Take’s Colossal Volume 1. 2016 has seen vocals recorded for Jules Born, Blacklist and Jimmy Glitch with more voice and original production on the horizon.

links

Afro House, Tech House, Deep House (2023)

Organic and groovy mix to set your summer on track

Dahab Days / Sinai Nights (2022/2023)

A pair of mixes, two sides of the same Sinai coin. One is a an audio illustration of living in Dahab—from the water, through the wadi into the mountains and back. The other is a meditative journey set beneath the stars in Wadi Arrada.

Tech House, Techno, House (Deep/Mellow) (2016)

Set from Studio 4/4 at Q nightclub in Seattle, opening for George Fitzgerald.

Bassline/Bass House, Electro House, Breakbeat, Bass (2016)

Bassline/Bass House, Electro House, Future House (2016)

Deep House, Tech-house, Future Garage, Bassline House (2015)

Deep House, Bassline House, Future Garage (2014)

Deep House, Tech-House, House (2009)

Deep House, House (2001)

Electro Swing

2010

2010 2009 2008 2007

Downtempo, Midtempo, Tech-House, Techno, Breakbeat, Jungle

2007

word on the street

Dave Segal The Stranger

KRAKT's Cock Block Edition: Estrogenic Teckno Heat

KRAKT, the hell-raising techno night that happens every other first Friday, sidesteps the usual male-dominated lineup for an all-women bill. KRAKT organizer Kristina Childs has been ruling on the decks in a variety of styles for so long, one could be forgiven for taking her for granted. But her way-above-average taste and technical skills command deep respect. Portland's MissVixen (aka Tracy Why) has been running an all-female-DJ house/techno night called Cock Block for the last two years while also holding a residency at SubSensory's Static monthly. Immerse yourself in Vixen's many hours of mixes on her Soundcloud and you'll come away impressed by her seamless transitions and keen selections of strange, minimal techno that still drives the dance floor into a lather. Read it here

XLR8R

local favorite

Crazy Ductch Guy Hammarica.com

Daily DJ Interview

I sit down with hammarica.com to talk about techno, Decibel Festival, the value of competition, podcasts and more. Read it here

The Stranger

An ebullient dynamo in Seattle's underground scene

Rachel Shimp The Seattle Weekly

Talk Talk

I sit down with Rachel Shimp of The Seattle Weekly for a quick interview. Read it here

Dave Segal The Stranger

A Practical Interview With a Prominent DJ (6th in a Series): Kristina Childs

I chat with the ever-awesome Dave Segal about all sorts of stuff in a series geared toward giving budding and aspiring DJs advice from experience: how to get booked, how to interface with promoters, how to fill (and keep) a dance floor, what gear to choose, where to buy music, preparation, formats and why — really why — it is I do what I do. Read it here

Dave Segal Line Out

All hail Kristina Childs! The Seattle DJ/promoter has brought back KRAKT, the wonderfully raunchy, hard-as-fuck techno night that used to electrify Re-bar for a few years in the '00s. Now happening every other first Friday at Electric Tea Garden, KRAKT—if past parties are indicators—should guarantee ALL CAPS, top-crotch techno thrills six times a year. Getting Spain's Pig & Dan (Igor Tchkotoua and Dan Duncan) to help you relaunch is a superb omen. These guys keep their techno creepy, mischievous, and driving, which will sound amazing in that crucial 2 to 5 a.m. time slot, when your mind is most liable to go wonky. Portland's Bryan Zentz is also worth staying up way past your bedtime for. If I may sample myself from a Stranger Suggests recommendation: "In his productions, Zentz locates the golden mean between propulsive, machinelike efficiency and libidinous rhythmic friction." That's what I'm talking about. Get KRAKT. With Roddimus and Miss Shelrawka. Friday, Electric Tea Garden, 10 pm–5 am, $15, 21+. Read it here