Chris Lake doesn’t consider himself to be a “money-minded person.” But if there’s one thing the British DJ has learned about being an independent artist, it’s that touring is “a really good way to spend a lot of money.”
“The truth is I’ll only look at the final [cost], because if I start getting into the weeds of all the numbers, my eyes start going like this,” said Lake, imitating his eyes rolling back during a recent Zoom call. “It all depends on if the number’s black or red.”
Lake recently ended his string of open-air summer concerts, where he transformed spots like the underbelly of a New York bridge, Chicago’s Navy Pier and L.A. State Historic Park into sites of flashing lights, booming bass and countless sweaty bodies. With over 20 years of DJing under his belt, the Grammy-nominated artist said even though it’s rare for him to see a bleeding tour budget sheet, live shows are almost always worth the splurge.
Touring is what keeps him and most other performing musicians afloat. In today’s music industry, when artists aren’t reaping the full benefits of the recording economy because of streaming platforms, the live experience is as vital as ever.
“If you’re an artist and you’ve got a recording business, it’s probably upside down,” said Lake, who runs his own label, Black Book Records. “You have to make your touring business work financially, or you’re f—d.”
But that doesn’t make it any less pricey, especially as an artist not backed by a major label. Touring presents a unique opportunity for musicians as it’s both a way to gain significant exposure and take a big financial risk — and still it doesn’t guarantee a sizable profit.
“You can make choices on production that become unbelievably expensive. They turn the budget of the show upside down and make it kind of untenable, or you just lose money,” said Lake, who likens tour planning to home renovations, where unexpected costs keep popping up.
Before fully dedicating himself to music, Lake worked as a postman and did manual labor jobs in the fish processing industry in the U.K. These jobs allowed him to purchase music equipment for the first time, officially opening the door to start remixing and producing electronic tracks. He first made his breakthrough in the early 2000s with charting tracks like the synth-heavy “Changes.” Ever since then, he’s cemented himself as a mainstay in techno and house music, frequently collaborating with fellow artists such as Sammy Virji, Skrillex and Fisher. And over the last decade, he’s operated as a fully independent artist. (His label Black Book Records had a brief licensing deal with Universal Music Group’s Astralwerks, which expired in 2024.)
The downtown L.A. skyline peaks out behind the crowd at Chris Lake’s show at L.A. Historic Park.
(Nathan Vogel)
By the end of 2026, he will have played between 50 and 60 shows, in roughly 35 cities. Some of the largest of his shows were in June when he played L.A. Historic Park and sold around 40,000 tickets over two nights, making it his biggest headline show to date.
As someone who’s lived in the city for the last 15 years, he knew he needed to pull off a show that suited the city. Because L.A. Historic Park isn’t a permanent concert venue, it doesn’t have the traditional infrastructure in place to put on a show.
It was up to Lake’s team to build a stage structure, on top of all the regular production costs. Due to L.A. being an expensive market and the extra costs, Chris Schroeder, the owner of the production company Lake works with, said the show ended up costing two to three times more. He said putting on a production like Lake’s could range anywhere between $500,000 and $1.5 million, depending on many factors like location, venue and deals with promoters.
While standing up on that L.A. stage in June, Lake recalled looking out at the downtown skyline and being transported back to when he first moved to the city.
“I knew what I came to L.A. for. It was music,” said Lake. “L.A.’s given me a lot. I love the city.”
The last time Lake played in L.A., he was alongside fellow DJ and frequent collaborator, Fisher, in 2023. The duo fully shut down three blocks of Hollywood Boulevard, marking the first time the street had been shut down for a major DJ gig. Lake said investing both time and funds into making live experiences as distinctive as possible for fans is essential in today’s world of EDM.
“There was an old-school attitude with DJs. You’d get the fee for your show and just turn up and do the gig. Work’s done,” Lake said. “I don’t believe in that attitude…My focus will be on making sure everything about the show is a success.”
The overall experience, from the sound to the lights and lasers, is something Lake is willing to spend big on.
(Claire S. Burke / Off Angle Creative)
Whether it’s an abandoned warehouse, the inside of a laundromat or even the mall, live electronic music shows and raves are consistently pushing the limits of what’s possible. This sense of innovation combined with high-quality tech for sound and lighting is often what pushes shows over budget, as Lake described. But it’s also what makes a dance floor worth joining and makes people “come together to make people feel something,” he added.
“I’m keeping it simple and keeping the focus on the crowd and the overall collective experience of everyone,” said Lake, who considers himself to be more of a “puppet master” than anything else.
Like many other “successful electronic artists,” Tiffany Naiman, UCLA’s director of music industry programs, explains how Lake has built an entire economic network rooted in live experiences, from his actual performances to his label and the artists he backs.
“The show isn’t just where you hear the music; it’s where an artist builds a community, develops other artists and creates a brand that can sustain a career,” Naiman said.
“His example also illustrates the divide between the top of the market and the independent artist. Lake has reached a scale where he can turn the live experience into an ecosystem,” she added, while the majority of indie musicians are still trying to navigate the basic economics of getting themselves on stage.
But at the same time, many of Lake’s financial decisions are possible because he isn’t signed to a larger label. When lots of money is being invested, and a lot is riding on a particular artist or an album, Lake said it can often point people toward the direction of making bad, short-sighted decisions for art and artists. Now, he’s in the position to take on full financial risk himself and retain control of decisions without worrying about external financial influences.
“When push comes to shove, I’m very often very comfortable with making decisions that don’t make financial sense,” Lake said. “Being an independent artist puts me in the best position to make bad financial decisions, and that’s exactly what I do. That is what Black Book’s about. I, in essence, am an accountant’s nightmare.”
Chris Lake doesn’t consider himself to be a “money-minded person.” But if there’s one thing the British DJ has learned about being an independent artist, it’s that touring is “a really good way to spend a lot of money.”
“The truth is I’ll only look at the final [cost], because if I start getting into the weeds of all the numbers, my eyes start going like this,” said Lake, imitating his eyes rolling back during a recent Zoom call. “It all depends on if the number’s black or red.”
Lake recently ended his string of open-air summer concerts, where he transformed spots like the underbelly of a New York bridge, Chicago’s Navy Pier and L.A. State Historic Park into sites of flashing lights, booming bass and countless sweaty bodies. With over 20 years of DJing under his belt, the Grammy-nominated artist said even though it’s rare for him to see a bleeding tour budget sheet, live shows are almost always worth the splurge.
Touring is what keeps him and most other performing musicians afloat. In today’s music industry, when artists aren’t reaping the full benefits of the recording economy because of streaming platforms, the live experience is as vital as ever.
“If you’re an artist and you’ve got a recording business, it’s probably upside down,” said Lake, who runs his own label, Black Book Records. “You have to make your touring business work financially, or you’re f—d.”
But that doesn’t make it any less pricey, especially as an artist not backed by a major label. Touring presents a unique opportunity for musicians as it’s both a way to gain significant exposure and take a big financial risk — and still it doesn’t guarantee a sizable profit.
“You can make choices on production that become unbelievably expensive. They turn the budget of the show upside down and make it kind of untenable, or you just lose money,” said Lake, who likens tour planning to home renovations, where unexpected costs keep popping up.
Before fully dedicating himself to music, Lake worked as a postman and did manual labor jobs in the fish processing industry in the U.K. These jobs allowed him to purchase music equipment for the first time, officially opening the door to start remixing and producing electronic tracks. He first made his breakthrough in the early 2000s with charting tracks like the synth-heavy “Changes.” Ever since then, he’s cemented himself as a mainstay in techno and house music, frequently collaborating with fellow artists such as Sammy Virji, Skrillex and Fisher. And over the last decade, he’s operated as a fully independent artist. (His label Black Book Records had a brief licensing deal with Universal Music Group’s Astralwerks, which expired in 2024.)
The downtown L.A. skyline peaks out behind the crowd at Chris Lake’s show at L.A. Historic Park.
(Nathan Vogel)
By the end of 2026, he will have played between 50 and 60 shows, in roughly 35 cities. Some of the largest of his shows were in June when he played L.A. Historic Park and sold around 40,000 tickets over two nights, making it his biggest headline show to date.
As someone who’s lived in the city for the last 15 years, he knew he needed to pull off a show that suited the city. Because L.A. Historic Park isn’t a permanent concert venue, it doesn’t have the traditional infrastructure in place to put on a show.
It was up to Lake’s team to build a stage structure, on top of all the regular production costs. Due to L.A. being an expensive market and the extra costs, Chris Schroeder, the owner of the production company Lake works with, said the show ended up costing two to three times more. He said putting on a production like Lake’s could range anywhere between $500,000 and $1.5 million, depending on many factors like location, venue and deals with promoters.
While standing up on that L.A. stage in June, Lake recalled looking out at the downtown skyline and being transported back to when he first moved to the city.
“I knew what I came to L.A. for. It was music,” said Lake. “L.A.’s given me a lot. I love the city.”
The last time Lake played in L.A., he was alongside fellow DJ and frequent collaborator, Fisher, in 2023. The duo fully shut down three blocks of Hollywood Boulevard, marking the first time the street had been shut down for a major DJ gig. Lake said investing both time and funds into making live experiences as distinctive as possible for fans is essential in today’s world of EDM.
“There was an old-school attitude with DJs. You’d get the fee for your show and just turn up and do the gig. Work’s done,” Lake said. “I don’t believe in that attitude…My focus will be on making sure everything about the show is a success.”
The overall experience, from the sound to the lights and lasers, is something Lake is willing to spend big on.
(Claire S. Burke / Off Angle Creative)
Whether it’s an abandoned warehouse, the inside of a laundromat or even the mall, live electronic music shows and raves are consistently pushing the limits of what’s possible. This sense of innovation combined with high-quality tech for sound and lighting is often what pushes shows over budget, as Lake described. But it’s also what makes a dance floor worth joining and makes people “come together to make people feel something,” he added.
“I’m keeping it simple and keeping the focus on the crowd and the overall collective experience of everyone,” said Lake, who considers himself to be more of a “puppet master” than anything else.
Like many other “successful electronic artists,” Tiffany Naiman, UCLA’s director of music industry programs, explains how Lake has built an entire economic network rooted in live experiences, from his actual performances to his label and the artists he backs.
“The show isn’t just where you hear the music; it’s where an artist builds a community, develops other artists and creates a brand that can sustain a career,” Naiman said.
“His example also illustrates the divide between the top of the market and the independent artist. Lake has reached a scale where he can turn the live experience into an ecosystem,” she added, while the majority of indie musicians are still trying to navigate the basic economics of getting themselves on stage.
But at the same time, many of Lake’s financial decisions are possible because he isn’t signed to a larger label. When lots of money is being invested, and a lot is riding on a particular artist or an album, Lake said it can often point people toward the direction of making bad, short-sighted decisions for art and artists. Now, he’s in the position to take on full financial risk himself and retain control of decisions without worrying about external financial influences.
“When push comes to shove, I’m very often very comfortable with making decisions that don’t make financial sense,” Lake said. “Being an independent artist puts me in the best position to make bad financial decisions, and that’s exactly what I do. That is what Black Book’s about. I, in essence, am an accountant’s nightmare.”
Chris Lake doesn’t consider himself to be a “money-minded person.” But if there’s one thing the British DJ has learned about being an independent artist, it’s that touring is “a really good way to spend a lot of money.”
“The truth is I’ll only look at the final [cost], because if I start getting into the weeds of all the numbers, my eyes start going like this,” said Lake, imitating his eyes rolling back during a recent Zoom call. “It all depends on if the number’s black or red.”
Lake recently ended his string of open-air summer concerts, where he transformed spots like the underbelly of a New York bridge, Chicago’s Navy Pier and L.A. State Historic Park into sites of flashing lights, booming bass and countless sweaty bodies. With over 20 years of DJing under his belt, the Grammy-nominated artist said even though it’s rare for him to see a bleeding tour budget sheet, live shows are almost always worth the splurge.
Touring is what keeps him and most other performing musicians afloat. In today’s music industry, when artists aren’t reaping the full benefits of the recording economy because of streaming platforms, the live experience is as vital as ever.
“If you’re an artist and you’ve got a recording business, it’s probably upside down,” said Lake, who runs his own label, Black Book Records. “You have to make your touring business work financially, or you’re f—d.”
But that doesn’t make it any less pricey, especially as an artist not backed by a major label. Touring presents a unique opportunity for musicians as it’s both a way to gain significant exposure and take a big financial risk — and still it doesn’t guarantee a sizable profit.
“You can make choices on production that become unbelievably expensive. They turn the budget of the show upside down and make it kind of untenable, or you just lose money,” said Lake, who likens tour planning to home renovations, where unexpected costs keep popping up.
Before fully dedicating himself to music, Lake worked as a postman and did manual labor jobs in the fish processing industry in the U.K. These jobs allowed him to purchase music equipment for the first time, officially opening the door to start remixing and producing electronic tracks. He first made his breakthrough in the early 2000s with charting tracks like the synth-heavy “Changes.” Ever since then, he’s cemented himself as a mainstay in techno and house music, frequently collaborating with fellow artists such as Sammy Virji, Skrillex and Fisher. And over the last decade, he’s operated as a fully independent artist. (His label Black Book Records had a brief licensing deal with Universal Music Group’s Astralwerks, which expired in 2024.)
The downtown L.A. skyline peaks out behind the crowd at Chris Lake’s show at L.A. Historic Park.
(Nathan Vogel)
By the end of 2026, he will have played between 50 and 60 shows, in roughly 35 cities. Some of the largest of his shows were in June when he played L.A. Historic Park and sold around 40,000 tickets over two nights, making it his biggest headline show to date.
As someone who’s lived in the city for the last 15 years, he knew he needed to pull off a show that suited the city. Because L.A. Historic Park isn’t a permanent concert venue, it doesn’t have the traditional infrastructure in place to put on a show.
It was up to Lake’s team to build a stage structure, on top of all the regular production costs. Due to L.A. being an expensive market and the extra costs, Chris Schroeder, the owner of the production company Lake works with, said the show ended up costing two to three times more. He said putting on a production like Lake’s could range anywhere between $500,000 and $1.5 million, depending on many factors like location, venue and deals with promoters.
While standing up on that L.A. stage in June, Lake recalled looking out at the downtown skyline and being transported back to when he first moved to the city.
“I knew what I came to L.A. for. It was music,” said Lake. “L.A.’s given me a lot. I love the city.”
The last time Lake played in L.A., he was alongside fellow DJ and frequent collaborator, Fisher, in 2023. The duo fully shut down three blocks of Hollywood Boulevard, marking the first time the street had been shut down for a major DJ gig. Lake said investing both time and funds into making live experiences as distinctive as possible for fans is essential in today’s world of EDM.
“There was an old-school attitude with DJs. You’d get the fee for your show and just turn up and do the gig. Work’s done,” Lake said. “I don’t believe in that attitude…My focus will be on making sure everything about the show is a success.”
The overall experience, from the sound to the lights and lasers, is something Lake is willing to spend big on.
(Claire S. Burke / Off Angle Creative)
Whether it’s an abandoned warehouse, the inside of a laundromat or even the mall, live electronic music shows and raves are consistently pushing the limits of what’s possible. This sense of innovation combined with high-quality tech for sound and lighting is often what pushes shows over budget, as Lake described. But it’s also what makes a dance floor worth joining and makes people “come together to make people feel something,” he added.
“I’m keeping it simple and keeping the focus on the crowd and the overall collective experience of everyone,” said Lake, who considers himself to be more of a “puppet master” than anything else.
Like many other “successful electronic artists,” Tiffany Naiman, UCLA’s director of music industry programs, explains how Lake has built an entire economic network rooted in live experiences, from his actual performances to his label and the artists he backs.
“The show isn’t just where you hear the music; it’s where an artist builds a community, develops other artists and creates a brand that can sustain a career,” Naiman said.
“His example also illustrates the divide between the top of the market and the independent artist. Lake has reached a scale where he can turn the live experience into an ecosystem,” she added, while the majority of indie musicians are still trying to navigate the basic economics of getting themselves on stage.
But at the same time, many of Lake’s financial decisions are possible because he isn’t signed to a larger label. When lots of money is being invested, and a lot is riding on a particular artist or an album, Lake said it can often point people toward the direction of making bad, short-sighted decisions for art and artists. Now, he’s in the position to take on full financial risk himself and retain control of decisions without worrying about external financial influences.
“When push comes to shove, I’m very often very comfortable with making decisions that don’t make financial sense,” Lake said. “Being an independent artist puts me in the best position to make bad financial decisions, and that’s exactly what I do. That is what Black Book’s about. I, in essence, am an accountant’s nightmare.”
Chris Lake doesn’t consider himself to be a “money-minded person.” But if there’s one thing the British DJ has learned about being an independent artist, it’s that touring is “a really good way to spend a lot of money.”
“The truth is I’ll only look at the final [cost], because if I start getting into the weeds of all the numbers, my eyes start going like this,” said Lake, imitating his eyes rolling back during a recent Zoom call. “It all depends on if the number’s black or red.”
Lake recently ended his string of open-air summer concerts, where he transformed spots like the underbelly of a New York bridge, Chicago’s Navy Pier and L.A. State Historic Park into sites of flashing lights, booming bass and countless sweaty bodies. With over 20 years of DJing under his belt, the Grammy-nominated artist said even though it’s rare for him to see a bleeding tour budget sheet, live shows are almost always worth the splurge.
Touring is what keeps him and most other performing musicians afloat. In today’s music industry, when artists aren’t reaping the full benefits of the recording economy because of streaming platforms, the live experience is as vital as ever.
“If you’re an artist and you’ve got a recording business, it’s probably upside down,” said Lake, who runs his own label, Black Book Records. “You have to make your touring business work financially, or you’re f—d.”
But that doesn’t make it any less pricey, especially as an artist not backed by a major label. Touring presents a unique opportunity for musicians as it’s both a way to gain significant exposure and take a big financial risk — and still it doesn’t guarantee a sizable profit.
“You can make choices on production that become unbelievably expensive. They turn the budget of the show upside down and make it kind of untenable, or you just lose money,” said Lake, who likens tour planning to home renovations, where unexpected costs keep popping up.
Before fully dedicating himself to music, Lake worked as a postman and did manual labor jobs in the fish processing industry in the U.K. These jobs allowed him to purchase music equipment for the first time, officially opening the door to start remixing and producing electronic tracks. He first made his breakthrough in the early 2000s with charting tracks like the synth-heavy “Changes.” Ever since then, he’s cemented himself as a mainstay in techno and house music, frequently collaborating with fellow artists such as Sammy Virji, Skrillex and Fisher. And over the last decade, he’s operated as a fully independent artist. (His label Black Book Records had a brief licensing deal with Universal Music Group’s Astralwerks, which expired in 2024.)
The downtown L.A. skyline peaks out behind the crowd at Chris Lake’s show at L.A. Historic Park.
(Nathan Vogel)
By the end of 2026, he will have played between 50 and 60 shows, in roughly 35 cities. Some of the largest of his shows were in June when he played L.A. Historic Park and sold around 40,000 tickets over two nights, making it his biggest headline show to date.
As someone who’s lived in the city for the last 15 years, he knew he needed to pull off a show that suited the city. Because L.A. Historic Park isn’t a permanent concert venue, it doesn’t have the traditional infrastructure in place to put on a show.
It was up to Lake’s team to build a stage structure, on top of all the regular production costs. Due to L.A. being an expensive market and the extra costs, Chris Schroeder, the owner of the production company Lake works with, said the show ended up costing two to three times more. He said putting on a production like Lake’s could range anywhere between $500,000 and $1.5 million, depending on many factors like location, venue and deals with promoters.
While standing up on that L.A. stage in June, Lake recalled looking out at the downtown skyline and being transported back to when he first moved to the city.
“I knew what I came to L.A. for. It was music,” said Lake. “L.A.’s given me a lot. I love the city.”
The last time Lake played in L.A., he was alongside fellow DJ and frequent collaborator, Fisher, in 2023. The duo fully shut down three blocks of Hollywood Boulevard, marking the first time the street had been shut down for a major DJ gig. Lake said investing both time and funds into making live experiences as distinctive as possible for fans is essential in today’s world of EDM.
“There was an old-school attitude with DJs. You’d get the fee for your show and just turn up and do the gig. Work’s done,” Lake said. “I don’t believe in that attitude…My focus will be on making sure everything about the show is a success.”
The overall experience, from the sound to the lights and lasers, is something Lake is willing to spend big on.
(Claire S. Burke / Off Angle Creative)
Whether it’s an abandoned warehouse, the inside of a laundromat or even the mall, live electronic music shows and raves are consistently pushing the limits of what’s possible. This sense of innovation combined with high-quality tech for sound and lighting is often what pushes shows over budget, as Lake described. But it’s also what makes a dance floor worth joining and makes people “come together to make people feel something,” he added.
“I’m keeping it simple and keeping the focus on the crowd and the overall collective experience of everyone,” said Lake, who considers himself to be more of a “puppet master” than anything else.
Like many other “successful electronic artists,” Tiffany Naiman, UCLA’s director of music industry programs, explains how Lake has built an entire economic network rooted in live experiences, from his actual performances to his label and the artists he backs.
“The show isn’t just where you hear the music; it’s where an artist builds a community, develops other artists and creates a brand that can sustain a career,” Naiman said.
“His example also illustrates the divide between the top of the market and the independent artist. Lake has reached a scale where he can turn the live experience into an ecosystem,” she added, while the majority of indie musicians are still trying to navigate the basic economics of getting themselves on stage.
But at the same time, many of Lake’s financial decisions are possible because he isn’t signed to a larger label. When lots of money is being invested, and a lot is riding on a particular artist or an album, Lake said it can often point people toward the direction of making bad, short-sighted decisions for art and artists. Now, he’s in the position to take on full financial risk himself and retain control of decisions without worrying about external financial influences.
“When push comes to shove, I’m very often very comfortable with making decisions that don’t make financial sense,” Lake said. “Being an independent artist puts me in the best position to make bad financial decisions, and that’s exactly what I do. That is what Black Book’s about. I, in essence, am an accountant’s nightmare.”
