Felix Da Housecat

Felix Da Housecat

Felix Da Housecat is the performing name of Felix Stallings, Jr., a DJ and record producer from Chicago, United States. He is associated with house, electro, electroclash, electronica, alternative dance, big beat and synth-pop, and is regarded as part of the second wave of Chicago house.

Early life and beginnings

Stallings grows up in Chicago and begins as a graffiti artist before developing an interest in the city’s house music scene. While attending Rich East High School in Park Forest, Illinois, he is introduced to DJ Pierre, who helps launch his career. At 15, he releases his first single, “Phantasy Girl”, in 1987 with Pierre’s support. He later studies media and communication at Alabama State University and Alabama State College, and during that period he absorbs music by Prince, A Tribe Called Quest and Gang Starr, while also experimenting with hip hop and R&B.

1990s output and labels

After stepping away from house for a period, he returns to production and mixing with DJ Pierre’s help. In 1992 he scores a hit with “Thee Dawn” on Guerilla Records, followed by “By Dawn’s Early Light” and “Thee Industry Made Me Do It” the next year. Under the alias Aphrohead, he releases “In The Dark We Live (Thee Lite)”, first on the UK label Bush and later licensed in the United States through Emotive Records; its Dave Clarke remix gains support from Junior Vasquez at Sound Factory. Stallings also helps pioneer the “wild pitch” sound with Pierre.

He forms Radikal Fear Records, which becomes an important Chicago house label in the 1990s and releases music by Mike Dunn, DJ Sneak, Armando and Stallings himself. His aliases include Thee Maddkatt Courtship, Aphrohead, Sharkimaxx and Rude Photo. He also releases work on Clashbackk Recordings and Founders of Filth.

Albums, singles and recognition

His debut album, Alone in the Dark, appears in 1995 under Thee Maddkatt Courtship, followed by The Chicago All Stars and Clashbackk Compilation Mix. He releases Metropolis Present Day? Thee Album! in 1998 and the single “My Life Muzik” in 1999, which begins a new label arrangement with London Records and links him with Tyrone “Visionary” Palmer.

Kittenz and Thee Glitz arrives in 2001 and becomes a major electroclash release. It brings him wider exposure in dance music and fashion circles, and he wins Best Album at the Muzik Awards at the end of that year. The album is followed by mix releases including Excursions and A Bugged Out Mix, then Devin Dazzle & the Neon Fever in 2004. That record includes “What She Wants”, which features James Murphy, and “Ready 2 Wear”, sung by Tyrone Palmer. “Watching Cars Go By” is remixed by Armand Van Helden and Sasha, and Sasha receives a Grammy nomination for his remix.

Collaborations and later releases

Stallings works with several major pop artists, including Madonna, Britney Spears and Kylie Minogue, through remix work. He also collaborates with P Diddy on “Jack U”, and is credited as an exclusive producer for a dance album project that remains unreleased. His records and remixes appear across film, television and video games, including Midnight Club 2, SSX 3, Need for Speed: Underground 2, Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland, The Sopranos, Entourage and Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang.

He releases Virgo Blaktro and the Movie Disco in 2007 on Nettwerk Records in the United States, with Dallas Austin serving as executive producer. The album contains 16 tracks and includes “Future Calls the Dawn”, “Like Something for Porno”, “Radio” and “Sweet Frosti”, the last of which samples Devo’s “Snowball”. He also issues the Global Underground compilation GU034: Felix Da Housecat, Milan, teams up with Kris Menace for “Artificial”, and releases He Was King in 2009 via Nettwerk Records. That album is built around electro-house and electronic pop ideas and includes tracks such as “Elvi$” and “LA Ravers”.

Style and associated names

His work centres on house music and electroclash, often drawing on 1980s reference points, disco-punk, and club-oriented electronic styles. He also records as Thee Maddkatt Courtship and Aphrohead, among other aliases, and uses the name Rude Photo for remix work. His output is tied closely to Chicago’s house history as well as later electroclash and electro-house developments.