Chris Stussy

Chris Stussy makes house music for the part of the night when a room has stopped performing and started moving: unhurried grooves, warm low end, melodies that arrive late and stay. The Dutch producer was born Niels Steenbergen and, since August 2026, performs as Chris Stassy, a one-letter change that leaves the sound, the label and the parties exactly where they were. RTS.FM recorded him at Vinyl & Wood in Budapest in January 2018, years before his arrival in the Top 100, and that set has since passed 31,000 views on our YouTube channel.

Leiden Beginnings

Steenbergen was born on 2 July 1994 in Leiderdorp and grew up in neighbouring Leiden, in South Holland, roughly half an hour from both Amsterdam and Rotterdam. His first releases date to 2014, among them the Movement EP, according to Wikipedia, and from 2016 his records began appearing on a run of respected house imprints, including Fuse London, Kaoz Theory, PIV and Rutilance Recordings. It was a slow, label-by-label build rather than an overnight breakout, the kind of apprenticeship in which a producer learns what a dancefloor will actually forgive.

Up The Stuss

In 2020 he launched Up The Stuss, a vinyl and digital label that Resident Advisor describes as a home for the wider spectrum of house made for the dancefloor. It became both his own outlet and a platform for peers: the catalogue includes records by Kolter, with whom he also works as the duo Stussko, and Locklead, his partner in the Across Boundaries project, which has released the albums Sense of Future (2023) and Sakura (2025). His own Mysteries of the Universe appeared on the label in 2022, and in 2023 "All Night Long" on Up The Stuss, followed by the Midtown Playground EP on Fuse Records, marked the year his name travelled well beyond the vinyl crowd. Other collaborations include the Get Together project with S.A.M (2021) and "Go" with Moby (2024).

Sound and Style

Stussy's music sits in a lane that sources variously file under deep house, deep tech and minimal house: rolling, mid-tempo grooves, bass lines that lean back rather than push, and chords or vocal fragments that give a loop its emotional pull. It is club music with a strong melodic sense, and tracks such as "All Night Long" (2023) and "Desire" (2024) have become his best-known on streaming platforms. His label work leans the same way, favouring warm, human-sounding house over peak-time force.

From Club Nights to Boiler Room and BBC Radio 1

The recent milestones come quickly. In February 2024 he launched Chris Stussy: Uncut, a YouTube docu-series following his tours and studio life. In May 2024 he played his first Boiler Room set, at Warehouse '92 in Edinburgh, and in October 2024 he delivered a BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix. On 1 February 2025 he began the USS event series in London, which runs a no-phones policy on the dancefloor. His CV of rooms includes Pacha, DC10 and Amnesia in Ibiza, Coachella, Music On, Creamfields, Club Space and Parklife.

2026: A New Name and a Top 100 Climb

April 2026 brought his debut album, Lost, Found & Forgotten, released on Up The Stuss as a 19-track set in three chapters, along with a four-part BBC Radio 1 Dance residency. On 18 August he announced on Instagram that he would perform as Chris Stassy, with the Up The Stuss label and USS parties keeping their names. Release catalogues and streaming services still list older records under Chris Stussy, which is why both spellings appear across the web. No reason for the change has been given publicly.

On 6 October 2026, at the DJ Mag LIVE event at [UNVRS] Ibiza (the club that topped DJ Mag's 2026 Top 100 Clubs poll), the Top 100 DJs 2026 results placed him at No. 59. DJ Mag reported that he, John Summit and Mau P each climbed 22 places, sharing the Highest Climber distinction.

Live at RTS.FM

This Budapest set predates the albums, the Boiler Room and the Top 100 placing by several years.

FAQ

Who is Chris Stussy?

Chris Stussy is a Dutch house DJ and producer, born Niels Steenbergen on 2 July 1994 in Leiderdorp and raised in Leiden. He founded the label Up The Stuss in 2020 and, since August 2026, performs under the name Chris Stassy.

Why did Chris Stussy change his name to Chris Stassy?

He announced the one-letter change on 18 August 2026 and has not publicly explained it. His label Up The Stuss and event series USS keep their existing names.

What is Up The Stuss?

Up The Stuss is Chris Stussy's own vinyl and digital record label, launched in 2020 and focused on club-oriented house. Its catalogue includes his own releases and records by artists such as Kolter and Locklead.

What was Chris Stussy's position in DJ Mag's Top 100 DJs 2026?

He placed No. 59 in the poll revealed on 6 October 2026 at [UNVRS] Ibiza. He climbed 22 places, sharing the Highest Climber distinction with John Summit and Mau P.

What is Chris Stussy's debut album?

His debut album is Lost, Found & Forgotten, released on Up The Stuss in April 2026. It runs to 19 tracks across three chapters titled Lost, Found and Forgotten.

Has Chris Stussy played at RTS.FM?

Yes. He played RTS.FM Budapest on 19 January 2018 at Vinyl & Wood, and the 1h22m recording has over 31,000 views on RTS.FM's YouTube channel.