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DJ Cutman | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Christopher LaBreacht Davidson |
| Origin | Ithaca, New York |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2010–present |
| Labels | GameChops |
| Website | music |
Christopher LaBreacht Davidson,[2] better known by his stage nameDJ Cutman, is an Americanchiptune DJ.[3] He is known for his remixes of video game soundtracks through his label GameChops, such asZelda & Chill,[4] as well as his live performances at video game events and his web seriesThis Week in Chiptune. His stage name and costume during live performances are derived from theMega Man characterCut Man.[1][5]
Davidson co-owned a hip-hop studio inIthaca, New York in the 2000s. After it was robbed in 2010, he began DJing as a coping mechanism, performing as a "high tech busker" making EDM covers of video game soundtracks.[6][7] He performed live at smaller gigs and festivals in Ithaca, but struggled to do so after moving to Philadelphia. Davidson began broadcasting online instead, via Mixify and found greater success online than he had in person. He founded a small record label GameChops in 2011 to release video game covers, but struggled initially as the field was thendominated by rock bands, which focused on live performances over recordings.[8]
He started aPatreon supported webseries "This Week in Chiptune", which ran from 2013 to 2017. During this period he would also produce cover albums, such asMeowMeow & BowWow which covered the soundtrack toThe Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening.[9] When Twitch began allowing music streams in 2015 he switched to the platform and saw his audience triple.[5][10] He continued performing live at events such asMAGfest,PAX,Otakon andVidcon, and providing the music for theMario Kart 8 UK championships in 2014.[11][1][12] Davidson was among many musicians featured in the soundtrack toThe Metronomicon: Slay the Dance Floor.[13]
Since 2018 Davidson has released a number of successful softer remixes through his GameChops label, largely collaborative endeavours with Davidson providing direction, supervision or mastering. This began withZelda & Chill andMario & Chill, and developed into a longer series of mixes which were released through YouTube.[4] While the series lacks an official name,Dualshockers suggested "The Chillogy" after the release of the third mix,Poké & Chill, in 2019. Davidson supervised the production of the album, with the composersJun'ichi Masuda, Gō Ichinose, Minako Adachi, and Shota Kageyama also brought onto the project.[14]PC Gamer noted the popularity of the mixes in 2022, with one journalist commenting that she had hadStardew & Chill playing on repeat every morning for a month. The latter mix was released viaBandcamp, as opposed to the others which were released through YouTube.[15] Since 2019 Davidson has also curated chiptune releases onSpotify.[16] By 2024 GameChops' licensed cover albums had received over a billion streams.[8]
When asked about his inspiration byEDM Identity, Davidson replied: "I think video game music, or any music we have heard as a child, holds a special power. As an adult, our lives are filled with all kinds of “real world” obligations like rent, groceries, etc. But through music, I feel we can revisit a time where the whole world was just us and our fantasies. It’s something very special to me." He has cited a number of influences includingDr. Dre,Eminem,Marilyn Manson,DJ Shadow,Deadmau5,Pete Tong andArmin Van Buuren, as well as Japanese rhythm games.[1]