How many of us end up putting our music dreams on hold, a burning passion of ambition and youth relegated to the dusty “If Only” box of real life? Bills to pay, families to raise, not enough time to dedicate to the hustle of getting that all important big break – it’s an all-too-familiar decision that countless young DJs have had to make at one time or another.

That was certainly the case for Canadian DJ/producer Ellis, who hung up his headphones in 1996 to pursue a steady career as an air traffic controller. Yet despite such a massive change, the call to create remained as strong as ever and Ellis found himself drawn time and again to produce; a vocation that he just couldn’t shake.

Now it’s paying off – big time.

Experiencing a huge rebirth on the European club scene, Ellis’ music is beginning to make big waves. His singles have been signed to a multitude of labels, racked up international radio air plays and stormed up influential tastemaker charts. Under the alias Ricky Monaco, ‘I Can’t Live (Without You)’ featuring Max’C hit the #3 spot on the Kiss FM top 40 charts and was voted to #5 in the Top 100 chart of 2014. ‘Drive’, the Ricky Monaco follow up single featuring Danni Rouge, debuted at #20 on the German DJ charts and featured heavily on dance floors around the world.

As his productions took off, so did his DJing. Hyping the crowds via music and mic, Ellis began to make a steady name for himself in his new homeland of Switzerland, his natural ability to build up an incredible track selection quickly establishing him as one to watch out for on the club line-up. The buzz began to build; Ellis’ reputation began to spread.

Now as 2016 dawns the time seems finally right for Ellis to take his place in a scene that never left his heart. With a tour planned for later this year and a huge Ellis/Askery collaboration coming up, Ellis is proof that while ‘real’ life may sometimes change plans, music has a funny way of creeping back in and surprising you when you least expect it.