Iason Chronis (; born 17 January 1980), better known as Mason, is a Dutch DJ and record producer. He had a number one on the UK Dance Singles Chart in 2007 with his track "Exceeder", which had originally been an instrumental and had received a vinyl-only release in the UK in 2006. The new version of the track, "Perfect (Exceeder)", is a mashup with American rapper Princess Superstar's song "Perfect" and reached number 3 on the national British chart in January 2007. The track was a big hit in many countries worldwide. He also had chart success in 2011 with his song "Runaway"—which is a modern version of "Runaway" by Eruption, and "Boadicea", featuring Róisín Murphy—in 2016 with "Fashion Killa" (feat Stefflon Don), and with many club releases since. Mason is the owner of the record label Animal Language.
Mason has released music on numerous electronic music labels, such as Island Records, Defected, Skint, Toolroom, Great Stuff Recordings, and Fool's Gold Records, and remixed artists such as Moby, Steve Aoki, Hadouken!, Don Diablo, Mat Zo, 2Unlimited, Mylo, Metronomy, Tommy Trash, Martin Solveig, Robyn and Gabriella Cilmi.
Mason plays live shows as well as DJ sets and has performed at festivals such as Sensation White, Dance Valley, Tomorrowland, Nature One, Creamfields, Global Gathering and clubs such as Fabric, Ministry of Sound, Green Valley, Space Ibiza, Zouk, Octagon, Air and many others with over a thousand shows in more than 50 countries around the world. Mason is the organiser behind several parties throughout the Netherlands, including the Animal Language Kafe Rave and Avondwinkel at Club Nyx in Amsterdam. He is also on the board of Buma Cultuur and BAM! Popauteurs, representing Dutch pop and dance artists.
Biography Iason Chronis was born in Amsterdam to Dutch actress Adrienne Kleiweg and Greek sculptor Jorgos Chronis. Both his sisters, Iwana and Sarah, have been TV actresses too. His maternal greatgrandfather is anthropologist Johannes Pieter Kleiweg de Zwaan.
Chronis began learning the violin at age 6. In 1987, he sang in the eighth version of the Kinderen voor Kinderen choir and would continue to do so until the twelfth edition in 1991.
In 1995, he started doing DJ performances, initially in and around Amsterdam but later abroad. In 1999, he took a four-year course in Music Composition and Performance, which he graduated with honours and for which he received an award from the Dutch royal family. He used his violin skills during his DJ sets between 1999 and 2005. During his world tour with Tiësto in 2004, he played the violin during a live performance of "Lethal Industry", as well as being Tiesto's warm up DJ. In 2006, Coen Berrier joined Mason in the studio and during live shows, but left Mason in spring 2014. Berrier has had earlier UK chart success with "Husan" by Bhangra Knights.
In 2008, Mason launched his own label Animal Language. In 2011, he released his debut album They Are Among Us, which featured collaborations with Róisín Murphy, DMC, Sam Sparro, Kurtis Blow and Aqualung. In 2014 the second Mason album ZOA was released, featuring Jocelyn Brown, Zoot Woman, Rouge Mary (Hercules & Love Affair) among other featured artists.
In 2015, his single "Papapapa" on Loulou Records reached the number 1 position on the online DJ store Beatport. In the same year, Mason released his Nite Rite series, a collection of numbered Nite Rites, released on each full moon. Nite Rite Ten featured Danielle Moore from the UK indie band Crazy P on vocals. He also collaborated on releases with German house acts Moonbootica and Sharam Jey and remixed fellow Dutch acts Kraak & Smaak, Janne Schra and Arling & Cameron that year.
In 2016, Mason signed to Island Records and began work on material with US hip hop artist Azealia Banks. However, after racial and homophobic comments by her on Twitter, he ceased the collaboration and started to work with UK grime artist Stefflon Don, which led to the "Fashion Killa" single release, that reached a number 4 position on the UK dance chart. This song was also used for television ads for Boohoo.com, Deezer and America's Next Top Model. The song was widely supported on BBC Radio 1 and other UK national radio stations. He also mixed and compiled the Toolroom Miami Poolside album this year, which was released on Toolroom Records.
In 2017, Mason got signed to house label Defected Records, which released his single "Rhino", which got chosen as "hottest record in the world" on BBC Radio 1. He also collaborated with UK tech house producer Betoko and has remixed Sting and James Hype.
Since 2018 Mason released 'Dance Shake Move' via Skint/BMG Rights Management. This record got used for TV ads for brands like Colgate and Vodafone. He has also collaborated with Alex Clare the UK/US top 10 vocalist on Spinnin Records, released his second single for Island records featuring UK grime act The Manor as well as a collaboration with UK vocalist Jem Cooke and Shingai Shoniwa from The Noisettes. In 2019 he released 'Mason Remixed', a collection of his work remixed by artists such as Mike Mago, Junior Sanchez and Rex The Dog. In 2020 Mason released his third artist album 'Frisky Biscuits' on Toolroom Records. In 2021 he worked with The Metropole Orkest and released a collection of NFT's. His single 'Givin Up' together with Mark Knight became the #1 house record on Beatport that year. In 2022 he worked together with NY Hiphop artists Jungle Brothers Afrika Baby Bam and founded his own girl vocal trio 'The Masonettes', that accompany him on certain records and shows. In 2023 he had a radio hit in The Netherlands with the Masonettes called 'Are You Ready'. Later that year he released his 4th album 'Chroma Panorama', on which he collaborated with Sophie Barker (Zero 7), Dragonette, Jack Garratt, Sweetie Irie (Gorillaz), Poppy Hankin (Girl Ray) and many others.
"Perfect Exceeder" was used in the Grammy nominated soundtrack of the film Saltburn, which made it appear in a variety of national pop charts again throughout 2024. David Guetta, Oliver Heldens and 1991 made new remixes, which were released on Armada Music.
Personal life Mason revealed in May 2026 that he had Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a rare disorder in which the body's immune system attacks the peripheral nerves, and would be running 100 kilometres from London to Brighton to raise money for Inflammatory Neuropathies UK, the charity that supports people living with Guillain-Barré Syndrome and related conditions. He had been left partially paralysed by the condition in late 2019, but had not revealed it publicly. In a statement released by his publicist, he said: "I count my blessings that I had a relatively mild version, with 'just' damaged arm and leg nerves. Some GBS victims can't breathe or swallow on their own and are hospitalised for years, while being 100% mentally sharp. It's horrific. I'm raising money for research, but also to give a bit of awareness to those silently lying in rooms with the curtains drawn for years. People you don't hear about, but they're there. Maybe my effort can also give a bit of hope to them, knowing that full recovery is possible and that you can be physically strong again."
Discography
Albums Title Album details Top of the Clubs Volume 34 Released: 23 February 2007 Label: Kontor Format: 2xCD Note: mixed by Mason 5 Years Electronation Released: 15 October 2007 Label: N.E.W.S. Format: digital download Note: mixed by Mason The Amsterdam Tapes, Vol.1 Released: 27 October 2008 Label: New State Format: digital download Note: mixed by Mason Mason presents: Animal Language Released: May 2010 Label: Mag Format: CD, digital download They Are Among Us Released: 17 July 2011 Label: Animal Language Format: CD, digital download Mason presents: Animal Language (Refurbished) Released: 1 April 2012 Label: Animal Language Format: digital download ZOA Released: 1 September 2014 Label: Animal Language Format: CD, digital download Nite Rites Released: 26 Februari 2016 Label: Animal Language Format: digital download Toolroom Miami Poolside, mixed by Mason Released: 4 March 2016 Label: Toolroom Format: CD, digital download Mason Remixed Released: 14 June 2019 Label: Animal Language Format: digital download Frisky Biscuits Released: 4 September 2020 Label: Toolroom Format: digital download Chroma Panorama Released: 10 November 2023 Label: Animal Language Format: digital download
Track listings for select albums
Singles 2004 "Helikopter" EP (Electrix)
2005 The "Screetch" (Middle Of The Road)
2006 "Exceeder" / "Follow Me" (Middle Of The Road) "Exceeder" (Great Stuff) "Bigboy Exercises" (Middle Of The Road) "The Benedict Files" (Aleph)
2007 "Perfect (Exceeder)" (featuring Princess Superstar)(Armada Music) "The Screetch" (Great Stuff) "Quarter" (Great Stuff / Vendetta / Sound Division)
2008 "Too Clumsy" (featuring Bob Sinclar)(Ministry Of Sound / Unique) "When Farmers Attack" (Malente Remix) (Unique) "Bermuda Triangle" (Hysterical Ego) "The Ridge" (Great Stuff)
2009 "Kippschwinger" / "Amsterdam Tape" (Animal Language) "The Amsterdam Tape" (Blanco y Negro) "The Ridge" (Oliver Koletzki remix) (Great Stuff) "Front Row Chemistry" / "Capibara" (Animal Language) "At The Hippo Bar" / "Affra" (Animal Language) "Artex / "Intimate Express" (Pickadoll) "Ignite" / "Who Killed Trance" (Animal Language)
2010 "Syncom" / "The Badger" (Animal Language) "Corrected" (featuring DMC & Sam Sparro) (Animal Language / Ministry Of Sound) "You Are Not Alone" (Animal Language) "Runaway" / "Let's Get Ferretic" (Animal Language)
2011 "Runaway" (Ministry Of Sound) "Boadicea" (featuring Róisín Murphy) (Animal Language) "Little Angel" (featuring Aqualung) (Animal Language)
2012 "Le Big Bob" (Animal Language) "Superimposer" (Animal Language) "The Kickoff" / "Chihuahua" (Animal Language) "Solarium" (featuring Marcos Valle) (Hysterical Ego) "Animat" (Spinnin' Records) "Doorman" / "Scaramouche" (Animal Language) "Get It Together" (Fool's Gold) "Bass Friend" (Cheap Thrills)
2013 "Wombat" / "Maybe" (Animal Language) "Affected" (BMKLTSCH RCRDS) "Solid Gold" (featuring Pien Feith) (V2 Records) "Bubba" (GND Records) "Grotto" (Animal Language) "A Girl Like Me" (Great Stuff) "Peer Pressure" (Bad Life) "Roffelo" (from Drum Kids EP) (Animal Language)
2014 "Get Back" (Boys Noize Records) "Someone I'm Not" (Great Stuff) "Savantas" / "Herd On The Scene" (Animal Language) "San Remo" / "Earmark" (Animal Language) "Gotta Have You Back" (Animal Language) "Salamander" / "Gotta Have You Back" (Animal Language) "Exceeder 2014 remixes" (Armada Music)
2015 "Calabrese" / "Palmetto" (Secure Recordings) "Nite Rite One" (featuring Sash!) (Animal Language) "My Love EP feat. Moonbootica" (Animal Language) "Nite Rite Two" (Animal Language) "Nite Rite Three" (Animal Language) "Papapapa" (Loulou Records) "Nite Rite Four" (Animal Language) "Diatonic / I Knocked For Days" (Loulou Records) "Nite Rite Five" (Animal Language) "Nite Rite Six" (Animal Language) "My Name Is" (featuring Sharam Jey) (Bunny Tiger) "Nite Rite Seven" (Animal Language) "Nite Rite Eight" (Animal Language) "Nite Rite Nine" (Animal Language)
2016 "Bubblebath" (featuring Loulou Players) (Loulou Records) "Nite Rite Ten" (featuring Danielle Moore) (Animal Language) "Dance Bodies (featuring Plus Instruments)" (Club Sweat) "Do The Do" (Toolroom) "Wurrkit" (Loulou Records) "My Ritual / Let It Go" (Animal Language) "Fashion Killa" (Island Records) UK) "Xylophobia" (featuring Yolanda Be Cool) (Sweat It Out) "Body Rock" (Loulou Records) "This Ain't No Disco EP" (Bunny Tiger) "Jigsaw" (Bunny Tiger) "Bubblebath (Remix)" (featiring Loulou Players & Sash!) (Loulou Records) "I Like It" (Animal Language) "Live On Dreams" (Kittball Records)
2017 "Everybody EP" (Sweat It Out) "Toucan" (Animal Language) "Rhino" (Defected) "Freaky Girlsss" (Loulou Records)