Conversations with Charlie Sputnik

Today we’d like to introduce you to Charlie Sputnik.

Hi Charlie, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Charlie Sputnik: The Multidimensional Musician

A Foundation of Jazz, A World of Sound

Charlie Sputnik (Charles Chemery) is a French-born, Los Angeles-based artist whose career transcends boundaries. As a vocalist, DJ, guitarist, producer, author, and educator, he embodies the rare ability to move seamlessly between genres, cultures, and artistic disciplines.

Trained in jazz and a graduate of Boston’s Berklee College of Music, Charlie’s musical foundation is as rigorous as his artistic reach is expansive. As a versatile songwriter, top-liner, and vocalist, his range spans reggae, French chanson, rock, scatting, house, techno, bossa-nova, folk, and hip-hop. He is particularly renowned for infusing energy into instrumentals by top House music DJs, transforming tracks with his catchy hooks and soulful vocal grooves—a signature that has made him a sought-after collaborator in electronic music.

Global Performer, Local Mainstay

From CBGB in New York to Elysée Montmartre in Paris, and across venues from Tokyo to Rio de Janeiro, Beijing to Casablanca, and countless cities in between, Charlie has left an indelible mark on stages worldwide. His passion for house and techno naturally led him to DJing, a path he embraced alongside traditional live performances.

He has shared stages with legends including Steve Vai, Gnarls Barkley, Jody Watley, Evelyne “Champagne” King, Jurassic 5, Lionel Loueke (Herbie Hancock), Dennis Chambers, Frank Gambale, Jada Pinkett Smith, Dresden Dolls, Camille, Emilie Simon, and Sebastien Tellier.

Collaborations with Industry Titans

Charlie’s collaborative spirit has connected him with some of the music industry’s most respected names. He has recorded with 10-time Grammy Award winner Chaka Khan as a topline writer and vocalist. His electronic music partnerships include Joachim Garraud, Groove Armada, DJ Sneak, Blakkat, Art Bleek, Manuel Tur, Trevor Loveys, Affie Yusuf, Larse, Magic Touch, Round Table Knights, Hervé, and Jesse Rose. Together, they have created broken beat and vocal house music that has resonated on dance floors globally.
As half of the production duo Bleek & Sputnik with composer/producer Art Bleek, Charlie has explored the rich intersection of jazz and electronic music, further expanding his sonic palette. Charlie also co-founded Zoowax, a short-lived but innovative electro-swing band alongside Art Bleek and Novena Carmel, further showcasing his genre-blending creativity.

A Discography of Distinction

Charlie’s recordings have been released on some of the world’s most prestigious labels, including:

• Robsoul (France)
• Mother Recordings (Germany)
• Sonar Kollektiv (Germany)
• True Romance (Germany)
• Shaboom Records (UK)
• Loungin’ Recordings (UK)
• Good Mood Music (UK)
• Wagram (France)
• Cheap Thrills (UK)
• Sick Trumpet (UK) among many others

Hollywood Musical Pillar

Charlie’s influence extends far beyond the recording studio and concert stage. As a talent booker, he has worked with Hollywood powerhouses like Warner Brothers and Universal, handpicking artists for premieres of major films, including:

• Blood Diamond
• Lions For Lambs
• Bobby
• Tenacious D.
• Zhang Yimou’s The Curse of the Golden Flower
• Juno
• Doubt (with Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman)
• The Artist (Best Picture Academy Award winner)
• Clint Eastwood’s J.Edgar
• Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln and The Adventures of Tintin

He consults for top film festivals, including the American Film Institute Film Festival and the Los Angeles Film Festival.

His corporate client list includes: Audi, American Airlines, Warner Bros., Universal Pictures, Netflix, Sony Pictures, 20th Century Fox, E! Entertainment, Disney, Taschen, The French Consulate in Los Angeles, Westfield, University of Southern California, and Los Angeles World Airports, among others.

Educator and Institution Builder

Charlie’s commitment to music education is as deep as his artistry. As Program Chair at Hollywood’s Musicians Institute (M.I.), he:

• Created the DJ Performance and Production program
• Developed the Artist Producer and Entrepreneur program
• Headed the Independent Artist Program
• Designed the Electronic Music Program
• Oversaw thousands of students and hundreds of instructors

His expertise is immortalized in his book, “Intro to DJ Techniques – Vinyl and Digital”, published by Hal Leonard, the world’s largest sheet music publisher.

In addition to his work at Musicians Institute, Charlie co-founded FNAMM (Formation Numérique Aux Métiers de la Musique), a francophone online educational institution dedicated to training the next generation of music professionals. This innovative venture, created alongside electronic music pioneers Jean-Michel Jarre and Joachim Garraud, further demonstrated his commitment to music education.

Venue Director and Cultural Curator

Between 2018 and 2020, Charlie served as Director of Live House Hollywood, a state-of-the-art entertainment complex in the heart of Hollywood. During his tenure, the venue hosted intimate, legendary performances by artists including:

• Quincy Jones
• Green Day
• George Clinton
• Dave Chappelle
• The Roots
• Ice Cube
• Gwen Stefani among many others

Milestones

Soon after settling in Los Angeles in 2000, Charlie co-founded the non-profit organization Sound Art. Through this initiative, he produced and co-wrote a hip-hop CD compilation to benefit the victims of the 2005 Tsunami in Indonesia, using music as a tool for social change and empowering disenfranchised youth from South Central Los Angeles.

In May 2016, Charlie was invited by the Cuban government to perform in Havana, Cuba. He performed with La Bête Noire, a Live group he assembled for the occasion and played records in numerous venues on the Caribbean island.

Today, he continues to spin and perform live in Los Angeles and around the world, maintaining his status as a globally respected artist who defies categorization.

Whether he’s spinning records, performing live, producing tracks, educating the next generation, or curating unforgettable cultural experiences, Charlie Sputnik remains a vital and innovative force in the ever-evolving landscape of contemporary music.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The life of a working musician is rarely straightforward. Between setbacks, lean periods, family priorities, the struggle to stay relevant without compromising artistic integrity, the occasional gig taken just for the paycheck, and the shrinking returns from recorded music, the path demands even more resilience as it does talent.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’ve given most of my story in the Your Story section, but I would say that:

– I am known primarily as a top-line writer, who can create hooks for electronic musicians who specialize in grooves and instrumentals. I’ve written records in various styles such as jazz, hip-hop, house, rock, French chanson, electro-swing, reggae etc both in French and English. As a vocalist, I can belt, I can swing, I can croon, I can rap and I am interested in all styles of singing from all over the world. I assume I am known for my versatility.

– I am most proud of recording a charity album for Sound Art, the non-profit I co-founded to help underserved youth in South Central LA. I am proud performing in Cuba in 2016, at the invitation of the Cuban Ministry of Culture, and putting together a brand new band for the occasion a month before the shows, I proud of having worked with Chaka Kahn, writing and recording with her in the studio in Los Angeles, I am proud of FNAMM, the French language music education platform I co-founded with electronic music legends Jean-Michel Jarre and Joachim Garraud. I am proud or running Live House, a private concert venue in the heart of Hollywood, and being lucky enough to produce once in a lifetime secret shows with giants such as Quincy Jones, Green Day, The Roots, Coldplay, Ice Cube, Flea, Seun Kuti, Anderson .Paak, Bad Religion, Gwen Stefani, Sheila E., etc etc

What matters most to you? Why?
Health, my family and the music.

Without health, you have nothing. Without family, it is much harder to have structure and fortitude, and music is a connection to the unknown, to spirituality. You can’t touch it or see it, yet it can make you cry.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.charliesputnik.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charliesputnik
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/charliesputnikofficial
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/charlie-sputnik

Image Credits
1st photo (DJing) – Dalmiro Quiroga
photo in yellow car – Simon Propper

other photographers unknown