Iason Chronis (Greek: Ιάσων Χρόνης; 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.
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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.
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
Remixes
2018
Beau Battant - Dance Alone (Mason & Joost van Bellen Remix) (Drive In)
Sharam Jey feat. Little Boots (Mason Remix) (Bunny Tiger)
2020
Girl Ray - Friend Like That (Mason Remix) (Moshi Moshi)
Gettoblaster - Break Em Off (Mason Remix)
2021
Mita & Biscuits - Tribalism (Mason Remix) (Toolroom Records
Jeangu Macrooy - Birth Of A New Age (Mason Remix) (Unexpected Records)
2022
Aafke Romeijn - Piepschuim (Mason Remix) (Aafke Romeijn Records)
2024
Betoko - Raining Again (Mason Remix) (OKO Recordings)
Nilu (DK - Shake For Me (Mason Remix) (Zatar Records)
