The dark wizard of pop music has graced CTRLPlusSpace.com with his interview answers and we thank him for it!
Bio: Joel Christian is a singer, songwriter, and performance artist based in Los Angeles. Joel has created a dark fantasy that he lives in through his artistry. His genre of music is a mixture of dark-pop with an electronic sound. Joel takes his visuals to the next level to showcase a horror aesthetic that makes pop music feel fun and mysterious simultaneously. Joel Christian is creating a fresh breed of pop identity and the beginning of a new era for pop culture. His influences of David Bowie and Marilyn Manson are taken to a new level. His newest single, “GEMINI” is currently being streamed in over 40 countries. He is currently working on a new single.
First off, tell us about your musical past, would you tell us about your early years?
When I was 14 years old, I would record music on my computer and upload it to MySpace at the time and I just fell in love with songwriting and creating pop music. At 19, I wrote my first track that was published on iTunes at the time and I started performing it throughout night clubs in LA and San Francisco.
How would you describe your sound?
My sound is something I’m proud of. I want to create a unique genre of pop music. I think it’s a mixture of dark synthesizers and elements but it’s also a pop sound that you can dance around to.
Which artists have the biggest influence on your sound?
I love listening to dark synth 80s records. I love all the sounds and what they do to your soul. The energy is so contagious. I love any pop icon such as Lady Gaga, Madonna, Prince, David Bowie, Cher, but then I love dark bands such as System of a Down, Kiss, My Chemical Romance.
What’s the last song you listened to?
Currently, I am listening to Lana Del Rey, “Cinnamon Girl.” She brings me back to earth and her music helps me focus.
What’s your source for hearing new music?
I would say social media helps me discover new music and just word of mouth on what others are listening to. I like to see what my friends are listening to every day!
Who is your dream producer?
For sure Max Martin or Red One. They’ve produced so many pop hits! I also love my producer because he is so talented and down to create my sound.
If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be?
Right now, I would probably want to collaborate with Kim Petras. She seems like one of the baddest bitches on the block and I love her energy so much.
What led you to music, and what motivates you to keep making it?
I’ve always been a performer and music was a way for me to perform and let my creativity show. Music is such a universal bond with the world and can cure any sickness. I know when I felt sad or lonely, songs would bring me back to life. I stay motivated because it fulfills me so much with excitement and energy.
Tell us about the songwriting process. How does it all come together?
I’ve always been a songwriter. Every song I’ve ever released I’ve written every single lyric. It’s my form of expression. It just depends, sometimes I hear a word and I’m like, “Hey, that would be a cool song title,” or it would be a feeling, and I hear a melody in my head. It just depends – but in the end, it all comes together.
How do you connect with your audience?
I do so much research on all my social platforms. I try and engage with every single person who supports me and my journey, the past six years of living in LA and attending events, parties, etc. I’ve made so many relationships with different people who support me. I just try and be as personal with everyone I meet!
What is the easiest way for them to connect with you?
I would say Instagram is the easiest for me to engage and speak to every fan!
Your brand of pop is dark and heavy. You think this could be the new wave of mainstream pop, or do you think it would be more part of an underground scene or both?
I love being different and having a certain sound I’m going for. You nailed it -my music is pop with a dark heavy sound, but it also has energy and attitude. I think mainstream pop is changing. I would love for it to be whatever the world takes it to be. I think that’s the beauty of pop music; it can be whatever you want it to be.
You have a very unique aesthetic rooted in dark fantasy. Do you want to tell us a bit of what drew you to this sound? How did you come up with it?
I’ve always been obsessed with horror and sci-fi films. There’s something about them that is comforting to me. It’s like an invitation to someone else’s imagination. Sometimes I fight with myself on what’s reality and fantasy, and with my music, I try and cure that fight. I just love heavy synths, bass, and electronic sounds and it felt good to my soul. I was like, “This is my sound!”
Do you write your own music? If so, what do you write your music on? How do you create the music in your tracks?
I write all of my own lyrics and melodies. Mostly every song I’ve released – I’ve recorded all the melodies on my voice memos on my phone and then tell my producer, “Let’s make a track.” Once we get the vibe, then it’s studio time to record and produce.
Your current singles have a strong dance feel to them. Were the songs written with having them played in clubs in mind?
Yes, every song I’ve written – I’m always dancing in the studio. I definitely want them played in clubs and for people to listen and feel good.
Do you work with producers? If so, tell us about the process.
I’ve worked with the same producer my whole life. He understands my aesthetic and is always down to create new sounds and energy with each song. Never any judgment, just creativity which is what I love. We speak almost every day and I explain to him my plan and what I’m working on – right now, we are working on a new single and it’s been a process, but it’s one of the best tracks we’ve ever done.
Your visual style is interesting also. What influenced that? How did you come up with the spikey glasses idea? Did you hire a stylist?
I’m so inspired by horror, glam, 80s flamboyancy, and just being fearless. I love wearing glasses or headpieces and the spikes felt good to wear. It was like I was wearing a weapon on my face ha! I didn’t hire a stylist for that – I usually dress myself because I also did styling for the past five years in LA. The whole Gemini outfit was inspired by Edward Scissorhands because he had such a dark vibe to him but was misunderstood at the same time.
“GEMINI” describes a secret love affair. Want to tell us a bit about what inspired it? What lyrics mean the most to you in that song?
“Gemini” was a song I was so nervous about releasing. I’ve always been a romantic and fall in love easily. I caught myself the last year – falling in love with someone who couldn’t accept the way I loved him. He was a Gemini. I then caught myself falling for all these guys who were Geminis. I remember one day being in my apartment and the melody, “I’m in love with a Gemini-Gemi-Ni Ni” came to my head and I recorded it on my phone and that was the beginning of it.” My favorite part of the song is probably the hook. “Gemini” is now always stuck in my head!
“Take My Picture” describes a social media addiction. What inspired you to write that song? Do you think the song describes some of the social media influencers out there?
I wrote “Take My Picture” last year in LA. Everywhere I went, I heard those three words. It was like a sickness and I guess it’s the era of social media that we live in. I wanted to write a song that was a dance song that explained what was happening. I took specific words and sayings and placed them on the track. “Post me, swipe me, follow me, and like me.” It was a record that was showing self-love but also a sickness of self-love. I wrote these lyrics “Take my picture and make me feel like a superstar, take my picture before you go and break my heart.” It was a cry for help that photos are the validation of our generation to feel good about themselves. I love the track! The top country streaming this right now is Germany! So shout out to Germany!
What’s next for you? Anything else you’d like to add or let us know about?
Right now, I am actually spending time in the studio, finishing up the new single, and working on my brand new EP. The new single is amazing! It’s a pop-horror-80s inspired track. It’s heavy and fast and definitely one of my favorite songs I’ve ever done. It’s a liberating track about chasing your dreams and rising from your insecurities! It’s a new year and I feel great about what I’m doing. We are also filming the music video next month and all of this will be out the first week of March! I also will be performing some shows in LA coming up and hopefully in more cities too!
