Detroit Domination,  Featured Stories,  Interviews

An Interview with Detroit’s own Christopher Jarvis! (Catch him performing Monday at Movement @ 1PM on the Beatport stage!)

cjBy Alexis Simpson

Last week we ran into Christopher Jarvis out and about in Ferndale, and asked him for an interview him in celebration of his performance on Monday May 26th, at Movement festival on the Beatport stage. Many remember Chris from his work with the group Phantasmagoria. Now he is doing his thing solo, and on the path to greatness.

http://soundcloud.com/christopherjarvis

https://www.facebook.com/christopherjarvismusic

http:/christopherjarvismusis.bandcamp.com

 

INTERVIEW

Noize-You are performing at this year’s Movement festival, Monday, May 26th at 1PM on the Beatport stage. Congrats, how exciting! Last year, you performed as well, but with your former group, Phantasmagoria…How did your first Movement solo appearance come about?

CJ-Thank you, it is exciting! Paxahau just contacted me and asked me to play.

Noize-How are you preparing for your performance?

CJ-As my roommate James said yesterday when I told him I wasn’t as prepared as I’d like to be : “You’ve been working on it for 6 hours a day for the past week, your set kills.”

Noize-That James is a wise one. Do you have any recommendations for after parties this year?

CJ-Comfort Food Detroit is having a really great party at The Reserve on Saturday with Michna (Ghostly International)Also, Soul Clap wsg George Clinton, Egyptian Lover, & Stacey Pullen at TV Lounge on Sunday.

Noize-We are going to the Soul Clap party:) When and how did you start making music?

CJ-I started playing guitar when I was around 12 years old but I never really got very good at it. I was always more interested in making full compositions rather than becoming skilled at an instrument. So I got a synthesizer and started recording and making songs in Cubase and Fruity Loops.

Noize-What are you listening to now?

CJ-Right now I’m really into the new St. Vincent record, and the new Tobacco record.

Noize-What goals are on your musical bucket list?

CJ-To play in Asia and Europe.

Noize-Online your style of music is described as “trippy,” “trip hop,” “psychedelic,” and “future”…What state of mind are you in when you create music?

CJ-It’s always different. I don’t think about it too much, I just try to put all of myself into what I’m doing and before I know it hours have passed and I come out of my meditation with a new creation.

Noize-I can see you fitting in with a label such as Ghostly International, is this something you have pursued or something you would even consider if given the opportunity?

CJ-Getting on a label isn’t really something you pursue, it kind of has to come to you. It has to be the right time. I would love to be on a label like Ghostly International though. I’m a huge fan. Hopefully I’m working my way towards something like that.

Noize- You released your new album “The Clairsentient” a few months ago, what has that experience been like?

CJ-It’s been great, I’ve received a lot of really positive feedback regarding that album. Collaborating with different artists was a new experience for me and I really enjoyed the process.

Noize- You feature a lot of interesting artists on that album…Just for fun, can you give us a one word description of each artist that best describes them:

CJ-

a. Doc Waffles= Esoteric

b. Doc Illingsworth= Flux

c. James Linck= Impervious

d. Britney Stoney= Spirited

e. Mister= Wise

f. SelfSays= Empathetic

 

Noize-I heard that you and James Linck went on a mini tour together. How was it?

CJ-It had its ups and downs but overall I’d say it went well. We definitely learned a lot from the experience and had a lot of fun.

Noize-Where did you play?

CJ-Dayton, Toledo, Pittsburgh, Charleston, Muncie, there were others that are slipping my mind at the moment.

Noize-Any interesting or funny tour stories?

CJ-At one show an underaged pregnant girl showed us her tits and then proceeded to hit on Laura, our tour manager, and another girl claimed to not know what a vinyl record was and then bought one and treated it like a frisbee.

Noize-HA! You recently moved to Hamtramck, MI…How do you like it so far? How do you think the city will help to influence your music?

CJ-I really like living in Hamtramck, but I’ve lived here before so it’s nothing new. Since I’ve moved here I’ve been in a really good creative stride. I love just walking around. I feel like I see or experience something surreal in this city every day and I love that. I love the strangeness of life. And I love all the different culture, cuisines, and markets here. It isn’t a corporate city and I really like that.

Noize-What do you have planned for the rest of the year?

CJ-I’m in the process of booking a tour out west for the fall/winter, I’m going to completely recreate my live show and set up and I’m also in the early stages of working on a new album.

THANKS CHRIS AND GOOD LUCK MONDAY!

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