CNJR Interview

 

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?

CNJR is a project I started because I had stopped making music in my life and I needed something to push me and get me back into the studio. When I set out to begin, I didn't have a clear vision of what CNJR would sound like, I just began experimenting in the studio and letting my influences and what was exciting me at the time lead the way. I wanted to commit to letting the creativity push the music, rather than a pre-decided vision. What resulted is an odd mixture of analog and soft synths, retro psychedelics, alternative rock and industrial, electronic music, all meeting in an experimental mix mash of indie electronic. In addition to letting the music do what it wanted to do, I also wanted to be transparent and truthful with my emotions. Being in a relatively dark place in life, and battling with depression and trauma and identity and being queer, all of this influences the sound into a relatively meloncholic and dark sound.

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> 2.Recently you have released a new album, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

My initial releases were almost 100% instrumental. They were heavily electronic, focused more on synthesizers and beats. When I set out to make the new record I wanted to incorporate more organic instruments, I wanted to explore adding in guitars, and I wanted to use my voice both as an instrument and a tool for lyrical expression. So... the new album really moves out of the instrumental electronic space, into a more indie electronic space with actual songs. I've been really enjoying fusing these two worlds together and feel like the aesthetic of CNJR has progressed into a more definitive direction.

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> 3.A lot of your lyrics cover science fiction and dystopian themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in those topics?

Yeah, I have a background in radical politics and radical communities, which simply put colors the way I see the world. Being anti-capitalist, anarchist, being sharply opposed to people in a set community having different access to that community's resources, is really frustrating in relation to seeing what is going on in the world. The injustice, the division, the violence and atrocities, the poverty, it is all very very real. I often jokingly say 'THIS IS THE DYSTOPIA', and that really sums up why speculative fiction, speculative science fiction, and dystopian themes speak to me. Because, ultimately, I view them as simple analogies that are merely describing right now. As far as storytelling goes, I believe that these kinds of analogies are really powerful, they can accompany someone's experience of the world, they can lead people from being relatively apathetic to radicalized. So, there is always an aspect of dystopian storytelling in my art, even if it's abstract.

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> 4.Can you tell us a little bit more about the name 'CNJR'?

CNJR is the word Conjure without vowels. I believe that music can be a form of magic, that it impacts people deeply, that it can save lives, that it can connect to people emotionally in a way that other forms of art or language cannot. When I was thinking of words that may describe what I wanted to do with music, the word conjure stood out, because ultimately I wanted to conjure a mood, an emotion, a feeling, that is true and honest in it's expression of what I'm feeling while surviving this world, and also is true and honest enough that other people may connect to it. The idea of conjuring a raw expression, and that being something that may impact the life of another person, is the foundation of the name.

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> 5.How would you describe the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?

Well, while leaving some subjectivity intact, I'll just say that the cover art for the name album represents a certain anguish that I think is the root of the emotional palette on the new album.

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> 6.With this project you record everything by yourself, are you open to working with other musicians or do you prefer to work solo?

I would love to work with other musicians. Collaboration is a big goal of mine with this project. Hopefully the project grows and becomes an avenue for such collaborations to take place. I would really enjoy to do some singles with other artists that I respect, and have been reaching out to a few already.

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> 7.What are some of the best shows that you have played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?

I have not had the opportunity to do many CNJR live shows yet. I have played a handful of shows in the United States, as well as a handful of shows in Germany. My favorite one thus far was probably the Future Archive Recordings showcase event in Berlin last year, because I got to perform in a basement full of weird old objects and pipes coming out of the ceilings and all kinds of doomy vibes. Thus far, CNJR shows have been performed solo, but I really do not enjoy performing solo and have been working on future tours and shows including live drums and possibly another person doing bass and synths. The big vision for live shows is to have a full band, and a visual backdrop.

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> 8.The new album was released on 'Future Archive Recordings', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

Future Archive Recordings was a label that I helped start. It is a collaborative project between Little People, Sun Glitters, Arms and Sleepers, and myself. Since the inception it has grown to be more of a traditional label, releasing for other artists as well, like Blockhead, Yppah, and more. It is a really fun project because all of the artists are people i've known for a long time or worked with in other capacities or have some kind. It's kind of like a big family helping each other and providing a really professional and competitive release platform for ourselves. Ultimately, the majority of FAR releases are in the downtempo electronic genre, and as my music shifts into a more indie electronic space I may be looking to branch out to some other label releases in the future.

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> 9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of experimental and dark indie?

Well, it is hard to say. I think most people don't tend to send feedback to artists after listening to music. However, I have been getting some people here and there reaching out and expressing how the music has impacted them, which has been really rewarding for me to hear. I love hearing from people and hope to have more one on one conversations with fans in the future. Ultimately, making music is a partially social thing, and interacting with other people around how the music makes them feel is really important to me. I definitely feel like the music is fairly experimental and dark, so it is not for everyone, but there are definitely a lot of people out there who connect with the emotional aesthetic behind the project.

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> 10.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future?

I really hope to be able to do soundtrack work for video games and shows, more collaborations with other musicians, more experimenting with how the music can be performed live, and more songs that include singing and storytelling. I'll never stick to one genre probably, so it is going to be a long journey of experimenting with lots of sounds and palettes, but the theme uniting all of it I think will be rawness and emotion.

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> 11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Son Lux, Perfume Genius, Lorn, Snakes Of Russia, Trent Reznor, Tobacco, Boy Harsher, Polynation, Lebanon Hanover, Rival Consoles, Public Memory, Godspeed You Black Emperor, Anohni, Machino, The Irrepressibles, Apparat, Fever Ray, Clams Casino, Danger, Liars, John Maus, John Grant,  Natasha Kmeto, Ry X, Slow Meadow

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> 12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts? 

I guess just feel free to reach out if you are interested in the music or my story, sign up for my email list to get regular exclusive and free content, you can reply to the emails and I will respond, you can DM me on FB or IG. Let's survive this world together.

Facebook: https://facebook.com/CNJRmusic 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cnjrmusic 
Bandcamp: https://cnjrmusic.bandcamp.com