CHRISTIANOSHI

Graphically depicting a gay chemsex “chillout” party in the video for his first single, Christianoshi is causing major shock waves. Marc Andrews reports.

DNA: Can you give us a little background on yourself ? Christianoshi: I produce and perform electronic pop music that has been compared to Australia’s The Presets due to our retro electro influences. What’s the history of your song, Trust? It’s about getting to that next stage of a relationship where you feel ready to ditch the condoms and having to take your partner’s word for it that it’s safe to do so. It was originally my attempt at a Prince-esque sex jam but by the time I got into the studio to record, my producer LD May had sprinkled some Vince Clarke fairy dust on it so we ended up channelling Blancmange, a more underrated 1980s act instead [laughs]. Was a video featuring chemsex just you deciding to push the envelope? The director and I did want to create an impact with it being my debut video, but the idea was to ultimately highlight how commonplace chemsex has become on the scene and the narrative seemed to suit the lyrics, albeit in a more extreme way. What would you say to claims that you are glamourising drug use? If it seems enticing to the viewer then we’ve achieved what we set out to do, as that is the reality of these parties. They are presented so alluringly that well-adjusted, handsome guys get drawn in, and they’re usually not held at the kind of dives people might expect, so the whole thing worked well in terms of juxtaposing this dark subject matter with stylish imagery. Have you had personal experience of this scene? Just going back to someone’s house after the club these days, you really don’t know what you’re walking into and that’s why I wanted to explore whether we’re becoming desensitised to it. We wanted the video to be realistic and I’ve had positive feedback from guys who could relate and said that having an outsider’s perspective made them feel uncomfortable as the apparent risk factor of being too high to potentially play safe really did hit home. Where did the video concept come from? I was bored by the amount of female sexualisation in music videos and I don’t just mean the obvious examples. Then articles about chillout parties started cropping up in the press so I thought visualising it might be powerful, as well as providing a platform to tr y and redress the sexualised gender balance. How did you find the hot guys in the video? A combination of advertising online and having a well-connected producer. I’ve had quite a few people say they recognise different people in my video but will refuse to tell me how, which is intriguing. The video ends with a kind of question mark about what happens next. Was that your intent? There is a deliberate mystery surrounding my character, who is essentially the narrator. His perceived lack of involvement suggests he could actually be in attendance for voyeuristic purposes. He certainly seems curious, yet not all too unfamiliar. Do you think this chill-out subculture is going to keep growing as people decide to party at home more now? Possibly, but most of the chillout regulars I know no longer frequent the scene and most only reached that conclusion through fucking up quite majorly by losing their job or catching HIV. People should totally be free to make their own choices, but I’d say awareness is a positive thing in this respect. What’s next for you? I’m preparing to release my next single. It should hopefully be a song called Surrender which is similarly retro yet slightly more contemporary-sounding than Trust, but there are also two very summery offerings in consideration so watch this space. Are there plans for an album? Yes. It’s almost finished and should be out later in the year. Will the next video pick up where this one left off ? I haven’t quite grasped the concept yet but I’m up for a fresh narrative that is as impactful and stylish as Trust. Any plans to perform as a live act? I’ve performed a few times in London both with a backing band and backing dancers so I have some experience and am all too aware of the anxieties it brings. Is it true that Kylie has always been your biggest inspiration? It’s true, so you Aussies are somewhat responsible for my musical endeavours. I’m not the biggest fan of her new album, but I would be disappointed if she wasn’t still releasing music. Same for that sister of hers. Dannii’s Neon Nights is one of my favourite albums. Where does the name Christianoshi come from? It was what a friend called me when we were growing up. It originates in Wales and it does sound more effective in a Welsh accent but it makes most people think I’m Japanese. How much of a diva are you? I’m very chilled out as it goes. I’m getting better at saying no to things but I’m still doing it politely. What’s your message to the readers of DNA? Thank you for responding to the Trust video and for realising our intentions were not demonic. Trolls are inevitable and impossible to reason with, so I’m grateful to those who have given it a good try and been generally supportive.