Having already made a name for himself under Anton Joseph, he has DJ’d in the UK, Italy, Spain, Jamaica and Dominica, landed 200,000+ streams to date, is a Resident DJ at Soho House and Chelsea Funhouse and has had his music showcased on KissFM, Dynmk, BBC1Xtra, Capitol XTRA, Worldwide FM and Balamii Radio.
Now, the artist rebrands Crxssxs in order to fully hone his distinctive musical style – “I come from a Caribbean heritage so I’m always trying to incorporate that into my music. My main reason for rebranding to Crxssxs was to ensure I have full creative control over my music, and to separate my DJ work from my artist work. With this new music, I want to put forward messages in a conscious, thoughtful way, but also get out of my own comfort zone. This is a new era for me, and I hope it resonates with people and they can find some comfort in knowing we’re all going through the same things.”
Who inspired you to make music?
I wasn’t traditionally inspired per-say however I knew I wanted to entertain the people around me, it was only after going through a phase of understanding how music production worked and how to craft a song that I began to create music and actively search for inspiration. Currently I find inspiration from my Collective (SUEDE? CITY) as well as the other artists I collaborate with and listen to, the majority of which are in a playlist on my Spotify page.
How do you feel the Internet has impacted the music business?
As someone who has only been exposed to a post-internet world I would say it has provided accessibility and has allowed everyone universal access to any type of music. This has helped destigmatise various genras and regions. There are so many divides in music already so giving people the platform for discovery is great
Have you got a ritual of sorts when making music?
As each session is different I don’t have a specific ritual when it comes to creating music however I would say I have rituals when it comes to the environment I am creating in. I always like the feeling of being comfy/at home regardless of the studio I am in so I’ll bring aesthetic things with me e.g. Herbal Tea, Blankets etc etc. As the sound I’m currently going for should be comfy I think the environment I am in should reflect it.
How would you describe your music?
I create a variety of different sounds but for the music I currently have out as Crxssxs I would say ‘Fun lighthearted Afrobeat – Inspired music with punchy drums and heartfelt lyrics’
What’s next for you?
Currently I am focusing on the release of Anxious Avoidant, however Merunisa is preparing for the release of her next single ‘Counting Sheep’ which I had a hand in producing.
What are your top two favourite songs of all time? Why those songs?
This months favourites are probably Sugah Daddy – D’Angelo. I’ve such an infectious groove and it’s always fun listening to it. Another song I’ve had on repeat is TNT – Nayana IZ. It’s such a bop and great to listen to.
What was the last series you watched on TV?
Bodyguard – BBC
What do you think the greatest invention has been?
Flaming Hot Cheetos
Do you have any lucky items, objects, or traditions?
Never leave the house without my house keys
If you could ask your future self one question, what would it be?
Should I buy bitcoin?
If you had to describe yourself as a flavour, what would it be?
Flaming Hot Cheetos
London-based producer Crxssxs (pronounced ‘crosses’) shares his brand new single ‘Anxious Avoident’, out everywhere now. The track features rising alt-R&B singer-songwriter Merunisa.
Born from a musical session between Crxssxs, Merunisa and producer 284, the track was initially written as a ballad on piano. The concept of the track came after discussing life, musical inspiration and attachment styles, and many of the lyrics came from the conversations had between the trio.
Naming D’Angelo, Prince and Kaytranada as his main influences, Crxssxs thrives off being able to experiment with the emotions and feelings he’s able to convey with his music. Completely transforming the track, he incorporates driving beats and slick production with R&B, hip-hop and afrobeat elements. The juxtaposition between the seriousness of the lyrical content and the upbeat instrumental creates something which is as easily danceable as it is thought-provoking.
Speaking of the track, he says, “After discussing life, musical inspiration and general thoughts we decided to speak about relationship attachment types as Merunisa and 284 where new to the concept. As I was defining the attachment styles we decided that it was an interesting concept and would it be good to share with the wider world as a song. Once we finished writing the song and recording the demo at my studio I went away and produced the song fully fleshing it out into the track that it is today.
I want my listeners to know that being Anxious Avoidant is normal and more people should be conscious of attachment styles and how they fall into them.”
