G: Tell us about your act?
I started to make electronic pop music in 2011 when I went into the studio with Fat White Family’s producer, believe it or not. It was there that the retro element of what I do became apparent and paved the way for future collaborations with producers of a similar style. Shortly after that I began performing, in fact I was more or less thrown in at the deep end with a live PA at On The Rocks Rehearsal Studios, which was a blessing because who knows when I would have felt ready enough to take to the stage otherwise. My name is Christian but rather than shortening it to Chris, which nobody does (or should!), a friend of mine would extend it to call me Christianoshi and it kind of stuck.
G: What was your most successful or most enjoyed gig so far?
That first gig had quite the crowd but my favourite so far was at 93 Feet East on Brick Lane. It was the first time I had more than one person in my backing band and it felt really supportive despite a few fuckups like the DJ accidentally sending one song back to the start mid-song.
G: How would you describe your typical fan?
My audience is pretty diverse I think. A nice mixture of hipsters, pop enthusiasts and synth fanatics.
G: Where have you performed?
Royal Vauxhall Tavern, East Bloc, Hospital Club, The Lexington, Hoxton Underbelly… only ever in London actually so I intend to sort that out once I’ve shaken up my live setup following the tragic death of my synth player recently.
G: Who writes the lyrics to the songs? Are the music and lyrics written in conjunction, or separately? How would you describe your creative processes?
I solely write both the music and lyrics. I try to structure everything around the melody, which I find is the most important part, so I could turn to my notebook for previously-jotted down words but I usually focus on story-telling from fresh – my life seems to always provide inspiration even if it’s something trivial. I like being cryptic but I’m not great with metaphors. Collaborating on the production is useful in this instance as it often highlights stuff that might otherwise have gone unnoticed such as a clunkily-delivered line or random foreign pronunciation!
G: What are your plans for the future?
There’s a second single in the pipeline, which will be accompanied by a second video collaboration with Mikko Makela, who directed ‘Trust’ (http://youtu.be/41XwaAGgwI4) It’s called ‘Fake Blood’ and should be out in the summer.
G: Who/what are your favorite Artists/Businesses in the area?
I played at The Macbeth on Hoxton Street a bit ago and fell in love with a duo called Das Kitten who were on the same bill. Singer Tom Worsfold is such a canny songwriter and a lovely guy as well.
G: What are your favourite places in Shoreditch?
I have a habit of arranging meetings at the Breakfast Club off Hoxton Square cos I sometimes crave the simple things in life like toast with Marmite. And my visits to Shoreditch House tend to be remembered fondly as blurred.
Single ‘Trust’ is out now: http://itun.es/i66n82k
Social links:
Twitter: http://twitter.com/christianoshi
SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/christianoshi
Facebook: http://facebook.com/christianoshi
YouTube: http://youtube.com/christianoshi
Website: http://christianoshi.com
