AJ Christou, a seasoned figure in the underground scene, is now crafting the finest music of his career. Embracing a more mature sound, he combines crisp tech house with New York’s swing, marked by his unique percussive elements and evolving synthesis. Moving beyond mere club beats, AJ’s current work showcases a deep commitment to musicality, with live jam sessions enhancing creative freedom. His work now includes genuine songwriting and original vocals, steering away from chasing label recognition towards a more authentic musical expression.
AJ’s ongoing partnerships with Cuttin’ Headz and Boogeyman label underscore his evolving sound, highlighted by notable releases and global performances. As a dedicated music collector, AJ’s sets are unpredictable, playing with tempo and volume to maintain dynamic energy. His journey continues to captivate, promising more groundbreaking contributions to electronic music.
With a recent collab with A Trak on Fool’s Gold and more music incoming, we thought it was high time we invited AJ to Magnetic Magazine for a chat.
Welcome to Magnetic Mag AJ – how’s the year been treating you so far?
Hey guys thank you for having me, this year has been amazing so far, been a busy start which i’m externally grateful for and it’s just getting started.
Reflecting on your journey, how do you feel your background and experiences in the underground scene have shaped your approach to music production today?
Looking back I think my experience as a raver was probably the most important thing for me, I travelled alot to experience my favourite festivals and DJ’s, this definitely influenced my music production approach. It’s taught me what truly moves people on the dance floor and instilled in me a passion for authenticity and creativity.
You’ve mentioned a shift towards creating music with a more mature and free perspective. Can you elaborate on what inspired this transformation in your creative process?
I ended up getting into this bad habit where before I would even start making a record I would be thinking about where I would want to be releasing it and it put me in a creative box, it was only when I took the plunge to start my own label that my creativity was really opened up and I was going into the studio with a clear mind, it allowed me to really express myself and be more original.
“If the drums ain’t right, I’m scrapping it” – This statement highlights the importance of percussion in your work. Could you discuss how you’ve refined your approach to drums and percussion in your recent tracks?
For sure! Drums are the heartbeat of my music; I dedicate about 80% of my focus to creating the perfect groove. Lately, my aim has been to give my tracks an organic feel, aiming for authenticity over generic sounds. I’ve delved into sampling live percussion, this approach has allowed me to create tracks with a distinctive rhythm and texture.
Your latest music blends early noughties tech house with New York’s swing, infused with your unique percussive style. What challenges and rewards have you encountered while merging these distinct sounds?
In all honesty this happened completely naturally and has been received really well, I’ve gained the most support from djs over the past six month then I ever have and I think this is down to the fact that I wasn’t trying to replicate or copy anything I was just being original. I wouldn’t really say there was any challenges in fact i’ve never enjoyed making music more.
You hooked up with A-Trak for the new EP Sway / Flow State – how did the collab come about and was there any specific inspiration behind this one?
A-trak and I started speaking in lockdown, he was doing a podcast series with his brother Dave and they were spinning some of my music, this lead to me eventually getting to know him and I started to send him some unreleased music. Then a little after lockdown had finished I decided to go to New York to see some family and friends and I hit A-trak up to see if he was in town and wanted to make some music and the rest is history, I had no expectations going into this, I was excited to see what came from us both, we made Flow State first this track was made in New York then Sway followed.
The transition from arranging on a screen to jamming in the studio represents a significant shift. How has this change affected your creative freedom and the development of your music?
Yes! Because I came form a DJ background, I was playing long before I was producing, I felt a little stuck when it came to arrangement, I like to work fast so when I eventually got into the jams it had the same feel as DJing apart from you are creating, and I love how spontaneous things can be. Sometimes you hit the wrong thing and it just works and the best part is after the jam is done you pretty much have the structure of your track done.
With a focus on real songwriting and original vocals, how do you balance the technical aspects of production with the emotional and storytelling elements of your tracks?
This is why I love working with original vocalist, because they really bring the story telling to the track, at the end of the day I can make an instrumental beat but without a vocal there is no way for the listener to really gauge what i’m trying to tell. When I worked on Skin with Aaron Pfeiffer the track wasn’t even called Skin, I created the groove and sent it to Aaron and he did the vocal in one shot and Skin was born, he as the vocalist understood exactly where I was trying to go with the track and the vocal told the story.
Moving away from chasing labels and main room plays to following the music itself is a bold decision. How has this shift in focus influenced your career and the reception of your music?
I think it really just allowed me to be myself and that’s where originality comes from, a lot of the time people are just looking for the winning formula to get signed to labels or get plays from djs, but if you look at the most successful artists their all individual to themselves and have there own style. As soon as I moved away from chasing the labels and plays thats when things really got moving for me.
Your relationship with labels like Cuttin’ Headz and Boogeyman has been pivotal. How have these collaborations impacted your growth as an artist and the evolution of your sound?
I think it’s really important to have a home base somewhere your style really fits. The support I have had from The Martinez Brothers & Jesse Calosso has been extremely pivotal between the two of them they have put me on the biggest stages and I’m extremely grateful for it. It allowed me to be discovered not only by fans but by other key people in the industry.
As a passionate music collector, how does this love for discovery influence your DJ sets and the selection of tracks you choose to share with your audience?
My favourite part of all of this is digging for records, I love the challenge of digging for different venues and stages because I truly love so many different styles of house. There is no better buzz than when your on a roll finding heat after heat, then this gives you confidence when its time to play because you are excited to play all this amazing music you have been finding.
Looking forward, how do you envision the next chapters of the AJ Christou story unfolding, both in terms of your music and your career as a whole?
I try not to look to much into the future and focus on the present and enjoy what’s happening now, but expect lots more music from me, I have some really special projects coming and some really big events to announce. Thank you guys.
AJ Christou & A Trak ‘Sway’ is out now on Fool’s Gold
