Illinois-native artist Rxch Chris is looking to collectively craft music that brings out his best dynamics possible—tuning into soundscapes that hone into sonic fusions of electronic psychedelics, as well as vintage/underground flairs. Rxch Chris conclusively strives to create music that feels full of flexibility.
As a producer, director, and designer, Rxch Chris collects his influence and inspiration from many diverse artistic outlets and brings forth a structured sound that describes his diverse style in the most fitting way. Predominantly staying tuned within the Hip/Hop and Rap music scene, Rxch Chris' music can generate exclusive ambiances that only elevate the listener's aura. The latest offering from Rxch Chris consists of his 21-track album, Don't Be Afraid This Is Your Destiny, which shares many varying intents from Rxch Chris, making the album experience nothing short of impressive.
An instant heavy atmosphere looms over listeners with the album's first track, "Portrait of Winter." The consistent base within this track is insane, so prepare yourself for some dark realities to ensue. There's a faint integration of lo-fi beats that ends up creating an almost vintage vibe with the style of verse Rxch Chris decides to perform. In essence, "Portrait of Winter" felt like an intimate and rich performance from Rxch Chris, establishing the right kind of mood right at the album's start.
The mood only elevates itself with the next track, "The Thrill," which instantly provides a quicker tempo. The sly wordplay in "The Thrill" is an aspect to definitely pay attention to. Rxch Chris definitively has a way with words and often performs confident lyricism to assert such dominating energy. That dominance never leaves the album and only increases itself in "Rewind," the albums third track. There are more playful tones in "Rewind," and Rxch Chris speaks on the topic of lust, as well as the intense level of attraction that can result from it.
The following track, "Honey," gets a bit more real with the message it imparts onto listeners, so pay close attention to the intention within the song. With a more versatile production, "Honey" can feel more expressive than subsequent tracks. The chosen synth collection amplifies and heightens the track's properties and ultimately allows Rxch Chris to feel even more potent with the verses he performs.
Listeners are brought back to a similar atmosphere, yet the different potency levels with "Slayer." "Slayer" shares many productional similarities with "Portrait of Winter." Still, this time the production is kept minimally pervasive so that the main focus is able to remain on Rxch Chris' lyrically outflow. With a punchy tone and introduction of psychedelic elements, "Slayer" brings back nostalgia from the mid-'60s psychedelia offerings. Nonetheless, that reminiscent feeling is quickly pierced with the contemporary fusion presented in "Feel the Love" and "Yea I Know."
"Feel the Love" attributes more towards modern-day rap fusions, while "Yea I Know" takes said modern-day fusions and combines it with eclectic soundscapes. The best aspect of "Yea I Know" is the smooth and organized mix behind the track, especially once the trumpet integration ensues. All in all, "Yea I Know" offers a new perspective on the music of Rxch Chris, and we're all for the ambiance it builds.
"Santa Fe" offers more of trap energy, combining various subgenres in order to elicit the dystopian imagery it so clearly synthesizes. "Santa Fe" is interesting in the way that it can feel harsher and more industrialized at some parts, and others, it can seem almost post-industrial. The synth orchestration is phenomenal, and once listeners near the end of the track, they may feel overwhelmed with the manipulation of melodies.
That eclectic manipulation continues in "Woah," but ever so slightly. One element to the album we've noticed thus far would have to be the crazy production presented in the majority of tracks it holds. Each song has its own persona and can establish a familiar atmosphere, as well as ones that feel completely obscure (in the best way possible).
We feel a modest shift in tone with the album's tenth track, "Delusional." We're back into the album's mainstream flow, although the vibraphone assimilation provides a light-hearted culture. The narrative of "Delusional" follows more along with modern-day life and the expectations, as well as perceptions that come with it. Rxch Chris is no stranger when it comes to expressing his desires, and "Delusional" dabbled highly into his sense of carnality.
The same kind of presence is held in "Aqua (Water)," but with more focus on the energy directed his way by rivals. This theme allows Rxch Chris to showcase his tenacity and persistence, which naturally expels into each verse within the track. We feel another swift change with "Destiny Hill Drive," the twelfth track on Don't Be Afraid This Is Your Destiny. The track has a heavier motive, and the same goes for "X Men." The two tracks together have great contrast but offer that same level of intensity. Rxch Chris shows his sly determination in "X Men" and keeps that bustling climate alive in order to craft motivating energy.
Once we arrive at "Kingdom Hearts," we realize that Rxch Chris is setting a certain theme with his listeners and really concentrating on providing a killer flow. "Kingdom Hearts" has incredible versatility--Rxch Chris is clearly staying current without compromising the realness of his sound. That's another aspect to his artistry, and ultimately this album, that we find ourselves appreciating--the traditional fusion with contemporary styles.
Listeners get a treat with the albums fifteenth track, "Infinity Link." Rxch Chris performs the track live, and listeners receive a raw sense of how he'd sound in-person. Safe to say that there's little manipulation when it comes to the verse outflow, as Rxch Chris holds the same authenticity as he would in any other track off the album. "Infinity Link" puts the spotlight on more real aspects of life, including the drive and motivations required in order to elevate one's career and mental state (don't worry, listeners still receive the innate passions and desires of Rxch Chris, but with more definition this time).
"Goodbye & Good Riddanxe" offers a period of true reminiscence, and it's hard not to fall subject to it considering the style of production chosen for the track. "Goodbye & Good Riddanxe" serves more personable aspects of Rxch Chris, and we finally deter from the lustful perspective, molding more into a progressive outlook on the levels of attraction. We get to hear vulnerable truths from Rxch Chris, making this track a real turning point in terms of the content of the album. You can even feel the yearning and level of emotion pulsate from Rxch Chris, making "Goodbye & Good Riddanxe" a track of raw expression. Getting back to the reality of Don't Be Afraid This Is Your Destiny, Rxch Chris reintroduces his main outlook within "Strawberry Fields Forever." Within this track, Rxch Chris professes lessons and catalysts towards success. Releasing further incentives and impulses, Rxch Chris instigates thought-provoking wordplay in "Strawberry Fields Forever," and we're starting to accept that artistically, Rxch Chris is full of dynamic surprises.
"Sweet June" is the next track we find ourselves listening to, and we get a harmonic melody blended into the underlying beat of the track. The tone lightens itself exceptionally with the mix, and the focus mainly finds itself on the performance provided by Rxch Chris. We dabble more into personal cravings and desires, with Rxch Chris intricately choosing his ambiguity to display within the track.
A more cultivated level of clarity comes within "Paris London," and we're feeling a more underground vibe with this particular track. "Paris London" adds to the hypnotic essence of Don't Be Afraid This Is Your Destiny, and with the stimulating adlibs, the song's compulsion remains ever so strong. The stimulation continues with the next tracks, and more specifically, we get an intense laidback vibe in the albums final two tracks, "Majin Buu" and "Akira." Listeners are offered a chance to melt away with the softened cadence, bringing many changes to elevate one's mind.
To magnify the album correctly, many tracks brought opportunities of contemplation, fun, and ambiances that boost morale and spirit. Don't Be Afraid This Is Your Destiny told the ultimate story of Rxch Chris and what he's all about artistically and personally, so dive deep in if you're prepared to listen to an album that provides wide-ranging themes and atmospheres.
Hello Rxch and welcome to BuzzMusic. Don't Be Afraid This Is Your Destiny had an incredible level of diverseness regarding the various messages and energies you were able to communicate. What would you say was the most pivotal part of the album for you? How do you feel that this album has helped you grow as a music artist?
The most pivotal part of this album would be the production. I had a total of 4 producer's on this album which includes myself. Me and my main producer (RED KLOUD) who also played as a co-executive producer along with myself, wanted to shape a sound that represented the album's title (Don't Be Afraid This Is Your Destiny). We took the element of destiny and summertime aesthetics and created a masterpiece. The album was shaped around track 2 ( The Thrill), we took the thrill and made an entire body of work around it. The Thrill was the first track made for this album. We felt that this song had a great balance of bounce and strong lyrics that people could relate to and that was a major theme for this album. As an artist this project has helped me grow into a more well-established artist, it showed my fans consistency. This is my fourth studio album, once again it showed listeners that I am capable of making a full body of work that doesn't sound like anything out in the mainstream. This album has solidified my name and helped me gain tons of recognition amongst my peers who I know are definitely waiting for the next project from me.
Knowing that you had a specific vision in mind for the album, would you say that vision was successfully imparted? Being an album that consists of 21 tracks, would you say there was a specific track that lived up to the main vision more than others?
Yea the vision for this project was definitely imparted. We wanted this to be my biggest release. We wanted more celebrations and a bigger audience. We gathered 7 features for this album. Which helped it become larger than life there are a number of tracks that stood out on this album, as noted before (The Thrill) is a fan favorite. It did what we expected it to do. Other notable tracks like X men, Honey, Feel the love, and Yea I Know. are all songs that have constantly been gaining more and more exposure since the album's release. My top song at the Moment is (Slayer Feat Reesie 777) This song did what I personally expected it to do I knew it would ease away from lyrics and stand out as more of a club banger, the simplicity of the 808's and Nonchalant flows Makes this one of the most electrifying songs on the album.
How would you say Don't Be Afraid This Is Your Destiny compares to your other 2020 album release, "Dream World"? Were there any lessons you learned from "Dream World" that you applied to this album?
The difference between this album and Dream world is Simply time. There are 5 months between the release of Dream World and D.B.A.T.I.Y.D. Around 80 percent of Dream world was created in one day. I used this same recording format with Don't Be Afraid This Is Your Destiny, tho it wasn't completed in one day the album only took 4 months to create. I feel as if Dream World was a formal reintroduction to me as an artist. It inspired a lot of people around me, I saw a shift in energy that gave my peers hope, to create art that is in its own lane and sounds different from everything else that's out. This format was also used in making D.B.A.T.I.Y.D Don't be afraid This is Your Destiny was more of stone into a new lane for me as an artist. I feel as if Don't Be afraid This Is Your Destiny Is a mainstream album. This album is a complete body of work that has the potential to take my music career to the next level.
How did you go about crafting the vintage-feel you wanted the album to possess? What went behind the process of choosing each mix for each respective track on the album?
The vintage feel represents my collective group (VHS CLUB). The club is a collective of Musicians, Designers, Producers, and Directors who want to bring back the vintage feeling of art. The vintage feel of this album is an ingredient that I try to give to every project that I work on. My Mission as an artist is to bring back the vintage feel of the music, the feeling of something larger than life. Most albums don't possess this feeling anymore, mainstream artists release these oversaturated albums that only last for two weeks. I wanted to bring back the feeling of an album being epic. The album title (Don't Be Afraid This Is Your Destiny) speaks for itself, I felt that it was a title that makes listeners think about their own respective destiny. Each track was mixed respectively to its Title, for example, track 8 (Santa Fe) was mixed to sound like a parade, something larger than life.
Now that Don't Be Afraid This Is Your Destiny has released, are you planning on performing the album on any live-virtual shows? What can listeners stay tuned for in the near future regarding your music?
Yes, having a live show is definitely the goal. COVID-19 has taken the world by storm and put a lot of opportunities on pause. COVID has changed the way that all artists work, now you have to really invest in your social media more and build up your digital self like never before. I have a lot coming for the fans. My collective group (VHS CLUB) has a number of artists releasing new projects this month, along with Merchandise coming later this year. I will be releasing a lot of singles and gearing to release a collaboration album with VHS CLUB member Dgladds sometime later this year. This should be an epic year for me as an artist I know there are many more blessings and opportunities to come.