By mixing streaming West Coast rap with shuffling deep house, Channel Tres is creating his own style and living up to an incredible journey. The universe of this artist from Compton (California) is full of empowerment, experimentation, hard work and a developed sense of aesthetics. In the end, the objective, as he says, is “to create music that inspires people”.
Channel started as a songwriter, but following a natural process, he has also become a producer and DJ. His eponymous EP, one of his first releases and published just last year, mixes disco with funk, house and electro, creating a vibrant feeling of excitement and an unexpected combination of genres and styles that, somehow, he can make work. Now, his latest single, titled Sexy Black Timberlake, goes a step further by exploring themes like the sexual objectification or fetishization that comes with having a determined skin colour – like the hyper masculinity usually linked to black males, or the extreme submission related to Asian females.
“It’s important to not be afraid and take your time until you discover who you want to be and what do you want to project”, he tells us. You can tell without a doubt that each song he publishes is baked with time and the best musical references: Moodyman, LCD Soundsystem, Isaac Hayes and a good dose of techno music. “I am always experimenting with different genres, so that brings me great ideas”, Channel says. These ideas translate into hits like Jet Black, Controller, or Topdown, some of his most-listened-to songs, where he cleverly combines his velvety, soft voice with incredible bass lines, some electronic beats, and striking music videos with a casting with loads of flow, great styling, and colour-blocking.
The industry can be hard, but he’s making the most of it: “What I enjoy the most about (the industry) is being able to travel and do cool things. The worst? It takes more time to make money”, he confesses. The American musician is definitely living his best life: the young boy that started writing songs for Kehlani and Duckworth is now on track, with a summer full of festival bookings, another upcoming EP, and a tour with Vince Staples. For example, you can catch him at Paraíso Festival in Madrid,the next 15 of June. Channel will be waiting for you there, his eyes behind his pair of dark sunglasses, ready to make you feel empowered and inspired with groovy, soulful tracks.
