Interview: 5 minutes with CHVRN

Ahead of his EP release via The Playground Records, we chat to Russian based electronic producer CHVRN about his origins, sound journey and where his name comes from.

Tell us about your roots.

I am a Saint Petersburg based electronic musician. Music came into my life about 10 years ago when my parents bought me a guitar. I played rock music in an un-famous local band, but then my main interest became electronic music. I produced a lot of tracks just for myself, gaining experience as I progressed.

What steps did you take to get to where you are now?

In 2011, I started an 8bit/chiptune project called Reboot Me and played a lot of concerts in Russia, but then in 2014 I found myself playing in a different sound, giving me what is CHVRN today.

Sounds like?

My project CHVRN is inspired by modern wave, post rock and witch house music. It also has huge roots in 80’s new wave and synth music, as well as hip hop. My music has a strong vibe and atmosphere combined with modern hip hop and EDM rhythms. Today I’ve already played a lot of shows from huge witch house raves to small wave music parties in Saint Petersburg and Moscow and collaborated with several artist around the world.

Where does the name CHVRN come from?

The project name comes from the city Charn from the Chronicles of Narnia books I read when I was a kid.

What are the 5 albums that have influenced you the most?

The Prodigy – Music for the Jilted Generation
Depeche Mode – Violator
The Cure – Disintegration
Kokomo – If Wolves
Crystal Castles – Crystal Castles II

Which artists are on your radar?

I really like Kamandi, his tracks pushed me into this sound and style. I also like HNRK and Øfdream. But I also try to follow the mainstream EDM scene to be aware of global trends.

Are there any key pieces of equipment that you are using to define your sound?

I began to earn enough money from my music to buy some good gear not so long time ago. So most of my tracks were written just with my PC, old Sennheiser headphones, Ableton Live and some VST instruments. I also like to use sampling creatively.

Gig highlights?

I think my best gig will be in future. But the biggest one was witch house rave called ОТТЕПЕЛЬ in Moscow. A lot of people attended, there was nice music, visualisation and organisation. I was glad to cooperate with them. The one that stood out as a bad experience was at a party also in Moscow. The organizer deceived me with lodging and stopped answering my phone calls. So me and my girlfriend had to spent all night looking for the room in motel.

Any other skills besides music?

Besides for music, I am a web developer.

CHVRN’s debut EP will be released on 4 August 2017 via The Playground Records. Listen to the preview below: