Christian Rich: What it Should Be

There will be many critics before fans, they will group Christain Rich with the likes of the N.E.R.D., J’Davey, Izza Kizza, and others but this Chicago duo who now resides in New York are living in the moment while strategically planning for the future. From fashion, to music, and the ever present ideology of longevity, Christian Rich should be here for a while and though the verdict is still out, they will making noise.

Scheme: How did Christian Rich come to be?
Christian Rich: Well we’ve been Christian Rich the producers for a few years but after a few pointless sessions with song writers, it was obvious that we needed to start writing to our tracks and that writing led to keeping some songs for our selves.

Scheme: Why the name Christian Rich?
Christian Rich: Before we moved to New York in ‘04 we sat in our house in chicago and had a long meeting about what direction and name we wanted to go by Christian Rich really is derived from Christian Dior, we just took the Dior out, sounds silly but that’s how it really came about and it has a nice ring to it, girls like it.

Scheme: Is Chicago really fashion conscious city?
Christian Rich: (laughs) Well it can be depending on where you are but some people have stlyle but most just wear what the store model or manikin (might be wrong spelling) has on.

Scheme: Is fashion a part of who Christian Rich is?
Christian Rich: Of course we are working on an accessory line with Lemar and Dauley now and G-Star, Raw also put our song “the Schemer” on their UK/Australia album, which features people like Daft Punk and Portishead. We live for fashion Italian cuts are a must.

Scheme: Back to the music, were you both formally trained?
Christian Rich: As far as training we are not classically trained at all, we were supposed get piano lessons as kids but it never happened so we bought a sampler and started to dissect the inner workings of productions from DJ Premier, Quincy Jones, Jazz and Brazilian music.

Scheme: You guys have done your research?
Christian Rich: Yeah, we really like bossa nova, Brazilian music, and strings, we’re suckers for strings and Astrud Gilberto the vocal arrangements and melodies fucks my head up. Oh, I can’t forget Henry Mancini’s shit is incredible!

Scheme: How does that influence your sound?
Christian Rich: Every song we do, no matter if it’s for us or another artist, is done to attempt to recapture those influences and sounds. It might be hard for most to hear that because our music has a lot going on but the underlayings of our work always has those influences.

Scheme: I asked so in words can you describe your sound[s]?
Christian Rich: One phrase, elevator music.

Scheme: Please explain, because to some people that would not make them want to check for you guys?
Christian Rich: (laughs) See, elevator music to us is melodic easy on the ears music we are what Pharrell’s In My Mind album should have sounded like, and if the Clipse rapped over the right beats.

Scheme: Who do you hope to reach with your music?
Christian Rich: People who have been longing for refreshing music, longing for artist we take the principal of the greatest producers and attempt to create a masterpiece with every recording.

Scheme: So are you guys more focused on being the best producers, artists, or both?
Christian Rich: Both.

Scheme: So when is the album dropping and what can people expect?
Christian Rich: Album, end of September (executive produced by Junior Sanchez) a rare mixtape from us is coming out Sunday presented by Lemar and Dauley for the launching of the new site. Also “Famous Girl” video is being shot in two weeks so look out for that in September as well the mixtape is called I Found my Favorite Beats and I Rhymed to them While Watching Coming to America.”