Experimental pop artist Christian Sean releases immersive debut single Cold Water

Christian Sean releases Cold Water, a hyper-kinetic freakout of progressive pop. This debut single is visceral and experimental, but also highly melodic, delivering the kind of catharsis only a good pop song can. Christian Sean is a familiar face of the Montreal independent scene, having played with artists such as Laurence-Anne, Kaya Hoax, Sophia Bel and Geoffroy.

Squelches of synthetic bass pulsate beneath Cold Water’s pounding drum loop, while a feverish sample collage of mangled handclaps and deranged synthesizers glide across the mix at breakneck speed. The circular, hypnotic track is propelled by a haunting topline, with lyrics that detail the rush of buried emotion that arises once the container of a relationship has collapsed. Its striking visualizer was directed by Charles-Antoine Olivier.

Christian Sean is a believer in the transformative power of pop music. As a kid, he was drawn to indie rock and left-field electronics, part of a Montreal scene that disavowed commerciality in favour of innovation. Over time, however, he surrendered to his true calling – making the best music of his life with a unique blend of melodic sensibilities and avant-garde experimentation.

Music runs deep in his soul. The early years of his childhood were nomadic – born in Switzerland to American parents who were members of a Christian cult, they travelled across Europe and the Southern states before his mother finally escaped and settled in Montreal. Granted a non-religious childhood, he revelled in freedom, and this independence rings out in his art.

Starting with the guitar at the tender age of 10, he was gifted his first sampler at the age of 14 – the hallowed Roland SP-404. An immediate production nerd, he would pore over Animal Collective records, trying to attain their sample-delic sound. Watching indie bands perform around Montreal, he started a group with a bunch of teenage friends, playing DIY shows at warehouse spaces and house parties.

Like most teenage bands, it didn’t last long. When the group dissolved he moved to São Paulo, Brazil with his then-partner, spending six months in student dorms focusing on his music. That was the first time I’d been without a band. I just had my laptop and a MIDI controller – and I’d spent weeks wood-shedding, honing my craft. Brazil is where my music really came together, he remembers.

Emboldened, Christian Sean returned to Montreal and threw himself into the city’s music scene. Whether it was touring arenas in a pop star’s backing band or playing a left-field electronic show in an art gallery, he’d tackle each opportunity with complete commitment. His own music gained increased focus, but something was lacking. I was still finding myself, finding my ground, he says.

The pandemic wiped the slate clean, and he started to write once more, refusing to be pressured by expectations.I had become filled with self-doubt, and felt like I didn’t know which way to go, he recalls.But then I started making these songs, almost therapeutically, and gradually I realized there was something in there that felt potent, that rang true.