Swamp Walkin’: On The Line with Chris Moon
Quicksand Sinking, Dirty Water Drinking
Beyond the Bog: Chris Moon's "Swamp Walk" is a Funhouse Mirror of Funk and Poetic Wit
Los Angeles artist Chris Moon presents his latest offering, "Swamp Walk," a project that defies easy categorization and promises to leave an indelible, if slightly confused, impression. Unlike his storied namesake, the producer who worked with Prince, this Chris Moon crafts a sound that is entirely his own—a fun, offbeat sonic tapestry woven with warped beats, quick-witted bars, and a delightfully unpolished charm. While "Swamp Walk," stands as a sweaty, funk, late 90s anthem, piloted by Moon's "slackery introspections" and a poetic lyrical core, the full album ventures into genre-blurring territory. Expect bubbling and splashing samples that humorously transport listeners with strong visuals and unique aesthetics. Yet, beneath the playful surface, Moon delves into themes of aging, missed chances, and the humorous absurdity of existence, delivering music that feels like "therapy in a funhouse mirror"—a refreshing, witty, and utterly unique voice emerging from the indie wilderness. Find "Swamp Walk" now across major streaming platforms, a testament to an artist unafraid to march to the beat of his own beautifully peculiar drum. We were happy to get some time with Chris for our On The Line series.
Hello! Thanks for doing this! What's your hometown and where are you currently based?
I grew up moving around different cities in Orange County, CA, but right now I’m based in Los Angeles.
Who was the first person that got you into music?
Some of my earliest memories with music was listening to music in the car with my family. My mom would always have the radio on and play her CDs in the car whenever we would drive around, she would play Korean songs from the 90s/2000s. Also listening to songs on my sister’s iPod Nano. 2000s R&B, Hip Hop, Pop etc.
Shout out to the Nano! Do you remember the first song or album that had a big impact on you?
“Can I Kick It?” By A Tribe Called Quest.
What's been the biggest non-music inspiration for you lately?
Strandbeests by Theo Jansen. They’re these skeleton creatures made out of plastic tubes that can walk off of energy momentum from the wind. They look insane!
Are you familiar with the Chris Moon that worked with Prince early on? He was cool.
Admittedly I stumbled upon him when I was searching online for other Chris Moons out there who make music. It was really cool to discover that he was the recording engineer that helped Prince develop his sound in the beginning of his career, which is really cool because I love Prince. My favorite album of his currently is "Sign Of The Times." He's a creative powerhouse, and so prolific with his work I find so much inspiration in his creative discipline and artistic integrity.
I would love to meet the other Chris Moon, and record a project with him one day, that would be awesome.
“I'm feeling stuck and confused
I don't know where I'm going
I don't have no clue
because if I go up,
It all goes down,
and when I'm feeling down
nobody sticks around”
- Swamp Walk
Swamp Walk is great! Can you tell us a little bit about how it came to be? Did you write & produce everything?
Thank you! Swamp Walk was a labor of love that took some years to realize and bring to life. The idea came after working a bunch of odd jobs, and generally feeling like I was stuck in place, spiritually and emotionally, not going anywhere in my life. I likened the experience of feeling stuck with the landscape of a swamp, where quicksand can pull you in, deep lush trees can block out the light from the sun. There were so many elements to the swamp that I connected with in feeling stuck, so I made the project with the intention of building a soundtrack to what a swamp looks and feels like in my head.
I had a helping hand in producing some of the tracks. I worked on Swamp Walk and Mind Over Matter with Sugar Pit, he played guitar and bass on both tracks. Bredo the Bully, an incredibly talented artist/producer from PG County MD produced Doze Off. Wxmell, an electronic artist in LA worked on Live From The Swamp! with me as well.
What is the biggest challenge you've had to face as an artist thus far?
The biggest challenge for me is getting out of my head. I tend to overthink, and sometimes that will get in the way of my productivity. I can think of a million ideas but sometimes it gets hard to focus on one idea and see it through. Swamp Walk was a cathartic release, and also a disciplinary exercise in proactivity and continuing to push forward with my ideas despite all the noise.
Is there anyone you'd like to collaborate with? Other artists to appear on a song or even a visual artist for an album cover or merch?
There are too many…off the top, I’d love to work on music with Fousheé, Skaiwater, Balming Tiger, Natanya, Hyukoh, James Fauntleroy, Dijon, Santigold, Bktherula, Pusha T, Outkast…Cody Chesnutt…
Visual artists, I’d love to work with Spike Jonze, Michele Gondry, Dave Free, Noah Namgoong, Cameron Clay…I would love to have Action Bronson design one of my album covers. I really like his works for “Only For Dolphins” and “Cocodrillo Turbo.”
How would you define success?
In music and creativity as a whole, I find success in execution and finishing what you started. It takes a lot of courage, discipline, and self confidence within yourself to bring an idea to life. To sit with an idea and eventually make it a tangible thing is an enlightening and very humbling experience. It’s so easy to say you have an idea, everybody’s got ideas. But to sit with one and focus your time and efforts into making it a living breathing thing takes a different level of love and dedication.
Follow Chris Moon on IG at @chrisxmoon
