Review Fix Exclusive: Christopher Sluka Talks ‘Number One’ And More

Review Fix chats with singer/songwriter Christopher Sluka, who lets us know all about his creative process, goals for the future and his new single, “Number One,” off his new album, “Colorfull Radiation.”

About Christopher Sluka:

San Diego-based rock artist, Christopher Sluka, presents an enigmatic and unique experience on all ten tracks of his new album, “Colorful Radiation.” With ten critically acclaimed albums behind him, including “Emotional Battlefield” and “Fear of Ordinary Life,” Sluka continues to create highly imaginative and inventive music inspired by his worldly travels and cosmopolitan upbringing. His career has spanned a multitude of different phases, maturing and growing as he has, beginning in the hallowed rock clubs of New York City’s underground music scene and eventually taking him all over the world from Los Angeles to Japan and back again. While his music is uniquely attuned to the thoughts and melodies living within him, he’s found bits and pieces of influences scattered throughout from artists such as Coldplay, David Bowie, and Radiohead, to name just a few.  His live performances, amplified by his passionate vocals and eccentric charm, have been well received by audiences and praised by critics— creating a career built on his intense dedication to his craft instead of the search for fame.

Review Fix: How did you get involved in music?

Christopher Sluka: When I was 8 years old I received a guitar as a present and I was mystified by the magic one could create.

Review Fix: Who inspires you the most musically?

Sluka: While The Beatles and many others were inspirational when I was younger, I’ve come to the realization that we are all inspired & influenced by everything we are exposed to, with both positive and also negative reactions.

Review Fix: How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard you?

Sluka: Melodic, emotional, provocative,… surprising in some ways, yet hopefully comforting as well. Like most people, I am drawn towards music that takes you away… and allows your mind to soar. I know that probably doesn’t really answer your question. Other than “Rock”, there really isn’t any trendy term I could apply such as “Classical Gothic Post Modern Rock Punkadelic Pop”…. wait… that’s it!

Review Fix: What was the creative process for Number One?

Sluka: The voices of all the parts came to me all at once; melody, lyrics, instrument parts, arrangement… like voices. I didn’t think about it. It was just there. I’m not trying to be mysterious, that’s just how it happened.

Review Fix: What makes Colorful Radiation a special album?

Sluka: Like Number One, the rest of the album came to me in its’ entirety, including the song order. It’s as if the voices gave it to me, and it kept playing over and over in my head incessantly until I finally rehearsed & recorded it in a mad frenzy. Strangely, it felt like I was performing in a band. As I laid down each track I imagined I was playing with all the other musicians at the same time, like we read each other’s minds. And, as a matter of fact, we did, they were all mine…. I know, I know… It sounds like a split personality condition. But don’t we all have different personalities depending on our activities? We are often different people with our friends than we are with strangers, or business associates, or family, or lovers.  Similarly, I have different personalities depending on which instrument I’m playing, and also within a particular song.

Review Fix: How do you want it to be remembered?

Sluka: As a reflection of our current times that may resonate with others in the future.

Review Fix: What’s next?

Sluka: I’m waiting to hear what the voices say next.

Review Fix: Anything else you’d like to add?

Sluka: Yes, sometimes the voices drive me crazy. Do you happen to know another way, other than recording an entire album, to make them subside?

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About Patrick Hickey Jr. 13819 Articles
Patrick Hickey Jr. is a full-time Assistant Professor of Communication & Performing Arts and Director of the Journalism program at Kingsborough Community College and is the chairman of the City University of New York Journalism Council. He is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of ReviewFix.com. He's also a former News Editor at NBC Local Integrated Media and National Video Games Writer at Examiner.com where his work was mentioned in National Ad campaigns by Disney, Nintendo and EA Sports. Hickey was also the Editor-In-Chief of two College Newspapers before he received his BA in Journalism from Brooklyn College. Hickey's work has been published in The New York Daily News, The New York Times, Complex, The Hockey Writers, Yahoo!, Broadway World, Examiner, NYSportScene Magazine, ProHockeyNews.com, GothamBaseball.com, The Syracuse Post-Standard, Scout.com and the official sites of the Brooklyn Aces and New York Islanders. His first book, The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult And Classic Video Game Developers was released in April 2018 and is chock full of interviews with legendary developers. His second book in the series, The Minds Behind Adventures Games, was released in December 2019. His third book, The Minds Behind Sports Games, was released in September 2020. His fourth book, The Minds Behind Shooter Games, was released in March 2021. The Minds Behind Sega Genesis Games and The Minds Behind PlayStation Games were released in 2022 and The Minds Behind PlayStation 2 was published in January 2023. Hickey is also a contracted comic book writer, currently penning his original series, "Condrey," as well as "The Job," "Brooklyn Bleeds" "Dem Gulls" and "KROOM" for Legacy Comix, where he serves as founder, owner and Editor-in-Chief. Hickey Jr. is also a voice actor, having starred in the 2018 indie hit and 2019 Switch, PS4 and Xbox One release, The Padre (also serving as English language Story Editor), from Shotgun With Glitters. The sequel, The Padre: One Shell Straight to Hell was released in February 2021- Hickey also served as a Story Editor and Lead Voiceover performer. He has also done narration and trailers for several other titles including The Kaiju Offensive, Relentless Rex and Roniu’s Tale. Hickey is also the lead voiceover performer on Mega Cat Studios’ upcoming title WrestleQuest, responsible for nearly 90 characters in the game, as well as Skybound's Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, where he voices both Dracula and Renfield, as well as several other characters. He also stars in Ziggurat Interactive’s World Championship Boxing Manager 2, where he performs the VO of nearly every male character in the game. He also worked on the Atari VCS’s BPM Boy.

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