LSDXOXO’s new music video for “BLOODLUST” is very on-brand. In it, the artist plays both master and puppet as he lurks in online chatrooms with anonymous users, eventually relinquishing control in a Saw-esque webcam contraption. “I was definitely immersed in forum and chatroom culture as an adolescent,” he tells PAPER. “One could say I was in chatrooms showing feet.”
The DJ/producer/singer-songwriter extraordinaire, real name RJ Glasgow, is clearly no stranger to the internet. His moniker itself alludes to the days of AIM and Myspace usernames, when self-discovery and sexuality was tied to these sacred and discreet online interactions. Having remixed for the likes of Lady Gaga, PinkPantheress, and Shygirl — not to mention his support for Beyoncé on her Germany Renaissance tour dates — Glasgow has created quite the name for himself both underground and in the mainstream.
With the new single and music video comes hints of a full-length debut album. The project will follow 2023’s Delusions of Grandeur, released on his new label Fantasy Audio Group (F.A.G.), and with it, he hopes to build a universe all his own — rooted in sexuality, internet nostalgia and gritty Berlin nightlife fantasies.
Below, we discuss the new single, horror movies and foraying into adult film production.
I love the chatroom/Omegle/Chaturbate concept of this video. Were you active on these platforms when you were younger? What’s your personal relationship with these sleazy internet pockets?
One could say I was in chatrooms showing feet. Kidding, but I was definitely immersed in forum and chatroom culture as an adolescent. Quite the introvert, I was heavy in gaming chats like Newgrounds, and also frequented queer forums like BGC Live (Black Gay Chat) once I began to discover my sexuality.
As a young teen I also used to flex my graphic design skills and image-editing savvy by manipulating images of scantily clad women and turning them into superheroes or villains, sometimes swapping gender of male characters and making them female. These were called photo manips, and there was a not-so-widely-known online community dedicated to them. I’m not so sure it’s still a thing.
What were some other references you pulled from for the “BLOODLUST” music video? What cultural references inspire your work in general?
My good friend and director Griffin Stoddard and I have quite an affinity with cinema, especially within the horror genre. We’re both also very into films that utilize practical sets and effects. Luckily for me, Griffin is also a HIGHLY skilled set designer. He and I pulled references from films like Saw (2004) directed by James Wan, and Fallen Angels (1995) directed and written by Wong Kar-wai. Griffin mapped out exactly how each set would be built and presented in the video, and he along with his team built them.
Music is absolutely my greatest love, but I was a big visual arts enthusiast first. I even studied it academically for some years before realizing that it was not where I saw myself building a career. Because of this interest, my work has always been heavily influenced by visual media like film, comics and video games.
What can we expect from your debut full length album this year?
You can expect exploration in both sonics and self with this album. I’ve taken time to understand what story I want to tell, especially with production, and this is a showcase of that. There’s quite a bit more songwriting and vocal performance taking place in this album than what I’ve presented previously. This album is only a glimpse at what I have in store in regard to the world building I want to take place within my work, and on my newly formed record label (Fantasy Audio Group, F.A.G.).
You’ve balanced the underground with the mainstream, having remixed for Lady Gaga and PinkPantheress, to name a few. What’s been the most starstruck moment of your career so far?
I’m not one that’s generally starstruck. I’ve an immense amount of appreciation for other artists, some maybe a lot more known than myself. Even so, I feel like we’re all just here to be heard and express through our work, and live life as our greatest selves.
That being said, being requested for work by some of my bigger musical influences like Björk, Beyoncé and Kelela are definitely standouts for me thus far.
What’s something that people would be surprised to know about you?
I think people would be surprised to know that I’ve got interest in exploring adult film-making. They may even be seeing some of this interest applied to my work very soon.
Photos courtesy of LSDXOXO
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