Channel Tres has released his sixth EP, Real Cultural Shit, via Godmode and RCA Records. Stream it below on Apple Music or Spotify.
A continuation of Channel’s efforts to blend Chicago house, Detroit techno, and West Coast rap into a single genre dubbed “Compton house,” Real Cultural Shit marks the start of a new phase in the 31-year-old artist’s career. After years of building up a niche reputation with a wide range of fans — from dance DJ circles to Sir Elton John — he’s finally taking his sound to the mainstream, and the five tracks lining the new EP demonstrate just how much pop potential his signature style has.
But make no mistake: Channel’s ascension into pop stardom doesn’t mean he’ll compromise his artistry to please the masses. If anything, the innovative sound and irresistible groove of Real Cultural Shit demonstrate that the Los Angeles native’s candid intuitions are perfectly suited for translating his perspective into pop bops. Even the title of the EP speaks to this dynamic.
“This EP is about me reminiscing on different relationships I had with my friends back in the day,” Channel explained in a statement. “Being a grown-up now, some of those relationships I don’t get to have as closely as I want anymore. If I ever ran into any of those friends or called them on the phone we have words and slang that we use that only we know. I call that type of stuff ‘real cultural shit.’ It’s a statement about how I don’t have to please anybody, all I have to do is be myself, and everything will work out.”
For Channel, “being himself” has worked pretty well. Since hitting the scene in 2018 with “Controller,” he’s released a handful of celebrated EPs and has collaborated with Tyler, the Creator, JPEGMAFIA, SG Lewis, and more.
“As an artist, the things that make me unique are things that I was either insecure about or ashamed of, but those are the things that also shaped me into the person I am,” he continued. Tying his philosophy back to the new EP, he concluded: “It’s about loving yourself, and that’s real cultural shit.”
Alongside the release, Channel is also embarking on a headlining world tour kicking off in Okeechobee, Florida on March 3rd and wrapping up in Vancouver, British Columbia on June 24th. Grab your seats here, and check out the full schedule below.
Real Cultural Shit Artwork:
Real Cultural Shit Tracklist:
01. Sleep When Dead
02. 6am
03. Just Can’t Get Enough
04. Big Time
05. All My Friends
Channel Tres 2023 Tour Dates:
03/03 – Okeechobee, FL @ Okeechobee Festival
03/04 – Phoenix, AZ @ M3F Festival
03/05 – San Diego, CA @ CRSSD Festival
03/10 – Stockholm, SE @ Slaktkyrkan
03/11 – Oslo, NO @ Parkteatret
03/13 – Copenhagen, DK @ Pumpehuset
03/14 – Hamburg, DE @ Mojo
03/15 – Berlin, DE @ Festsaal Kreuzberg
03/17 – Cologne, DE @ Club Bahnhof Ehrenfeld
03/18 – Brussels, BE @ Botanique Orangerie
03/19 – Paris, FR @ Trabendo
03/21 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso
03/23 – Bristol, UK @ Thekla
03/24 – Glasgow, UK @ SWG3 Warehouse
03/26 – Dublin, IE @ Button Factory
03/28 – Manchester, UK @ Gorilla
03/29 – London, UK @ Koko
04/29 – Cuernavaca, MX @ Festival Vaiven
05/26 – London, UK @ Project 6
06/02 – Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound
06/09 – Madrid, ES @ Primavera Sound
06/22 – Rothbury, MI @ Electric Forest Festival
06/24 – Vancouver, BC @ FVDED in the Park