INTRODUCTION
Hello everyone it’s your host Faithfulness and today I have with me The New Citizen Kane from England, London. The New Citizen Kane is here to discuss about his recent album “PSYCHEDELIKA Pt.1”. Welcome The New Citizen Kane. Before we begin our interview here is what you need to know about this artist.
The New Citizen Kane, born Kane Michael Luke and now based in London, is a boundary-defying artist whose work blurs the lines between music, memory and visual storytelling. More than a singer or songwriter, he is a producer, visual artist and architect of immersive worlds, crafting songs that feel like lucid dreams set to rhythm. After nearly a decade away from the spotlight, his 2024 album The Tales of Morpheus marked a powerful renaissance, weaving textured electronic soundscapes with cinematic imagery and deeply personal narratives. Kane doesn’t simply release music; he builds mythologies, each track a piece of a larger universe that grows with every project. With Psychedelika, he expands this vision even further, inviting listeners into a multi-sensory realm where introspection meets spectacle and every moment feels like both a confession and a portal.
Having this brief Introduction, I’m sure new and current fans must be excited about our Interview today.
INTERVIEW
1. To begin with, let’s review your recent work, this album feels like a bold step. What was the initial spark behind creating it? Was there a moment when you knew the project had its own identity?
Answer: It’s hard to pinpoint just one moment. The album organically started evolving into a mega project as I was writing & recording the songs.. Initially I had set out just to create an album, a follow up to The Tales Of Morpheus, but having had the luxury of being able to focus purely on creating, creativity tends to amplify exponentially… the more you create, the more ideas come forward. The album is an exploration of human experience & emotion & contemplation, without the sugarcoating, with judgement, just simply as I see or have lived it. This creates such a broad array of topics that it quickly became clear I would have to split the album into two parts. Then the visuals became another evolving anchor, from the artwork to the videos. Blending the surreal & the raw to create something that can be enjoyed at surface level but that held deeper meaning to the curious & the deep feelers. I had always wanted to make another visual album and was also more confident in exploring more ideas & shooting visuals myself. My music tends to amplify the mood of the message of the song, I wanted to push this further when creating visuals, whether the dreamy nostalgia of San Diego, the distorted happiness of Ratbag Joy or the melodrama of Well, Damn! Here You Are. In a world where attention has been economised with quick dopamine hits as the standard currency, I wanted to reward curiosity & real lasting attention, I wanted to create a body of work that could be enjoyed at surface level for the listener who isn’t looking for more from the music they consume, but for those who do, the album rewards those who take their time to jump into the evolving world, not just once but multiple times; The subtleties between the lines of the songs, how the videos enhance a song or tell the story from a metaphorical or abstract lens. If you want people’s attention, my opinion is you should be adding value to the experience… So with each layer, each dimension they delve into, the fan experience is amplified. Our senses are all connected, so it stands to reason that if you can engage multiple senses at the same time, the payoff is greater, the emotional connection is deeper.
2. Listeners have watched your sound evolve over time. How would you describe who you are as an artist today, especially after the journey that led to this new album?
Answer: It’s true I have evolved, and I will continue to evolve… life is rarely still and that forward motion is one of the driving forces that excites me! I have reached a place, now I’m 43, where I’m very comfortable with myself, and with showing the world who I am. I used to think that hiding behind this veil of mystery would somehow elevate me or my art, but now I see it’s the opposite, and I think my audience approach this human approach I now have. They are growing with me, sharing in this journey, in the successes and in the missteps too.
3.You started making music on a Yamaha SY85 and have carried that early curiosity all the way into a global creative identity. What originally sparked your passion for producing and performing?
Answer: I’ve been obsessed with music since I was a child, listening to music, performing music, creating music. I wrote my first song when I was 11, but would write poems even before that. I feel like performance was always inside me, and coming from an artistic family, it was never discouraged, so I can’t pinpoint one precise moment that sparked a passion for performance, but the passion for production was sparked in my late teens which albums like Bjork’s POST, Madonna’s RAY OF LIGHT and Royksopp’s MELODY AM.. The discover of electronic music as not only a vessel for movement, but also emotional exploration fascinated me.
4. Many fans admire how your work bridges electronic, world, and ambient music. Who were the artists or movements that shaped you the most in your early years?
Answer: I really enjoy all genres of music so I like to play with diverse influences, from Sheryl Crow & Fleetwood Mac to Kylie Minogue & Madonna to Mariah & Stevie Wonder to Royksopp & Mirwaiz… I don’t enjoy formulaic, obvious music, I’m not interested in producing 10 songs that sound just like “Subconscious” to make it easily digestible, I trust the listener has the potential to explore different emotional soundscapes if you give them the opportunity to do so.
5. You’ve collaborated with a range of talented musicians and electronic artists. Is there a particular collaboration that changed you or pushed your creativity in a new direction?
Answer: When I had just graduated from sound engineering college I got the opportunity to intern at Meanwhile Records & see Nelly Hooper at work, who is one of my favourite record producers. That really opened my eyes and gave me the drive to not fall into genre boundary traps.
6. The textures and moods in the album feel very intentional. Can you walk us through how you approached shaping the soundscape and atmosphere?
Answer: I believe a synth can be just as emotive as a piano, a violin or a voice. The music needs to amplify the mood & emotion of the track, so whether is creating that jagged tension in Eyes Wide Shut or the warmth that feels like a hug in Afterglow, I let the emotion guide the production.
7. Your music blends modern production with cultural and emotional storytelling. How do you stay grounded and inspired when the industry keeps shifting so quickly?
Answer: To put it simply, I don’t take too much notice of the industry or trends, I focus on music that is honest & feels right to me. Trends come & go, but emotional authenticity will always resonate with people.
8. Every artist has a moment that feels like a turning point. What would you say was the moment in your career when things really clicked for you creatively?
Answer: The Could Have Been EP. That was the first release that was really guided by vulnerability, and it resonated wildly! And not just Could Have Been as the single but every single track on the EP racked up considerable numbers, where “Tonight, Maybe” a song I barely pushed or even posted about on Social Media is amongst my top 10 most streamed tracks. I went from getting 2-3 blog reviews and maybe 4-5 playlist placements for Endless Summer and Gotta Secret, to getting over 90 posts & reviews for Could Have Been,. It wasn’t even meant to be on The Tales Of Morpheus, I had originally planned it as a standalone EP – as The Tales Of Morpheus was really a compilation of songs I’d written over the 20yrs of my career as a songwriter, an autobiography of my life up until that point – but as soon as I wrote Could Have Been & Forget The World, I knew they were special & when they resonated so widely I reshaped the album to include them.
9. Your international fanbase seems to connect deeply with the emotional layers in your work. What message or feeling do you hope people take away from who you are as an artist?
Answer: You know, at its core the album is about being human, it’s about honesty, it’s about duality, it’s about breaking down taboos & initiating conversations with love & warmth & respect & empathy, regardless of the topic or personal viewpoint. I hope who ever stumbles across my album willingly or by surprise, can step away and think of how similar we all are as humans. People love to focus on how different we all are, and there is so much divisive rhetoric everywhere right now, I want to focus on the ways we are similar… go back to finding that middle ground. While our stories may be different, our emotions and experiences are so similar, regardless of race, nationality, gender, sexuality. We need to lead with that empathy, and kindness. Part 2 continues in this vein while tackling new topics.
10. You mentioned that each track carries its own emotional story. Which song on the project challenged you the most to complete, and why?
Answer: Afterglow. It’s very hard to be quite so open & honest & vulnerable, but I knew it was also necessary.
11. Your production ranges from meditative to electrifying on this project. How did you balance experimentation with keeping the album cohesive?
Answer: I think the relatability & cohesion in my music lies in the songwriting above anything else; the lyrics & melodies, and by keeping an authentic voice. The production is in service of the story, and I love all kinds of genres of music and like to try different things to see what works, so if I’ve done my job well, the music should resonate as equally as the lyrics, regardless of whether it’s experimental or not. I also know my limits in terms of what my core audience is receptive to and tend to keep ideas that are more “out there” for remixes or dedicated projects within a genre & theme that might not necessarily be targeted at my core fanbase either way.
12. You talk about walking alone in New York, reading stories like The Alchemist, and taking long subway rides that shaped your thinking. Can you describe one specific moment from those years that still lives in your mind and ended up influencing the atmosphere of this album?
Answer: Whenever I’m in nature, I feel especially calm & energised. I went to San Diego in June to film a documentary in support of the single.. Long story short: my original idea didn’t workout, but instead it became a deeply reflective trip, and in a moment of much needed solitude & peace, sitting on this almost deserted beach outside the city watching this amazing sunset, not the usual sunset you’d imagine – the sky was a deep purple, it was foggy, mystical – I sat in meditative awe of the scene and I cried at how beautiful it was, and how much I needed that moment of stillness, and I wrote “Here, Now” in that moment.
13. Were there any surprising moments during the creation process, something that changed the direction of the album or the way you approached certain songs?
Answer: Yes, actually, but I would say it has affected part 2 more than part 1. I was working on the entire project in parallel, with the exception of 2 new songs which I wrote in the last month for part 2, and I was working on a song called Dream Logic. It will be the album opener on part 2, and it has very much affected how the sound on part 2 has progressed, where I feel like from all my various influences I am finding my own cohesive sound, which I’ve decided to call Rhythm & Synth.
14. How can your fans reach you and your music whether through the internet or in person?
Answer: If fans want to reach out to me directly, YOUTUBE & INSTAGRAM are my most active channels & I always try to respond to everyone. My music is available on every platform, it’s necessary, but I see that as more of a marketing tool to reach a broader audience. The physical album, which is my opinion having grown up in the 80s & 90s is the true experience.. the artwork, the lyrics, the act of owning something, both CD & Vinyl are available exclusively through my website. The live show which I’m developing for next year, will be part exhibition part performance, it’s my own concept & I’ve applied for an arts grant to fund it. Depending on in & how much they agree to fund, it will definitely take place in London, and hopefully I’ll be able to take it to a few other key cities where I have a large enough fan base: Stockholm, Mexico City, Sao Paolo, Rio, New York, Chicago, LA. Let’s see how the situation unfolds….
15. If you could speak directly to a fan who has followed you from your early singles up to now, what would you want them to know about your growth and vision?
Answer: I do speak to some who have actively followed me since a long time ago, from as far as Japan even, and to see they remembered me & enjoy the new music even more obviously means a lot! In terns of my growth & vision, I hope my music speaks for itself, at least I really hope it does.
16. What’s next for you after this release? Are there any new projects or surprises that are coming soon?
Answer: Well the AFTERGLOW club mixes are dropping tomorrow (Friday 12th) and then in January I’ll be releasing “Well, Damn! Here You Are” as the next single… It’s coming as a 7 track EP with a new song & a couple of cover versions too. Fans of the Causing A Commotion EP are gonna love it! From February I’ll be taking a bit of a break from all the promotion activity, its been an intense 18 months and we’re actually expecting our first child in February so I want to be present & enjoy family life for a few months & settle in to that before PSYCHEDELIKA part 2… But I do have the second instalment of the DISCO.DADDY remix albums coming out to fill the gap, so although I won’t be actively promoting on socials etc, there will be new material for fans to consume, and also time to digest everything that has come so far, I sometimes forget just how much I’ve released in a short space of time!!
17. Would you like to add any concluding thoughts especially to new listeners hearing about you for the first time?
Answer: in the famous words of George Michael, listen without prejudice! 😉
IN SUMMARY
This has been an exciting session for us all The New Citizen Kane, I believe fans and anyone out there just discovering your music for the first time are equally excited about this project. Thank you for the privilege to experience this masterpiece, it’s been an honor.
Here is my thought on what i have to say after listening to “PSYCHEDELIKA Pt.1”:
“PSYCHEDELIKA Pt.1” is a stunning testament to The New Citizen Kane’s evolution, a kaleidoscopic album that blurs the boundaries between sound, storytelling, and immersive art. Across sixteen emotionally charged tracks, Kane weaves lush synths, cinematic sound design, and intimate vocals into a vivid exploration of love, desire, anxiety, denial, resilience, and the contradictions of being human. Songs like “Afterglow,” “My Muse,” and “Heads Are Round” reveal his gift for transforming vulnerability, philosophy, and even satire into textured electronic landscapes, while “Ratbag Joy” hides lyrical darkness beneath euphoric beats. What elevates the project is its expansive ecosystem: a direct-to-fan release, a companion app filled with visuals, journals, synesthetic games, mindfulness tools, and a growing community, as well as self-produced videos, installations, and collectible physical editions. More than an album, “PSYCHEDELIKA Pt.1” is a living, breathing universe; an immersive multisensory experience that redefines what modern music can be and firmly positions Kane as a visionary crafting worlds rather than simply songs.
Finally to our audience, I urge to listen to “PSYCHEDELIKA Pt.1“, add it to your playlist and be Inspired by it and on behalf of Dulaxi I like to appreciate you all by saying thank you everyone, See you on our next interview.
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