LA-based independent artist and producer CJ Stowklyn is rewriting the rules of modern expression. Blending hyperpop glitches, rapid-fire rap flows, and high-voltage EDM drops, Stowklyn creates a sonic universe that feels like late-night scrolling brought to life. Ahead of the June 8th release of the highly anticipated full-length project Neural Order, Blackbird News sat down with the DIY trailblazer.
In this exclusive Q&A, Stowklyn dives deep into the “digital emotion” driving the new music, the seamless intersection of cyber-inspired tech-wear and sound design, and how today’s online culture has fundamentally corrupted—and redefined—the way we communicate heartbreak, obsession, and connection. Get ready to plug into the chaos.
Hey CJ, thanks for talking to us today and welcome to Blackbird News! Can you please introduce yourself and tell us about the vibe behind your upcoming album Neural Order?
Hey, what’s good Blackbird News? I’m CJ Stowklyn when I’m in the studio and online. LA-based independent artist and producer. Neural Order is my newest full-length project dropping June 8th. The vibe is pure digital emotion: that feeling when your heart is racing from a notification at 3 a.m., when you’re craving connection but everything is filtered through screens and glitches. It’s anxious, euphoric, lonely, and addictive all at once, like living inside the internet but still feeling very human.
Your sound mixes hyperpop, rap, and EDM into something futuristic and chaotic. How would you describe the overall energy of Neural Order?
It’s high-voltage chaos with heart. Think late-night scrolling energy, one second you’re in a sweaty underground club rave, the next you’re staring at your ceiling questioning every text you ever sent. Hyperpop glitches, rap flows that hit like rapid-fire DMs, and EDM drops that feel like system overload. The whole album pulses with this restless, neon-lit urgency.
Fashion seems to play a big role in your image and aesthetic. How do music and fashion connect for you as an artist?
They’re basically the same language to me. Music is sound design, fashion is visual design, both are ways I build the world I want to live in. I treat my outfits like album covers or music videos I can wear. The cyber-inspired looks, tech-wear pieces, it all extends the sonic universe so when people see me or my visuals, they already feel the Neural Order atmosphere before a single plays.
The album explores themes like digital obsession and modern isolation. Do you feel today’s online culture has changed the way artists express emotion?
100%. Before, emotion in music was usually direct, “I miss you” over a guitar. Now it’s fragmented, glitched, and coded. We express love through fire emojis and late-night voice notes, heartbreak through deleted stories, obsession through endless scrolling. I wanted Neural Order to sound like that new emotional language beautiful but corrupted by the feed.
Songs like “V1rus G1rl” and “G0!” bring intense club energy, while others feel atmospheric and emotional. How important is contrast in your music?
Contrast is everything. Life online is never just one mood, you can go from a dopamine-hit party track to crying in the group chat in the same hour. I use those shifts on purpose so the album feels alive and unpredictable. The heavy club bangers hit harder when they sit next to the atmospheric, vulnerable moments.
You’ve built a strong DIY career with over 100 releases. What has been the biggest lesson from creating music independently?
The biggest lesson is that discipline beats inspiration. No label is coming to save you, so you have to become your own system, deadlines, routines, learning how to mix, shoot visuals, market everything yourself. Once you accept that it’s all on you, it actually becomes freeing. You move at your own speed and stay authentic.
Hyperpop has become a global movement in recent years. What excites you most about the genre and where do you see it going next?
What excites me is how boundary-less it is. It eats every genre alive and spits out something new. I see it evolving even more into full multimedia experiences, albums that feel like video games, AR visuals, fashion drops, and virtual worlds. The next wave is going to be less “genre” and more “digital lifestyle.”
Your visuals and branding feel very futuristic and cyber-inspired. Are there any fashion designers, films, games, or digital cultures that influence your style?
Big time. Designers like Rick Owens and Balenciaga for the dark tech-wear silhouette, films like Blade Runner 2049, games like Cyberpunk 2077, Also the whole underground digital culture, glitch art, early 2000s internet forums, and current AI-generated visuals. It all feeds into the same cyberpunk-meets-emotion universe I’m building.
With Neural Order releasing on June 8, what do you hope listeners feel after experiencing the album from start to finish?
I want them to feel seen in their chaos. Like someone finally put the weird mix of anxiety, excitement, loneliness, and love they feel every day into music. After the last track fades, I hope they feel a little less alone in the digital storm, and maybe even inspired to embrace their own messy online emotions instead of hiding them.
Thanks for having me! Can’t wait for everyone to hear it June 8th.
You can connect with CJ Stowklyn through Instagram @cjstowklyn, Tiktok @cjstowklyn, X @CJStowklyn, Spotify, and YouTube @cjstowklyn
