Walking between the paradox of colonial paradise and queer desire in Honolulu, Hawai’i, follow Chryst Moon through a sultry, velvet-laced babydoll dream aroused through song and dance. Known by friends and followers alike as independent musician, producer, and Instagram cutie Riki, they glow under pink tinted lights, questioning desire and recognition backed by soft rnb beats. Defining connection on their own terms, love and yearning becomes a space of devotion and praise for oneself best belted out loud. Desire is a weapon dripping with ambrosia equipped by non-binary babes and allies, ammending the oft-exclusive spaces pushing away or isolating sexuality and expression as a spectacle. Riki speaks to Coeval Magazine on their origins and experience being a non-binary, native independent musician and producer.

How did Chryst Moon come to be?
One of my earliest memories was knowing who & what I wanted to be. Singing made me feel complete. I pursued a Broadway career route by doing theatre for a few seasons and taking classical vocal lessons from ages 12-19. In the meantime, at 14, I began producing my own music, necessary for personal therapy.

I felt very alone in my developmental stages, being raised in a highly religious household where my dad was a Mormon bishop for 9 years. Not so much lonely, but definitely alone. I have 10 siblings, I falling in line at the 10th born child of 11. Being at the end of the lineage, I had lots of people to look up to that advanced my intelligence quicker. All of them were musical, especially being involved with church—my mom being the community’s organist and pianist.

What made me do original music and take a creative route rather than Broadway was the way the artists I looked up to had saved my life from severe mental illness. Music exists in a way other art doesn’t and it reminds me of reading a book. Everyone has their own imagination attached to it. My mom was a very talented pianist and my dad a wonderful singer. The sibling closest in age to me is my brother Jaren, who learned so many instruments it kept me on my toes growing up.

How does your environment affect and/or inspire you?
Growing up in the rise of the digital age was a blessing in this instance as well. I had access to information and other cultures and arts that I would have to leave island to witness or gain awareness otherwise. I am native Hawaiian by blood. I was born and raised here, yet I grew up feeling alien and trapped. I began performing gigs at venues at 16. The rise of the computer age also encouraged independent creativity rather than needing to adhere to radio pop standards. It gave me a way to share ideas and be shared with ideas that were straight up vessels channeling.

With all this access, how has the DIY scene in Honolulu been receptive to you as an artist? The physical scene is actually quite receptive and is half of my following on social media. I enjoy this aspect, it surprises me sometimes when I learn just how many people have been paying attention or keeping up. One day, I was doing pau hana’s (after work chill) at a venue I had been molested at previously, to be with friends. I learned I was 86’d from there and another essential and popular venue to the music scene because my attacker was dating the owner of these venues.

I had come forth with a sexual assault survivor story online and it was the most views my story has ever gotten. It was controversy because these places were famed to be “safe spaces.” It caused a lot of shock in the scene, encouraging the OG’s to question the way things have always been swept under the rug and for kids rising in the next generations to not stand for nor support these kinds of institutions unless they act upon right action. People were recognizing me when I had no idea who they were, which would happen before but not at this level or rate. People with their head screwed on right supported or thanked me and people who were friends with my attacker talked poorly on me. The real ones enabled positive action and change which is what I intended for. Now, the venues have new owners that have valiant leadership skills. I heard the new owners will provide medical and dental benefits for the workers vs the previous under table rhetoric.

Being an independent & non-binary producer and musician, how do you cultivate your story on and off stage in the Honolulu DIY scene?
Being independent and non binary is very accepted in the scene. I adore it. It’s the first place I felt as one in my own skin. When I changed my name, the underground music scene was very quick to acknowledge it and call me by my preferred chosen name. There are lots of other trans honey’s that immediately made me feel at home. I tried to change my name at work (Buffalo Wild Wings at the time) and it received lots of mixed response. My family outright rejected it. Some of my siblings do acknowledge me as Riki but still call me my government name since the rest of the family has known me my whole life as that name. There’s still a handful of older people in the scene who are catching up to modern ideas, but their hearts are in the right place. People in the scene, artists and creatives are very forward thinking in the underground scene which is where I feel the most alive on this island.

The Internet provides a degree of control and consistency over what one portrays oneself as, how has this translated into performance?
On the Internet, for the other half of my following, it provides reach aside from direct community action—although direct community action is important too. In its own way, it is a community itself too! I’ve made lots of awesome mutuals through the Internet. I also like this as a non-binary baby, because there’s people who don’t feel they fit in all over the world, facing controversy, standing up for what they believe in and what’s right. We have unity in our differences.

How best can you describe your style?
I’ve been making rnb, lo-fi, neo-soul, and hip hop. With my live band we turn everything into indie, grunge, metal, and “punk.” My aesthetic, I’d say, is gothic and punk...even hints of glam and being Bougie. Sometimes my friends and I call it “posh goth.”

What can we expect from Chryst Moon in the future?
My next album will be released on all platforms such as Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal, YouTube, and Soundcloud. The album is named “Satin Phantom” and I’ve been working on it for 14 months now! I am elated to share it with you guys ♡