SoundSubterra Sessions Episode 1 - Chris Chand and the Stillness in Motion

At Nefarious Supply, we’re carving our own path in underground music—moving deliberately away from algorithmic playlists and surface-level interviews toward something more intimate, intentional, and artist-driven. SoundSubterra Sessions is how we put that into practice. SoundSubterra Sessions is the next iteration of what began as Nefarious Supply Radio — refined, redefined, and now rooted more deeply in the artist’s process. Where NS Radio was about what we were listening to offering artist-hosted playlists that were compelling but often left the deeper story untold SoundSubterra Sessions is about fully understanding who we’re listening to, and why their song choices matter. It's our commitment to going beyond the playlist itself, and building content that showcases the artist as a whole: their process, their influences, and the emotional architecture of the session. Each episode is more than curation it’s a collaboration in storytelling.

Our first featured artist isn’t new to the Nefarious Supply ecosystem. In fact, we’ve been following Chris Chand for years. From our first conversation with him back in 2021 where he spoke about growing up in a musical household in Pickering, cutting his teeth in Toronto's independent scene, and learning to produce and record music from his bedroom, to hosting Episode 008 of NS Radio in 2023, we’ve seen his artistry stretch and evolve across projects, collaborations, and sonic identities. There’s a sense of intentionality to how Chris moves. He’s never tried to chase trends or box himself into a genre. Instead, he follows a feeling—and that feeling has become sharper with every release.

Back then, Chris was only a few songs in but already carving out a sound that blurred the lines between alternative R&B, pop, and funk. He was experimenting with sonic textures, producing for others, and learning to balance vulnerability with craftsmanship. Today, that balance has matured. And with his latest track Vista Park, it feels like the sound has finally caught up to the vision.

Vista Park is the kind of track that doesn’t announce itself. It floats in and holds you quietly. The song is rooted in a real memory a park, a warm view, a conversation that stuck—and shaped by the emotional afterglow of rewatching Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. That combination of place and emotional residue fuels the track’s soft glow. Cinematic but grounded, it sits in the in-between space between nostalgia and presence.

The pacing is intentional. Chris didn’t want another slow-dance ballad. Instead, he crafted a song that rides a groove—upbeat, but not urgent. Something you can move to without being pulled too far. It reflects his growth not just as a writer and producer, but as a performer who’s increasingly building records meant to live beyond headphones.

To understand the layers that make up Vista Park, Chris curated a playlist of songs that orbit its sonic and emotional space. But this isn’t just a playlist. It’s a document of process, a reflection of artistic headspace during a very specific creative moment.

Tommy Richman’s SOULCRUSHER provided the sonic spark—an example of the kind of energy he wanted to reinterpret through his own lens. Ralph Castelli’s Rare tapped into the romantic tension that subtly anchors the song. Todd Rundgren’s Can We Still Be Friends? opened the door to a more nuanced take on emotional resolution. These aren’t just references they’re co-authors in spirit.

Other selections push genre boundaries. Tame Impala’s Feels Like We Only Go Backwards offered a production ethos more than a sound. Mk.gee’s DNM made him reconsider the role of guitar. Feng Suave’s Half Moon Bag gave him permission to chase feel over category. These curveballs don’t fit into a neat box, but they expanded the one Chris was working from. There’s freedom in that a kind of openness that doesn’t try to control the narrative, just shape it as honestly as possible.

All of it was recorded at home. Still. Years later. The setup has barely changed: guitar, bass, mic, MIDI keyboard, a dresser as a desk. It reflects a core part of Chris’s identity not just as an artist, but as someone who has always leaned on resourcefulness. He doesn’t wait for ideal conditions. He makes with what he has. And that consistency, that commitment to making something meaningful with whatever’s around, is part of what makes his work resonate.

That minimalism is baked into the mix, too. Vista Park sounds close, but distant. Intimate, but removed. It feels like you’re watching something unfold from across the street—a balance Chris likens to The Truman Show. There’s always a window between you and the memory.

If Vista Park was a short film, it would be a summer story. A fleeting romance set in a small cottage town. Warm tones. Static frames. Wes Anderson symmetry with real-life tension. It wouldn’t try to explain everything. It would just be. It would leave quietly, leaving you to fill in the space it leaves behind.

The playlist isn’t an appendix. It’s part of the story. A reflection of what he was learning from, analyzing, and drawing courage from. Chris calls it being a student. And that’s always been central to his process—whether dissecting songs from his ‘INSPO’ playlist during his NS Radio episode or talking about how Steve Lacy, Marvin Gaye, JMSN, and Childish Gambino helped shape his artistic foundation.

What hasn’t changed since we first spoke to him is the intent. The goal has never been fame. It’s always been clarity. Communication. Honesty. To make music that documents his own story in real time, and maybe helps someone else tell theirs. It’s not about proving something. It’s about expressing something that’s already true.

SoundSubterra Sessions exists for artists like Chris—those who are building something quietly, consistently, and with care. The ones who don’t chase moments, but create them. The ones who shape culture by staying grounded in their own.

We're grateful to Chris Chand for hosting the debut episode of SoundSubterra Sessions (formerly Nefarious Supply Radio). His artistry and openness set the tone for what this series aims to be—deeper, more intentional, and fully focused on the artist’s story. We’re excited to see where he takes things next, both as an artist and as a voice in the creative community. Experience SoundSubterra Sessions, hosted and curated Chris Chand, powered by Nefarious Supply.

Be on the lookout for Episode 2 dropping soon.

If you're an artist looking to be featured, submit your music at the link below. We're always looking to highlight voices that move differently. All artists, all genres, all stages—because "artists first" is what drives us.