At 24, JP Castro has already packed more into his career than many artists manage in a decade. The Brazil-raised producer, songwriter, and vocalist has built a reputation through a stream of melodic electronic releases that blur the lines between club music and traditional songwriting, all while handling almost every stage of the creative process himself.
His latest single, “Every High,” continues that trajectory, favoring subtlety and restraint over obvious hooks and oversized production. We caught up with Castro to discuss his approach to creative control, his early obsession with melody, and why he remains uninterested in chasing fleeting industry trends.
The Art of Creative Control
For Castro, handling the writing, recording, and mixing of his tracks is not about maintaining a rigid grip on his vision, but rather a necessity born from a lifelong passion for music. “At this point, it’s a must,” he explains. “I don’t see it as control; it’s mostly that I just really love making music and have been doing all these bits since I was around 14 or 15. Even though that is the case, I really enjoy sharing my music during its finishing process too; it’s very exciting.”
When asked about the restrained nature of “Every High,” where the vocals sit low in the mix and the production avoids over-saturation, Castro notes that his process is organic rather than calculated. “Whenever I’m making music, I don’t ever think in genres or what label would like this. Those things kind of come about later once the record is finished. I’m always trying to make something I’m really passionate about.”
Finding Purpose in Performance
Castro’s career has seen him share stages with heavyweights like Armin van Buuren, Black Coffee, Eric Prydz, and Diplo. These experiences have fundamentally shaped his understanding of tension and pacing. “I left feeling inspired,” he says. “Even though a certain artist doesn’t make exactly what you make musically, in the end, I guess great music is what matters to me.”
Reflecting on his journey, he recalls a pivotal moment at age 12 when he first felt the emotional impact of electronic music. “There was always this innate taste pulling somewhere, those many melodic shapes that would just pull me in. I felt this extreme goosebumps flow through my whole body, and I was like: ‘This is it, it would be the coolest thing if I could make records that could impact people like that as well!'”
Staying True to Identity
Despite the pressure often placed on international artists to lean into specific regional aesthetics, Castro remains committed to his own sound. “In this day and age more than ever, being yourself feels so necessary,” he asserts. As he looks toward the future, he emphasizes that while his early momentum with tracks like “Through My Mind” and “All For You” was gratifying, his focus remains on purpose rather than the “achievements” lens of the industry.
“I want to share how I view the world with people,” he concludes. “My music is the way I know to do that.”