Evian Christ

Joshua Leary (born 11 June 1989), better known by the stage name Evian Christ, is an English electronic music producer, DJ and songwriter from Ellesmere Port, UK. He is signed to Tri Angle Records and to Kanye West’s publishing house, DONDA. He released his debut mixtape Kings and Them in 2012 and gained prominence as a collaborator on West's 2013 album Yeezus. He released a further EP on Tri Angle, Waterfall, in 2014.

In August 2015 he pulled out of Reading Festival after claiming to have been detained by security staff at the Leeds sister festival.

Leary grew up in the small town of Ellesmere Port, near Liverpool. He began making music after playing around with vintage keyboards belonging to his father, who initially made Kraftwerk-influenced synth music before becoming a trance DJ in the late ’90s. At 19 he produced a selection of J. Dilla-influenced soul edits, and intended to release them until the label he had partnered with went out of business. While training to be a primary school teacher at Edge Hill University, Leary produced the eight tracks that would make up his debut mixtape, Kings And Them. Made music in his garage on Cubase. In December 2011, he posted three of the tracks on YouTube under the name Evian Christ, apparently only for his friends to hear. They were discovered by Dummy Magazine and other music blogs, which led to a search for his identity.

After the tracks blew up, Leary responded to a message from Tri Angle Records founder Robin Carolan, who signed him to the label. In February 2012, Tri Angle released Kings And Them, a free mixtape compiling his musical output thus far. Days after, Leary made his live debut at a Tri Angle showcase in London alongside Balam Acab, Romy xx, and The Haxan Cloak. Directly after graduating from his education program, Leary left the UK to tour in America. In July 2012, Tri Angle rereleased Kings And Them as a limited edition 12" EP featuring remastered versions of mixtape tracks "Fuck It None Of Y’All Don’t Rap," "Thrown Like Jacks," "Drip," and "MYD."

In 2013, Kanye West reached out to Leary to produce material for his then-upcoming record Yeezus. West flew him out to Paris, where he worked with in-house engineers and producers to create the album track "I’m In It." By the end of the year, West signed Evian Christ to his publishing house, DONDA. In the same year, Leary attended the Red Bull Music Academy in New York City.

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