Retrograded: A Marist Alumni With a Foot in the Music Industry
Despite just having his first headling show, Retrograded feels he still has much learn before he takes major steps into the music industry. Photographer: Ben Thomasward
Jackson Klarsfeld ‘21 always had a passion for the visual arts. Dabbling in photography, videography and graphic design, he soon went down the path of music production. The Marist College alumni had been making music since he was a freshman. He created a number of music videos with Red Fox Films and the Silver Fox Awards, yet Klarsfeld still wasn’t sure if music was something he could pursue professionally.
“Whenever people would ask I would say ‘yeah, I want to make music forever,’ but I didn’t actually think I could do that.” This mindset turned for Klarsfeld upon the release of Red Lights at Midnight, his debut album which was released in 2020. It was then that the then Marist student knew that music was something he could seriously pursue.
After his first album release, Klarsfeld, also known as Retrograded to his listeners, released a number of singles in 2021 such as “Af1s” and “Ur Favorite Tune.” On Feb. 25, Klarsfeld released his EP Think of Me which consists of three songs: “Sunday Coffee,” “Stars” and “Think of Me.” For the young artist, it is important for him to create music that isn’t just adding to already existing trends just for the sake of going viral. Rather, he uses his music to tell stories; ones that are personal to him. He not only tells these stories through his songs, but through his music videos as well. “All of the music videos that I am going to be releasing these next few weeks, I just took a digital camera with me everywhere I was going and it kind of just made everything organically.”
His album Red Lights at Midnight was written over a four to five month period, which allowed his songs to tell his story during those months. Klarsfeld’s songs on the EP however, were written during a variety of different points in time. The song “Sunday Coffee,” was written during the beginning of 2020, but was eventually put on the backburner for two years. While they were all written at such different times, they still convey a common theme. For Klarsfeld, this message is that, “Sometimes things are not going to make sense right away and if you take a step back, you will eventually figure it out.”
When it comes to his creative process, Klarsfeld doesn’t consider himself to be a musician that has a structured routine. Instead, he produces and writes as he goes, which eventually leads him to a unique creation. In his eyes, it is like putting a puzzle together.
Once Klarsfeld’s music began to get an increase in streams, the worries of who was going to listen to his music was a prevalent thought in his head. This ultimately led to the Marist grad not releasing anything significant in 2021. However, the mindset quickly changed, “It is more making stuff for me without other people in mind that I have decided to prioritize,” he said.
The California born artist who is now based in New York City has just begun to play live shows at Mercury Lounge and Berlin Under A. He also headlind his first live show at the end of February. To Klarsfeld, he believes he just managed to put his foot in the door, yet he is not actively looking for any label. “Right now I am just having fun making music and making videos and I have a lot of people that are supporting me, so it is not something I am worried about.”
At the end of the day, the music Klarsfeld is writing is for himself; it is own personal outlet. “It is an outlet for me to share my thoughts with other people and hope that people can connect with these things that I am thinking about.” As Klarsfeld is taking steps into the daunting, music industry world, Think of Me is his first serious venture into it. And as long as his music stays true to who he is, and continues to share the stories he wants to tell, he doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon.