Numbers In The Sky

interview+photos  Jorge Perezchica

Meet Coachella Valley artist Ricardo Julian Celiz aka 1:33AM. Never shy to step on stage or pose in front of cameras — his talents span from aspiring dancer to DJ, from photography to videography. But it was quarantine time in 2020 that pushed his creativity to new heights and found his true calling — MUSIC. Having all the time in the world to learn about writing, mixing and producing, 1:33AM released his first single “Limbo.” Since then, 1:33AM has been on musical journey connecting all his talents together and picking up new ones. His sound is moody and visceral, self-described as a “nightmare vibe,” but he doesn’t want to be boxed into any one genre. In his latest, “Numbers In The Sky” 1:33AM directs and edits his own music video showcasing his talent as a storyteller. With the power of sight and sound, 1:33AM takes audiences through a psychedelic trip he once experienced with mushroom. As if  stepping into a Matrix movie, he looked up and the whole sky was covered in numbers. It showed him that there is a bigger picture to life than the human eye can see.

Most recently, 1:33AM released his first EP “Revelations” on December 19, 2022 as an early Christmas gift to fans. Coachella Magazine sat down with 1:33AM in Palm Desert, CA to talk about music, dancing, numerology, Numbers in the Sky, the meaning behind his stage name, growing up in the Coachella Valley and more. This interview has been edited for clarity.

Coachella Magazine: Introduce yourself tell and us about your your background in music.
1:33AM: My name is 1:33AM, full name is Ricardo Julian Celiz. I’ve been into music since a kid. I used to be a dancer, but since I got into technology, I started getting more into music and more into the AI — seeing what the AI can do. Then in 2019 going into 2020, we had quarantine, and I had all the time in the world to learn how to produce, how to mix, and how to master. I didn’t have anything else to do. 

CM: Where did you grow up?
1:33AM: I grew up in Indio, California. Then moved out to North Carolina. I’ve been all over the states. And then I came back to Indio when I was six years old. I moved in with my grandmother and lived with her until I was 18 years old. I moved out to San Bernardino and graduated in Chino, California. And now I moved back here as an adult. I’m just trying to see where I can take it with my music. I didn’t really see music as a thing for me, but you know, you just start finding yourself and start finding your rhythm. I wanted to actually be a backup dancer when I was growing up, but now I make music and I can do that to my own music. 

CM: At what point did you start getting more serious about music?
1:33AM: When I first released my single “Limbo,” that’s when I started taking everything seriously. I released my first music video, which was shot by my best friend. We shot it in Indio. We just incorporated — I’m not sure if you’re familiar with “Silent Hill,” how it’s like a ghost town — downtown Indio at night seems like a ghost town… But I can see Indio, it’s coming back to life. So I really do appreciate that. 

CM: How was your upbringing in Indio?
1:33AM: It was pretty positive. Growing up, I had a lot of friends, even though I did move around a lot. I went to different high schools. I was pretty shy, but I was just really nice to everybody, so everybody was nice to me. So no, I didn’t have any problems. Everybody looked out for each other. 

CM: What instruments do you play?
1:33AM: I play the piano and I also play guitar.

CM: Do you do all your own recording and mixing?
1:33AM: Yes, I do my own recording and mixing. I create my own samples, instruments. Most of the songs that you hear, they’re not samples from anybody else. They’re created by me. So that’s where I like to put myself in my music, because it’s very different from anything you hear. It’s not out there.

CM: Did you have any musical influences from your family?
1:33AM: No, not that I can think of. Usually, my family wasn’t really supportive when it came to the arts or music. So it’s just been like “I’ll do it on my own” type of thing. And I’ll find my way, slowly but surely — it’s happening.

CM: Do you have other creative talents?
1:33AM: I actually do photography. I do videography. I do my own music videos. I don’t pay anybody else out of pocket to edit them or  shoot them. It’s just me and my best friends. They shoot it for me and I just get behind the computer and I start editing it. And it really helps since that’s what I used to do in high school. Then, I just incorporate it into my music, because being a musician, you have to learn how to be a businessman as well. That’s something that I wasn’t prepared for. But I got introduced to it in 2020 when I released my first single. And it’s been a journey ever since. 

CM: Thematically, what do you write about most?
1:33AM: It’s usually about “life” stuff. Usually when I’m having a hard time or going through something. I tend to write about that. I tend to write about human consciousness, how to be a better person with yourself, recognizing the dark stuff about yourself. But also, not letting it get you down. because, sometimes if we just focus on the dark stuff — there’s also light. I just think they balance, like “yin and yang.” They balance each other out, and we have to look at them from both sides. So in my music, I talk about my dark side and what people are afraid to talk about, and it’s very different. But I just think it’s necessary to write about.

CM: Let’s talk about your latest music video release, “Numbers in The Sky.” It’s a moody and atmospheric assemblage of sight and sound. I gather, you are more than just a musician, but a storyteller too. What were you going for in “Numbers in the Sky?”
1:33AM: I like how you said that it’s “moody,” because my music is very moody and it’s more of a nighttime vibe. Usually I tend to bump my own music. Like if I’m in the Uber, I’ll put it on or just like anywhere. It’s more sad music, I would say, or whatnot. But more moody.

CM: What is the meaning behind the title?
1:33AM: “Numbers In The Sky” actually came from a psychedelic trip that I took, and the first visual that I saw with psychedelics. I looked up in the sky and I saw numbers, and that’s how “Numbers In the Sky” came to be.

CM: Were you influenced by the The Matrix movies?
1:33AM: Yes. It all has to do about the Matrix and just the world that we live in subconsciously. “Numbers In the Sky” was made because I did psychedelic mushrooms with my friend one night. And I looked up at this guy, the whole sky was covered from front to back, side to side — it was covered in numbers and it was matrix numbers.

But it just showed me that there’s a bigger picture to life than we can see with the human eye. It’s bigger than us.

CM: Give me an example lyric from “Numbers In The Sky”
1:33AM: “In the end, love can only coexist. And if we fell from the stars, we don’t need time to tell us how far.” It’s basically, love overpowers everything in the end. So that’s basically it. It’s a song. It makes so much sense. Like that’s what I tell people. This song makes so much sense to the point where it doesn’t make sense. 

Like the psychedelic trip. It made so much sense to the point where, I was given so much information to the point where, I couldn’t catch up, because it was too much.

Something else I saw during my trip — I talk about B numbers as well. In my song — “1001773151996” is the Bar Code to Life. And then I bounce it off 101773157. In spirituality, I am a Life Path number seven. I tend to usually shine my light onto others. I have a lot of light inside of me, but I like other people to see it themselves.

CM: You are into numerology?
1:33AM: It’s numerology. Yes.

CM: A friend of mine named Rowlow introduced me to numerology. Do you know of him?
1:33AM: Rowlow. Yes, I know Rowlow. He’s my friend as well. And numerology and things like that — we started talking, bringing that up. It kinda reminded me of what he was telling me.

I believe in spirituality, numerology, astrology, it all goes hand in hand together for me. So in my song, I like to say, it’s on the edge. I was on the edge of psychosis mixed with spirituality and magic and science.

And you can see a path in your life to the numbers. I can see a path. 1001, it’s a life path number seven. That’s what follows after the 101 in my song. I’m alive at number seven, so I incorporated into 3151996, March 15th, 1996. The time I was born 1:33AM. So it has to do with my life. It’s explaining who I am, but if you know numerology, you’d be like, “oh, okay, I get it.” But most people don’t know numerology, so they’re just like, “oh, he’s just saying numbers,” but there’s more meaning behind that.

CM: So that is where your artist stage name comes from “1:33AM” — it’s your born time.
1:33AM: Yeah, 1:33AM the way you would see it on the clock. Like if it’s 1:33 in the morning. I was born March 15th, 1996 at 1:33AM and in astrology and numerology the planets and the skies were aligned at that time. At that time, it created me as a person and created my characteristics, my soul, my purpose, my movements — just the person who I am today. And everybody has their born time, but me, I chose 1:33AM. I feel it’s so significant to me and it really represents who I am as a person. So that’s why I chose the name 1:33AM.

CM: How would you describe yourself in three words?
1:33AM: Moody. Optimistic and at the same time, pessimistic.

CM What is your style or genre of music?
1:33AM: I wouldn’t really put myself in the box, but the way I can say it, I like all kinds of music. I started off with dark wave, synth wave. Then, I started with rock, and then I went back into synth wave and electronic trap. I would say electronic trap, orchestrated, treated. I like to use a lot of strings in my music, like violin, cellos.

CM: Do you have a favorite venue in the Coachella Valley or do you do prefer underground shows?
1:33AM: Usually, I do a lot of underground shows but I’m starting to do more mainstream shows now. I’m getting more noticed as time goes by. But for now it’s underground mostly.

CM: What has your experience been like navigating the local music scene?
1:33AM: I’ve just been dropping singles. I have an EP coming up, it’s called the “Revelations.” It’s coming out in December. I’m going to drop that body of work and after that, the moody and all that will go away, and I’ll open up to more dance and more experimental. 

But as for maneuvering in the music scene, it’s kind of hard as a artist — and very different sounding artists out here in the desert. Usually people tend to say that my music is a different entity. They don’t know how to describe it, and I don’t know either. I just feel it and I make it and create it. But the people out here, they’ve been really supportive. The fact that they take me in — it’s just all love. And I love seeing that from the valley, that other artists support each other and it just makes me happy, because everybody has a spot to fit in no matter how different you are. So I appreciate that.

CM: What are you currently working on?
1:33AM: Currently, I’m working on more music. I have Reggaeton coming out. Probably, drop that in the spring. Something a little more lighter for the springtime — It’s a song called “Bendecito.” I performed that one a lot and “people love it” — It’s just not out yet.

CM: Do you plan on putting together a live band?
1:33AM: I’ve been a solo artist since I dropped my first single. I would love to have a band, but it’s just hard to work with people who no one can really fit my style. I’m not necessarily trying to push people away, it’s just people have a different preference out here than what I listen to.

CM: What’s it like being a music artist in the Coachella Valley?
1:33AM: It’s very difficult out here for every artist, I can say that. But as a artist, I feel like it’s harder to be seen. Because you have your shows, which are a bunch of straight men, and it’s like, they talk about what they like. And if I talk about what I like, people look at me weird. But it’s like, you have to understand it’s my preference, you know?

It’s been pretty hard, but people have been showing a lot of love, and I appreciate that. As for venues out here, I just wish they would pay more attention to detail, making sure the artists who are really trying to get a platform — not just playing the ones we already know. Because there’s so much talent in this valley, it’s unbelievable. I’m one of those hidden artists, you know, I was hidden before, but now, I’m coming out and there’s just so much talent.

CM: What’s something that sparks your inspiration and keeps the passion burning to make music?
1:33AM: I would have to say, just letting my feelings out….I want people to really listen to my music and let it inspire them…I want it to have an effect on them, to make them feel something. My music’s very abstract, so I just want to trigger something in their brain, so they can be like, “oh, okay, this is different, this is weird, this is cool.” And I just want them to fall in love with the sound. I’m very big on sound.

CM: What kind of mark do you wanna leave behind in the world?
1:33AM: I wanna be legendary in the way that I’m known for what I do — my creations. I put so much love into them, but I don’t really hold on value to them, because that’s dangerous for artists, it just drags you down. If you hold on value to something, you have to learn how to let go. So usually when I tend to release, I just release it and then it’s like, “what’s the next thing?” to keep the ball rolling. 

I just want people to see me as a hard worker and a go-getter and a person who loves music. I love to listen to any type of music. And usually I tend to make electronic rock, punk pop, hip hop. I can do it all. But it just depends on my mood. Music speaks a different language to the point where you know exactly what you’re feeling without saying anything. So that’s what I want my music to say.

CM: What do you love most about music?
1:33AM: The thing I love most about music — it’s the tedious part. It’s the little things. It’s so tedious making music, because you have to sit there. Sometimes you’ll be behind the computer for three days straight, a week, two hours, depends how you’re feeling. But creating it, I don’t even know how I made these songs, it just happens. I’m there in the moment, and then I try to recreate the same thing and it doesn’t really happen. So usually my songs tend to sound different, but my favorite part is making the music. Also, I would say performing, getting the crowd to sing back the lyrics to me. It just gives me a lot of like drive — like, “oh yeah, you guys are listening as well, I appreciate that.” 

CM: Do you ever get nervous to stage fright?
1:33AM: No, no, I don’t actually. I’ve been performing since I was in middle school, like in talent shows. And ever since sixth grade, I’ve made sure to be on stage. I was in the dance team as a senior, and then I started making my own videos back in 2018. I like being in front of the camera.

CM: Anything else you want to mention?
1:33AM: I would just like to say that, no matter how big of a dream — you have to be delusional. Because, if you’re not delusional, then you don’t want it hard enough. You have to be a little bit crazy if you’re an artist <laughs>.

Expect more great music coming from me soon. More music videos, more visuals more collabs with artists out here. I’m really trying to be a part of the movement in the valley — where, we as artists grow together. I hope everybody can come together, and even if just one person makes it out here, everybody can make it.

Listen to “Revalations” EP here: 133am/revelations
Social: 133amofficial

Watch “Numbers In The  Sky” official music video.