16 Sep 2011

Pixelh8

Portrait of Pixelh8 by Emma Mordue

Musical genres evolve constantly. Revisions of styles tweaked and altered to make brand new sounds. What empowers artists to manipulate rhythms to make new creations? Technology, usually.

Pixelh8 (real name Matthew Applegate) is an artist who has taken advantage of the emergence of new technologies to further his creativity. He employs his digital knowledge and expertise to make ‘chip-tune’ music.

A style influenced by early digital sound effects, chip-tune is a manifestation of digital culture. We asked the trendsetter if the digital phenomenon could help us develop our creativity even further.

HUGO Create: You work in different aspects of creativity in digital culture. What attracted you to the digital world?

P: I was born into it. Digital tools are a part of every facet of life; I simply use the current tools of my time. I do try to push it a little further. I only release music digitally to minimize the impact on the environment, and 99% of the sounds I use are digitally created. I recently started thinking about how when all this electricity is gone, so will all this digital information - everything I have made. I quite like the ideas. It exists now because it can. 

HC: What attracted you to chip-tune music?

P: When I started making chip-tune it wasn't cool or retro, it wasn't anything. I was raised on the sounds of beeps and bleeps so they form a part of my childhood, and it's quite nice to take happy memories and re-use them as an adult. I really like the constraints these very limited machines have sonically. The challenge is to come up with something new with them.

HC: Do you think emerging technologies will continue to affect the evolution of music in the future?

P: I hope so, although sadly I doubt it. I hope that technology will help democratize creativity. You can make music with anything now; a home computer, a smartphone, a Nintendo DS. I hope people choose to engage with this idea and make things, instead of simply plugging in and zoning out.

HC: You were one of the pioneers of chip-tune music. Are you surprised how mainstream chip-tune has become?

P: Not really. Every year we have an 80s revival, and the chip-tune sounds are very much part of the 80s. I am actually surprised we haven't had a full on chip tune single number one, but it will happen. I’m not sure who will be able to make that track. It will have to be pretty good to impress the average person.

HC: You teach and lecture on digital technology for institutes ranging from Cambridge University to local schools. What do you enjoy teaching?

P: I love it. Teaching is extremely important and I have skills and experience that need to be passed on. I have never had an attitude like, "Hey look at what I can do, but I'm not telling you how". Quite the opposite. I want people to build on what I’ve done. After I make an album I often release the tools I made it with. I will tear my own music apart in lectures to show how I pieced it all together. I would actually rather spend an hour with a group of students teaching them about music and building their confidence than stand on a stage for 30 minutes and try and convince them to buy a CD.

HC: What are you working on right now?

P: It has actually gone full circle I’m making video game soundtracks in the style of chip tune music for games for the iPhone. The games are "6X9", which is out now, and "OCARBOT" and "LASER LASER" which are both released later in the year.