His name makes some people annoyed because he’s not making bit music anymore and his soon (on August 17th) to be released track Yard Birds is a real tech house floor filler. We just had to ask Boy 8-Bit about his musical progress, why he doesn’t produce church music instead and of course what makes him dance.
I’d love to have made metal, I love the genre, but it wasn’t practical or affordable.
You started out, making music using an Amiga and your alias makes us associate to TV games. Today your music is more of tech house. Can you describe the development? Was it natural? Logical? Was it on purpose or did it just happen?
It has just been a natural progression really. I’ve always been influenced by what is around me. I wouldn’t say I follow one set sound – like Tech House, but I’m always trying to evolve my sound. Mainly becuase I’d get bored doing the same old thing.. My sound now is perhaps a bit more stripped back that what I was known for around 2007-2008, but thats mainly a reaction to the amount of over the top stuff that came out that I wasn’t really into..
I’m trying to move my sound on again now, away from that kind of ”emo tech” (joke) vibe of the la roux / florence mixes into something a bit more raw like the Turbo release and the stuff on the suck my deck compilation I am working on.. But at the core I just want it to be melodic dance music, or at least have some sense of melody… You got to keep it fresh and exciting, for your own sanity.
Why do you produce electronic dance music? Why not heavy metal or church music for example?
Becuase it needs the least resources. My core set up for producing music has changed very little since I started putting stuff out around 2003. A PC and FL Studio (Fruity Loops). I have a few bits and bobs extra now, better monitor speakers etc.. But at the start it allowed me to get ideas down and actually make some music! If you have a piece of software capable of making sounds you can probably make a record…. One piece of software doesnt sound better than another. Thats just nonsense..
I’d love to have made metal, I love the genre, but it wasnt practical or affordable. I couldnt really afford decent amps or mics to record with – and where I grew up, Penzance, there wasnt really an abundance of recording studios either!
What do you want people to feel when they hear your music?
Whatever they want… Obviously I’d like them to enjoy it. As a producer I like the idea that other producers might listen to it and think – What is he doing here… How is he doing that. I try and put a lot of subtleties in my productions, not sure if most people pick up on them but they are there. People are free to dislike it too if they want.. I used to be quite precious about my tracks, but you cant please everyone. Thats the something you learn quite early on..
You’ve been remixing a lot. Is remixing a necessary evil to break through or is it a separate art form?
It’s necessary, but it is in no way evil. When you start off you should be chomping at the bit to do remixes… Its a great way to practice, experiment, play with sounds you may have no way of creating yourself – a vocal, decent recording of acoustic instruments etc.
The biggest thing is that hopefully the core work will be done for you – i.e. the track has some kind of hook with which you can work. Or at least some interesting parts to use.
Is there any particular elements that you look for in other tracks when remixing?
A hook, or some nice instrumentation that I wouldnt be able to create normally.. The feeling of the record, is it happy, sad, epic… etc and can that be worked into something more dancable that I would want to put in my sets. I also have to like the track to some degree to actually want to remix it.
What makes you dance? Is there any music you wouldn’t dance to at all? And if there are, could you make it danceable?
I love it all… Unless i get a whiff of pretentiousness about it.. Either from the music or the person playing / performing it.. Thats a big turn off.
Boy 8-Bit -Essential Mix FULL Version
Yard Birds (Turbo 086) by boy8bit
Etiketter: Boy 8-bit, Essential Mix, Interview, Tech House, united kingdom