Interview: Son of a Pixel

[gallery type="slideshow" link="none" size="full" ids="119605,119606,119607,119608"]

What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?

It was actually gaming that got me into music in the first place. Me ending up making gaming-themed music after all this time is just a beautiful full-circle !

I used to binge watch Runescape PK (player killing) videos and format was generally an edit that included some 90s-2000s alternative rock tracks. Remember, this was 2006 and that was when my love for numetal started. Still keeps going to this date !

In regards to an alternative career path, I probably would’ve given more focus to my career as a software developer, which I do anyways, but music is what I do in my free-time.

What do you like to do when you're not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

Real-life is inspiring. I’m a big consumer of edutainment kind of content on Youtube, stuff like VSauce, Jeff Nippard (fitness), Linus Tech Tips, Acoustics Insider, URM Academy (I’m a member too) etc. 

How long has your band been around?

Since the summer of 2020. SON OF A PIXEL is a baby toddler !

Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music?

I’m based in Romania and my heritage has minimally influenced my music. More influence comes from the small local scene, which ranged from pop ska-punk, metalcore, folk metal, shitty cover bands and what have you. It was a beautiful community I’m grateful for !

How did you come up with the name of your band and what does it mean to you.

SON OF A PIXEL is the result of my insecurities towards a different name that I originally planned for the project, which was “BLUE SCREEN OF JESUS”. BSOJ was funny, had an abbreviation, combined digital terms with human-specific themes and was a pun on a well-known term. 

It sure was perfect, but the more I thought of it, I didn’t want to base my main project on a brand that might have the chance to be in any way “triggering”. Besides, I have no interest in religion, so I took the elements I liked about the name and came up with this one !

YOU SON OF A PIXEL !

Tell me about the best and worst shows you have played.

Wish I could tell you an epic story, but there’s the thing...

This is a one-man band produced in the midst of a global pandemic !

But this sure would be a great moment to plug the fact that we’re totally looking for a drummer in COPENHAGEN, DENMARK ! Pls respond to this ad now !

If you could play any show with any lineup who would be on the ticket?

Give me an opening slot for Devin Townsend, pleaaaaaaaaase !!!!

What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into playing in a band?

Networking is everything. Use your band as a means to contribute to your scene and connect with fellow musicians !

If you could go back in time and give yourselves advice, what would it be?

Get a URM membership now ! It was crucial to my journey as a music producer ! 

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?

Hard to pick and choose, but I’ll go for the one that might make the most interesting read...

“Full Force” was inspired by the initially planned named for the band “Blue Screen of Jesus”.

The title sparked into a story that I made into this track. It’s a combination of the Terminator 2 concept and the story when Jesus dies and resurrects. The protagonist is a robot sent from the future and all the lyrics are written through the filter of a computer - very practical, almost like error messages or logs in a piece of software. For example, “Waving torches back and forth, with high db output” describes a loud crowd of angry villagers, a bit like the ones in The Beauty and the Beast original animated movie.

The basic jist is that this robot is sent from the future to “year 0” in order to warn humanity of the disastrous future. It is programmed to give a set of “well-documented guidelines” that humans should follow, but the humans are afraid, so they decide to be hostile, shown by the lyric “and you left me to blue screen”, as a type of death.

The resurrection part comes when the robot “rebooted after 3 nights and days” after its auto-repairing technology does its job. However, a reboot meant that its programmed objectives are wiped, therefore its “objectives default to annihilation with full force”, which suggests that this was initially a war-robot, re-programmed by someone to be sent back in time to hopefully spread this knowledge. Ironically, after this rebooting process, the robot is ready to annihilate once more.

Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?

“Through Ozone” has the vibe of a hit-single all over it ! It’s generally one of the ones I get the most compliments for !

What is the creative process for the band, and what inspires you to write your music?

Music and inspiration kind of happens, but it generally starts with a concept in mind, such as the way I was inspired by a title. Alternatively, it can be inspired by an instrumental demo that suggests a subject after the fact !

What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?

I like to strive for positive and empowering messages, kind of acting like an escape. The goal is to act like a video game or movie, where you get transported and immersed into what a form of art is communicating.

Do you ever have disagreements in your band, and how do you get past them?

No, but I sure would like a METAL DRUMMER IN COPENHAGEN, DENMARK to have disagreements with.

Haaa-haaa... :)

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that's coming up?

Hopefully an absolutely revolutionary nerdy-metal live show and fun new songs that take the best elements of the “PA55 7H3 5AL7” EP and go into even more original realms. 

Expect amazing song titles such as “P1R4735”, “NINTENDON’T”, “I AM THE INTERNET” and “The 5AL7 has been PA553D now you must die”.

Hey, thanks ! 

Here are our releases on a YT playlist:

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlrUfVtqcPE[/embedyt]