First off, just want to thank you for participating in this edition of Infidel Interviews. Could you start off by giving a little information about you to the audience? Whatever you feel comfortable with, but name, age, and where you live would be pretty standard?
You're welcome and thank you for wanting to interview us. It is appreciated by the band entirely. My name is Bug Gigabyte; I am the frontman/writer/composer/art designer/promoter/chief engineer. You name it;I'm it. SINthetik Messiah is an international multi-genre band. Although I am mostly a one man band/army, when I play live I hire some of the top musicians/artists/performers in their field and have them almost free style or add to the musical experience in a creative way. So its always different and more organic sounding.
How do you enjoy where you live? Is there a vibrant music community where you are? Would you say you find that your local scene influences your attitude and/or creativity?
Lafayette, Louisiana is such an open and inspirational town, we are always trying to find a reason to party down here. I really enjoy how we are an international community. It is a small city compared to New Orleans, however if the celebrities are not in New Orleans, they are ducked away in Lafayette and its surrounding areas. After all the hurricanes in the past decade, the movie industry growing in Louisiana,Festival International and Downtown Alive, I find it has made Lafayette one of the stops on the map where it's cool to go chill and have a good time with the locals. The Lafayette scene has been a big influence on my work. I'm surrounded by Cajun Music,Hiphop,Rock,Blues, and so much more which inspires me to be more multi-genre because I can't put all of my influences into one song. In order to compensate for the variety of influences, I have to make more than one type of style.
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A lot of your music is created on Nintendo synth emulators found on the Nintendo DS I believe. How did this journey come to be? And what are your reflections upon this unique sound choice?
By the time I am done with SINthetik Messiah and releasing all its works, I want to people to look at my music as a library, thus why the albums are labeled in "Volumes". Each series consists of a different theme.The "Revelations Of The Nintendo Generation" series was composed with the Nintendo DS emulator "Ds-10" (Which is an emulation of the Korg's Ms-10 Synthesizer.) The "Noise Of The Past" series was made before 2010 and reverb is added to the main mix to create a sense of time and space to represent the past. The "Danse Macabre" series was formed when i was able to catch a real ghost on a recording and from there its about the dead dancing to techno or hard house. There are many concepts ive been experimenting with behind the scenes and live, as i plan on continuing my works in such fashion.
With "Revelations Of The Nintendo Generation" I was really into circuit bending at the time and I was always looking for some cool new sound. I did tons of research and came across "Xseed game's Ds-10".After I made the first track on it, I was addicted. Also at that time i had about 2 or 3 different styled albums worked out as well, but i wanted "Revelations Of The Nintendo Generation" to be the first thing I put out as a major release, I wanted it to be something the industry looked at because they heard what I did with it , and that is exactly what happened. I also highly recommend "Ds-10" to beginners, wanting to understand synth technology. I feel it is a good gate way drug into the synth world. In the past year or so I have been reflecting a lot on this series, trying to decide if im gonna make anything past volume 6. im not gonna say no and I'm not gonna say yes, but its more than likely when the Nintendo DS becomes an antique, I might compose another 6 albums worth.
What do you see in the near, and far, future for your creative output?
I really do see more celebrities joining my crew of an already outstanding talent pool, that i currently have going on right now. Hopefully helping me push the band and myself into making this project the best and most creative multi-media art installment anyone has ever seen.
When you first started making music, was there a particular sound or artistic/musical influence that you would say was your biggest inspiration to start pursuing the creative path yourself?
"Nine Inch Nails" and "Portishead''. Those two bands have influenced my work more than any band, that has ever been. Although, that is not my only influences, but mainly my core ones. I started to push myself more when I understood more how synths and sound design worked. It was getting to the point in my career where, at the time, I was not hearing in the clubs, on the radio, and on the albums I was listening to what I really wanted to hear, so I started making it. The main result is it pushed me out of my comfort zone in learning new musical styles besides just doing the same old same old we hear from our favorite genres. I am different, and I like to keep pushing myself to be different. I always felt that "Nine Inch Nails" and "Portishead" feel the same way or carry the same attitude about their work.
Are you musically self taught? Or have you had mentors along the way to help you develop?
I am self taught,however I follow an understanding, you can have all the knowledge in the world,but you can still learn something by watching another person's craft.
When it comes to composing music, do you approach things with a clear vision in mind, or do you prefer to let songs feel themselves out? Do you have any particular techniques or tricks you use to keep yourself creative and consistent?
Most of the time I write, I write with a particular style in mind and i'll get to a point on working on a track and put it away for a few weeks,months and sometimes years to eventually come back to it with a fresh mind set and point of view. There truly is two things that gets my creative juices flowing and that is whiskey and smoking a shit ton of weed. Two reasons why I do this (not recommended everytime you're in the studio): 1) Happy accidents happen alot. 2) your on the same level that people in the club are on. So, if your dancing or banging your head while your on your third shot or second blunt then you know its gonna do well in the club. (know your audience)
Do you ever find it difficult to balance the creative and technical aspects of musical creation? How do you strike the balance for the need to craft and tweak your effects and sounds, in contrast to actually just getting the song itself created with structure and melody? What sort of element of creation do you prefer, the sonic shaping or the song creation?
For me, it is not difficult to balance the creative and technical aspects, but I always keep in mind what I'm trying to achieve with the track, deciding if I want it to be minimal or have more instrumentation involved. Most of the time I will compose basic drum patterns, the bass line and the melody first. Then I go back and add what I feel the track needs to sound full or where a "fill" needs to happen either it be the drum pattern or the instrument pattern. At the end of the day, I really love the sonic shaping aspect, that is where my sound design juices start flowing, that is where the magic is. (at least for me)
If you could say there are underlying themes or messages that permeate throughout your discography, what would you say are the most important concepts and ideas you've tried to express throughout your artistic career, political, spiritual, or personal?
You know I get asked this quite often, it really is "Revelations Of The Nintendo Generation" and the concept behind it. The Nintendo generation is the kids that grew up on the original Nintendo. Just like Mario, we are always trying to save the princess. So this album is for a certain group of people who lived in a time where change in the world was constant,fearful and a little exciting on what the future held due to the progression of technology. Not to long ago, Mac ran on floppy discs and the only color on the screen was green, now Mac is an every day name in the house hold and the screen has more than 1,000 colors on it that fits in the palm of your hand. It truly is amazing how far we have progressed in the music industry with technology, because of that music certainly has taken an interesting turn. Everybody and their momma is a "Producer" now because of it.
So much has been said, and it sometimes feel that every word combination has every been taken. As a lyricist myself I know the pain of how hard it can be to articulate something in a way that is both engaging to the audience and uniquely artist. How do you find inspiration for your lyrical poetry?
Sometimes the lyrics will flow off the tongue like a lightning storm, other times it's drought season in a desert waste land. To get through my rough patches, I'll do what is called a word association list. A word association list is a list of words that correlate to the subject, you fill an entire page full of words then you take those words and make sentences with it. Example: Subject- Love. Words associated with love: emotions, feelings, heart. just those three words i can create a sentence( example: My heart, my emotions, the love, the devotion) now imagine a whole page. ( a rhyming dictionary helps as well)
When it comes to your musical self and your real world self, would you say that there is a separation? Do you find yourself getting into a character or mindset when you create, or do you find your music is a representation of your day to day self?
Now if I say my musical self and my real world self are the same, I feel that some readers will misinterpret what that really means to me.
SINthetik Messiah is a band, it is an artistic idea that hosts talent from all over the world no matter if its music or art. Its a concept, not a person.
Now Bug Gigabyte the performing artist on stage and Bug Gigabyte the man that walks the streets and chills in the club with you, is very much the same, the passion you see from me performing, is the same passion I show for the people I care for deeply and the ones who continue to support me, no matter how many twists and turns the band has taken over the past decade. For that I am extremely grateful and humble.
Would you say that your choice to pursue music has changed your life since you started? Would you say that creativity has evolved you spiritually, emotionally, or logically?
To tell you the truth I do not think my understanding of life itself would be as deep if I never picked up an instrument. It really helps me forget the misery in my life. My soul is a hermit and I am really antisocial, but because i am forced in public due to my music/art, I had to learn to be a social butterfly and let my anxiety out the window. If I don't, then the project will never go into the direction it should go. I cant let my own insecurities be my own downfall.(Believe it or not, that happens to alot more to bands/artists than you expect.) With that being said I full heartily believe high school music programs should be mandatory.(the first time I picked up an instrument) The reason I say that is then I feel people, especially at an early age, would have a new found respect on how hard it is to play actual instruments and the dedication/time it takes to actually master a craft. I feel that understanding musical instruments alone can open up a whole new path to new creative ventures. So, one can say it has evolved not just my creative side but my very nature of my being in every way possible.
Do you consider yourself to be part of a particular sound or scene? What is your thoughts on the nature of genres and styles, and do you have any particular ones which you find to your enjoyment more, listening and/or production-wise?
I find my comfort zone/place is more of the dark experimental scene (there is no rules but to be dark), but i don't wanna be known just for that, the band is muti-genre I want it known in all the major scenes. Classical, Edm,Rock,Hiphop,Industrial,etc. and it is.
Have you had any particular moment(s) that you would like to share, that you would consider to be a crowning achievement in your musical career so far, or moments that you would say truly continue to inspire you to pursue your artistic path?
There is a lot I cant talk about because I am under contract, but what I can say is: watching a celebrity that you look up to drop their jaw or get inspired by your work, is one of the greatest feelings one can ever have. That is what keeps me going.
Playing live shows, recording new tracks, attempting to go live the life that gives you the experiences that inspires it all... it can be difficult to balance the time. Do you have any particular methods that you use to keep yourself focused or balanced in your direction?
(Bug Gigabyte walks to his cabinet and pours a shot of Crown Royal) Other people.It helps. Fuck yeah, fuck yeah. (He raises his glass to the reader and takes a shot)
What are some of the biggest challenges you have had to overcome in your musical career?
It's the critics. It's not trying to make music to please them, but it's finding the right words to present a meaning that anyone can understand that is in relation to an art form that is a mystery and a story that has just begun.
When it comes to fan and critic feedback, how much do you take it to heart, and how much do you feel it evolves, pushes, or holds your sound in place? Do you feel that the personal response and interaction in the live environment, and the subsequent positive press you've regarding both your live and recorded music has consciously encouraged you to do things a certain way?
I really do take things to heart i don't use commercial sample packs. so it takes me a long time to create one track, here is a good example.
When i wrote "Danse Macabre Vol.1" it took me 3 years to get all those tracks written when I finally let it hit bandcamp as a demo, the record was torn down by an Australian Dj (someone who doesn't write their own music), writing for a small blog. It hit me hard cause not one word was about the actual music, but the way it was mastered and how I'm some retard in the states. Unfortunately the some of the goth dance scene believed him too and never checked out the actual release. All i could think was "what an ass hat". It pissed me off so I decided to make a statement with my major single "Calling Me Back (My Bondage Is My Own Mix) and it turned out to be the most successful tracks I have so far. People are god awfully rude sometimes, but hey its the nature of the beast sometimes. After that happened I think I had to explain my project to every single damn blog on the planet and teach them what a demo is and what a major release is. Jumping the gun on trying to put me down always makes the other party eat their own words at the end of the day. That is all i have to say about that.
What does SINthetik Messiah mean to you in 2017? And how does that compare to what the project meant to you guys when it was formed?
Bug Gigabyte pours himself another shot and continues to answer: How I feel about the band now from an artist stand point is that SINthetik Messiah is the safe zone for performers and musicians, to create beyond what they are known for (branching over the musical gap for professional musicians willing to do a different style than what they are known for. While giving performers creative stand point to the show expressing their inner feelings,trials and tribulations through there oneness of their arts.) and to work as a family creating an experience that the audience will never forget.
From an idealist standpoint "we built this city on rock and roll"
Outside of Electronic Music, what other genres could you see yourself composing music in? Or should I say, do you see yourself inspired by?
The Genre's I will be dropping in the future,
Blues Electronica
Space Jams
American Bass Metal
Industrial Dance
Pop
Goth
Acoustic
Hard Trap
Hardcore EDM
and many more.
I write whatever style im feeling at the moment.
If you could collaborate with any musician or artist, dead or alive, who would it be? And what in particular draws you to want to collaborate with them? What sort of new bands have come out in recent years that have caught your attention? Is there any bands out there you see yourself, or would like to, remix or collaborate with in the future?
The first band I will say, and I call them a band because when you see them live, you know the energy and the prestige that they have is unreal and I try to excel to their point, if not better, and that is "The Prodigy". If "Die Antwoord" had a crazy motherfucker like me, then there would be 3 crazy motherfuckers creating badass shit.(Real Talk) The fact that I respect them so much where I feel my input would do them no justice, but at the same time I feel one or two tracks wouldn't hurt, if not fucking rock some ear holes off,"Fever Ray". Other than that, Internationaly, im open to work with some of the greatest talents on the planet.
When it comes to non-musical media, what do you find yourself most inspired by, and what about it draws you to it as a source of inspiration? Do you participate in the gaming world? Avid reader perhaps? Maybe cinema fan? Combination of some lol?
The thing is most of my inspiration comes from non musical media, its life, its the shit, the grit, and the people that makes your life a living hell. Those are the ones that inspire me to write books.
Thank you so much for participating in this episode of Infidel Interview. Any parting words for your fans, or my audience?
Thank you to you all who support me, if you dig my work tell ya friends, much love and respect!
(Bug Gigabyte raises his shot glass)
Thank you
(And then he precedes to take his shot)
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