Interview of the net label
Chippanze for Ralp:
My name is Raül Peix Roldán (Ralp).
I'm 24 years old and I from Barcelona.
1) For how long have you been working with electronic music? How many projects do you have/participate? And which one is taking more of your time right now?
- It’s been 9 years approximately that I work in electronic music, I started when I was 15 years old as hard techno Dj and producing my first tracks with a demo of Music Maker for PC and the game Music from PlayStation 1, Jeje!! I have been doing a lots of different projects, we can talk about my individual music projects like “Ralp” and “Ralp 8 Bit”, also music projects as a collective like Distortled Box, NFFCTS, MicroBCN and audiovisual projects, Device, Tricoma and NGFX. I try to have time for all of them but I basically focus on my individual music work. When talking of audiovisual work we are making more effort on Device right now.
2) I see you have an active gig/concert/show scenario on your website! Playing music is your fulltime job? If not, what is your occupation besides music?
- I take my gigs as something to have fun and not as a fulltime job, at the same time of music production, which I dedicate quite a lot of time, I’m studying 3D animation.
3) Why chiptune?
- Personally, I find chiptune music more as a kind of a determinate style, I would prefer to say that I make music with 8 Bit technology, not chiptune, sorry I’m a freak!!
When I was a kid I used to play a lot with Game Boy, I had a Game Boy Camera and I enjoyed composing some experiments with the Trippy-H, so when I was really young I already knew the possibility of making music with a Game Boy, besides that, and what is basically what’s most important, is that the 8 Bit music matches perfectly with my musical philosophy.
I consider that 8 Bit music is one of the few genres 100% electronic. I guess I like it for this distinctive peculiarity, also because I have always liked videogames and videogame music.
4) Which influences from your work would you like to mention?
- Uff... I’m a big Keen of music, I like listening a lots of different styles, I usually listen to electronic music only, there are a lots of artists that have influenced me on my way of perceiving and making music, for example Autechre, Venetian Snares, Otto Von Schirach, Richard Devine, Vex’d, etc and referring to 8 bit music I could mention names like Goto80, Lo-Bat, Gijs Gieskes, Stu, Dj Scotch Egg, Eat Rabbit...without a doubt. Some of the artists that I really appreciate, among many others.
5) Spain has an spectacular taste for electronic music! there are some mainstream festivals there, like Sonar. And there’s also the Off Sonar... Tell me about it!
- Yes!I have always heard that Spain has a lot of interesting musical stuff, and a lots of good parties and festivals, but I live in Barcelona ,and I think I can’t say the same, there isn’t much alternative offer , 8 bit music is just starting, and pretty much everything is basically commercial. I think that nowadays there are interesting stuff everywhere, and sure a lot more out of Spain!! Definitely Sonar is one of the most important electronic festivals. But from my point of view, it has been losing a lot those last years, it’s truth thought that you can find many other interesting things in small parties in weird places or in Sonar Off for example.
6) I consider yourself a genius, then I ask, have you participate on the Reactable development at the Barcelona University?
- Oh no!! I’m not that good like to get to participate in such important project!! Jeje, but I do build myself some machines and own experiments, but it could never be compared to something as impressive as the Reactable.
7) What do you suggest for the new chiptuners?
- Mmm, I don’t know if my words will be very relevant, but I believe it would be good to conceive chiptune as a means to make music, not as a music style. I’m a little bored of hearing the same kind of sounds everywhere. It’s obvious that it’s a very limited system, very easy to get to and easy for making music, at least, not just making it sound as the majority.
Independently of the tastes of everyone, the 8 bit technology can offer a lot more than a simple happy melody and a 4/4 Kick. I would also say that if chiptune is made, to do it well, not with Fruity Loops or with an emulator, then the essence of 8 bit and the same word meaning “chiptune” looses all its.
8) I see that on the Ralp 8 Bit project you use mostly the Game Boy as instrument, what else do you like to use for making music? Why Game boy?
- Yes, until now most of my songs are made with a Game Boy, I really appreciate it, is one of my first consoles that I played with when I was a little kid, and it’s also the first one that I started making 8 bit music with. I also collect them; I have about 60 units on my shelves, jeje. It’s a console with good programs to make music, as the impressive LSDJ or Nanoloop, it’s very economical, very easy to find and very practical. What’s better than making music when travelling by train or in bed before going to sleep? I have also some material with MidiNES, with Casio keyboards and some machines of circuit bending. Right now I’m starting to produce with Commodore 64, I’m a little tired of so much Game Boy, pretty soon the protagonists of my tracks will be 6581 and 8580 chips.
9) Is there any girl at these chiptune events on Spain? Cause here in Brasil the game is rough.
- Jaja, the truth is that the public from here is just starting to know what’s the 8 bit music, for now there isn’t much boys or girls... but now that I think about it, I don’t know any girl from here who makes 8 bit music, I’ll have to teach my girlfriend so she can be the first one!!
10) And for closing... What do you think about the chipmusic in Europe and the chiptune scenario in the world? Since it started growing on the last decade.
- Chiptune is dead.