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WT: What was your first contact with the chip scene?
Electric Children: Way back in the dark ages of 2007. I started out just making generic pop electronic music and playing shows with my friends, regardless of the genre, until one of them introduced me to a couple of local artists, Fighter X and the now defunct Kids Get Hit By Buses. Since we all played some form of electronica we ended up playing a lot of shows together, so I was around the music so much it became more and more enticing, not just because it was made with video game devices, but I got very addicted to the sound of it in general. Chiptune junky 4 lyfe.
WT: Who or what would you say are your main influences musically?
EC: My typical song writing process usually starts by being influenced by some sort of strong feeling I'm experiencing. I pull a melody out of the feeling and start building from there. I draw a lot of musical influence from She these days, as well as artists like Madeon, Flux Pavilion, Calvin Harris, and Martin Solveig. Obv still a huge Sabrepulse fan too.
WT: Is there a story behind the name Electric Children?
EC: Not the most interesting one, I assure you. Back in the early 2000's there was a Seattle grindcore group called the Blood Brothers who got decently big and paved a lot of the road for the grindcore scene as a culture and aesthetic. They worked really closely with 31G records and the Locust as well, who were basically the kings of the genre. Anyway, they made an album call "March On, Electric Children!" I always thought the name was cool so when I found myself making a new project I was like, "Hell yeah."
As for what it means, well as an artist I like to leave interpretation to the fans.
WT: In terms of both gear and compositional technique, what goes into creating a track?
EC: At this point, my tracks are a hybrid of chip sounds from LSDJ and solid compliments and processing from FL Studio. Composition-wise, my latest album, "Year-Long Hangover," is a big step because I just started adding vocals into my tracks, though this one doesn't have much beyond samples. Instrumentally, I just try to create catchy movements that vary in intensity and rhythm to keep the song interesting, but have also recently been into shortening my songs so they're more concentrated awesome in an easier time span to pay attention for.
WT: Can you tell us a bit about Year-Long Hangover?
EC: Ironically enough, the album ended up being over a year in the making. It went through a lot of rewrites and concepts and was a ton of work, but ultimately something I'm very satisfied with and feel proud to have my name on. I think one of its greatest aspects is that its listenable to people who either aren't into Chiptune, or have never heard it before and this is their introduction. Getting people into Chiptune is a volatile endeavor, as Chiptune generally is an acquired taste unless you find yourself instantly enchanted by the idea. I hope this record can continue bridging the gap between mainstream music and Chiptune as a rather small pigeon hole of underground sleeper hits.
WT: What went into writing Emerald City Outrage?
EC: A lot of anger mostly, haha. Contrary to how it may sound upon first listen, over 90% of the instruments used on the track are straight out of LSDJ, just run through distortion effects to fill them out. I've been having a lot of fun writing at this slower, sort of stomping tempo. Because the instrument set and processing was fairly new, I had help from my bud A_Rival with getting a good design and master for the track. It was a ton of fun to make!
WT: What does the future have in store for Electric Children?
EC: More music, to say the least. I would like to have an EP out by the end of the year, at which point I might take a few months break before starting on the next full length, which (though it will be a long time before it's out) I already have tons of ideas for. I have a couple shows lined up around PAX time in the short term, and have been talking with other artists about the possibility of a short West Coast Tour at some point, though that's still pretty up in the air. But as always nothing will stop me from bringin' the party ;)
