In the first episode of the new season, Pixels is back and better than ever with off topic rants varying from our favorite energy drinks to pokemon. We also discuss the upcoming release of the Iphone 3GS, the lock down of the Palm Pre, and gaming on different mobile operating systems. In addition, we somehow talk about the novel Ender’s Game and the future of technology. So sit back, grab a Red Bull and waste two hours of your life.

This week’s episode can be found here.

We were lucky enough to get an interview with the famous chiptune artist, Sabrepulse.
Check out his music at http://www.myspace.com/sabrepulse

Q: How were you first inspired to use a Gameboy to make music?

A: I saw a live performance by scottish laptop musician ‘germlin’ (that’s the correct spelling), and was listening to the music from 8bitpeoples.com. American artists like Bit Shifter and Saskrotch inspired me to use the 8bit/chiptune/lofi sound in my music, and it stuck from there.

Q: Writing music with no lyrics must be hard, how do you express theme and feeling using only sound?

A: That’s an odd assumption, it’s difficult to write a great song around a great lyric. An instrumental track is easier to produce. I write sections in my music which replace vocals, but i’ve always wanted to introduce depth into my music through them - maybe on a new record!

Q: When did you start making music? Were there any more customary attempts before the Sabrepulse we know today (ie using a traditional instrument).

A: I play the piano a little and i’ve made music on various computers since I was a boy, the only focused attempts have been through Sabrepulse. I picked up a copy of fruityloops in 2002, learned that then went onto using Ableton Live and Little Sound DJ on the gameboy.

Q: I have never been to a chiptune show myself, how does a chiptune artist make his/her performance entertaining in a way that differentiates from traditional concerts?

A: Now is definatley the time to see one! There are more chip events happening worldwide than ever before, check out 8bitcollective.com which is an indispensable community for anyone interested in the scene.

I don’t think chip music artists have to do anything ‘different’. Many of us use modern hardware and vocals, even traditional instruments with our setups. It’s about providing an interesting audio/visual event just like any other gig - not to be purposely alternative.

Q: Do you think that the Nintendo DS will ever be utilized more than the Gameboy with LSDJ, similar to the transition from acoustic to electric guitars during the 60s and 70s?

A: I doubt it. The DS is an interesting platform for mobile music production in the same way the iphone is. Nitrotracker and Korg DS10 are excellent tools, but missing the authentic chiptune asthetic which the original gameboys provide. LSDJ is a timeless piece of software, and is far more powerful than most outsiders give it credit for. It’s also very focused - having only 4 channels and limited memory ensures users make the most of the small space they have.

Q: Do you think chiptune music will ever become mainstream enough where we see chiptune artists sign with major labels? Have you ever been offered a record deal yourself?

A: I think we’ll reach a point in the future where say, an LSDJ track with vocals will reach the top ten. Many big artists are already putting 8-bit style leads/melodies in their music due to the ‘retro’ sound. I doubt chipmusic as a genre will ever emerge from the underground. I’ve had single song assignments from labels and i’ll be releasing my next full length through one.

Q: What video games would you say have influenced your music the most (if any)?

A: Music from titles like Outrun, Rez, Ikaruga, Vib Ribbon, The New Zealand Story and the Metal Gear Solid games.

Q: What games are you currently playing and on what consoles?

A:I barely have time to play anything during the summer but recently it’s been Killzone 2, Littlebigplanet, Fallout 3 and i’ve been meaning to get hold of the new pokemon title!

Q: Besides from video games, where do you draw influence for your songs?

A:Rave music/culture is underlying inspiration for a lot of my music. I grew up listening to the prodigy and hardcore alongside more traditional stuff like the beatles and acoustic singer/songwriters. My head’s a melting pot of melodies that don’t adhere to genres or labels. It’s all music at the end of the day!

Q: Blip Festival is clearly one of the best chiptune concerts around, if not the best. Can you describe the event and what the experience means to you?

A: Blip is an annual festival run by Bit Shifter, Nullsleep and a few other prominent artists/promoters in new york scene. Each year they bring over different artists from across the globe and it’s generally the most well organised and respected show going. I was invited to play in 2007 and meeting all my idols in one room and performing alongside them was the best thing i’ve ever done!

Q: Your Famicom Connection album is, at least to me, your most diverse release to date. Songs of summer love to crazy ballads named after narcotics are included. What place in your life were you while writing this album?

A: A happy place? Haha, I guess everything was new to me, i’d only just started playing live and getting started. It was very innocent but also really, really basic. I think my second album ‘chipbreak wars’ was much more diverse in terms of arrangement and style, and hopefully i’ll be expanding that with my new productions.

Q: Finally, what does the future hold in store for Sabrepulse?

A:This yeah is very exciting, i’ve already played a mini-tour on the west coast of america, i’m gigging across europe this summer then in august i’m touring Japan for the first time. In between that i’ll be trying to lay down tracks for a new record to release and showcase across the uk in autumn.

You can stop crying and resorting to religion as a coping mechanism, Pixels to Polygons is BACK! After an abrupt ending to our first season of episodes, George, Jake, and Josh are all back to randomly talk about life, food, and sometimes, if we feel like it, video games! Although this is just a taste of all the old Pixels goodness you yearn for, I can assure you a full length episode will be released next week with improved flavor! Yes food puns.

The season two teaser can be found here.