Blip on: Flashheart

 N: It’s a dream come true for me. I’ve been making chip music since seeing the first Blip Festival and I’ve wanted to be on that stage and now I will be and it’s a thrill.

 L: I’m absolutely petrified because I’m always petrified when I’m on stage and now I’m playing an instrument I barely know. No, wait. This is super. I’m awesome at bass. I’m pretty much the best bass player ever now because I’ve been playing for three weeks. And I think I’m the only girl playing this year.

N: No, I think there’s a girl in Colon Pipe Krew.

L: Who’s that?

N: That band with Starpause and Overthruster.

L: Is that the one who shit on stage?

N: Yeah.

L: Well, I’m glad I won’t be the only chick there in the entire sausage fest.

How did you come to be interested in making your music in this style?

N: As mercenary as this might sound, there was an opening in the market. Nobody was making the kind of music that we wanted to hear. The ultimate chiptune guitar band is Anamanaguchi but they don’t have vocals or a frontman, really. There was nobody who sounds like a rock and roll or pop band with vocals like the bands I love.

 L: And what are you but a front man? I’m more of an ass man.

N: I’d been making music with Game Boys for a while and at some point I realized I was just trying to copy what other people were sounding like. Everyone was making that thumping heavy-hitting electro and house dance stuff and I like that, but suddenly the scales fell from my eyes and I realized that wasn’t giving me the sound I wanted. The music I love the most tends to have vocals. It’s pop music. I wanted to get out from behind the table and engage with the audience. I switched to Piggy Tracker because I couldn’t keep up with groups like Starscream on the Game Boy so I picked up samples instead. Maybe it’s cheating. I’m not sure. Then I got three amazing musicians on board because I wanted the energy and power that live instruments can provide. And I started singing because words add a whole new emotional dimension to the music. It was rather like beefing up an arsenal.

L: I don’t really see myself as making music in this style, I see myself as participating in it. I met this person named Natty and he was really obnoxious and he was like “hey I need a violin player in my band” and I played violin. But I play bass now, which is a fun challenge. Because every time I hear something that sounds really difficult I just have to do it.

Any major influences?

N: My major influences for writing the songs in Flashheart aren’t chip music bands, they’re Roxy Music, Pulp, Sugar, and semi-obscure power-pop groups like the Nerves, the Records, Paul Collins Beat, the Hoodoo Gurus. I made power pop mix CDs for the entire band when we started out.

L: But you didn’t give us the names of any of the tracks.

N: Sorry.

L: This is the first time I’m playing non-classical music and I’ve never played bass before so I’m trying to learn about the major “rock groups” that the youth are listening to that have good bass players. There are famous  bass players like Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers but he’s crazy and you shouldn’t really copy his sound. I like Guns and Roses and Iron Maiden and Aerosmith.

N: What? Really? Why aren’t you listening to New Order?

L: Because I’m not a ponce. I’m more of a metal person. Or heavy rock. And I’ve been listening to a lot of Helmet and the Pixies lately. And what’s that one Scottish band that’s like the Pixies?

N: The Proclaimers?

L: Exactly, Natty. Anyway, I’m learning a new instrument so I’ll listen to all of them because they’re all better than me.

Do you have any new material or merchandise you plan to have available at the festival?