Genre-hopping Blood Music and Mad Decent man Dave Morris aka Boy 8-Bit aka Roy Apron takes on the challenge of our quick-fire questionnaire.
If you weren’t making music what would you be doing?
Using my software engineering degree perhaps? Maybe I would have pushed at getting into the games industry and, by this point in time, would have hopefully left the corporate world of mainstream games and be developing for iOS and mobile devices with my own little development studio. Shame I’m probably too stupid for this to have ever been a reality!
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
“Leave it and move on to something new.” You can go a bit crazy if you stick with something for too long and try and force it. Take a break and come back.
What inspires you?
The thought that I could walk out the door and get hit by a bus. Life is pretty finite, best to go out and get the most out of it!
What’s the next big thing?
It would be boring if we knew that in advance!
What’s the worst job you’ve ever had?
They all allowed me to pay my rent and work on my music so I can’t complain about any of them really.
How do you know when a track’s finished?
I’m never happy with mine, I just decide enough is enough and I need to stop fiddling with it. I’ve recently started booking mastering sessions in advance so I have a deadline to work to.
When did you realise you could give up your day job?
When I started getting regular shows that would cover the rent.
Which song do you wish you wrote?
What’s the easiest way to make it in the music industry?
Enjoy what you do and set yourself realistic goals and expectations. Just enjoy making music, don’t force it. Try not to be one of those annoying people who force themselves on everyone. I’m sure that can work as well, it’s just that a lot of people will dislike you for it.
What’s the worst track you’ve ever released?
I don’t really see the point in putting out music if you don’t like it yourself. Your music might age and perhaps your tastes change, but I don’t see why you would dislike any of your back catalogue.
Recommend us a film.
Michael Mann’s Manhunter.
Recommend us a book.
What or who is underrated?
FL Studio
What or who is overrated?
100% analogue studios
What is your greatest regret?
As a great philosopher once said – “No regrets/They don’t work/No regrets/They only hurt.”
What one thing would most improve your life?
A teleportation device. I tried building one…
What’s the worst gig you’ve ever played
One where everyone in an already small crowd left the room after bombarding me with requests for slightly cheesy commercial “EDM” records I didn’t have. One of the local DJs and myself then played for ourselves in an empty room and had a beer. So the night turned out to be pretty fun.
If you could only listen to one more track, what would it be?
Silence.
What one piece of software/kit could you not do without?
FL Studio
Art or money?
Both can be equally shallow and annoying.
Must-read blogs/forums?
What’s your single biggest frustration with the music industry?
Arrogance, elitism and snobbery.
What’s the worst thing about making music?
That a simple idea can take hours and hours of experimentation but no one will hear that. They just hear a simple idea.
Tweet us a tip. What’s the best production advice you can give in 140 characters or less?
Take one VST/synth and try and make a whole track from it. Great learning exercise.
Boy 8-Bit’s We Move By Night EP is out now on Blood Music. Find him on Facebook, SoundCloud, Twitter and his official site.