Microchip Terror
Synthwave music continues to develop and gain followers and creators alike. Inspired by the music, art and culture of of the 70’s and 80’s, the once underground music is becoming mainstream. As implied in the name, it is heavily driven by synthesizers, although some musicians, like Red Soda or Will Rock, also rely guitars or saxophones to add a more “acoustic” touch to the music. While the gerne certainly has some well defined idioms, as of 2018 it is still largely a white canvas for artists to delve into the deepest corners of their imagination.
In referring to Singapore based synthwave musician, Microchip Terror [MT], that last sentence needs to include, “deepest and DARKEST corners” of the mind. His newest dark synth album, Illegal Expiriments, is a journey into madness, while still remaining listenable. Mad scientists and Human Centipedes are source inspiration for this album.
Check out Illegal Experiments below and read about sex with robots, time travel, the red light district of Singapore and a whole more!
Slickster: Illegal Experiments is the title of your newest synthwave album. That conjures up some pretty extreme connotations from the science fiction to just plain gross stuff. Of course, my mind instantly jumps to an cheesy 80’s zombie flick, or some type of Japanese sex-with-robots porn. What does the term Illegal Experiments mean to you?
MT: Conceptually, the term developed from my obsession with Re-animator and other “crazy doctor experimenting on humans” films – and since you mentioned Japanese sex with robots, I’m gonna recommend the underrated Japanese cyberpunk cult classic “964 Pinocchio” about an android sex slave abandoned by his owners leaving him to roam on the streets of Tokyo and everything goes downhill from there, expect lots of vomiting, mutation, screaming and bizarre Japanese cinema madness. Hope you guys dig it 😉
Musically, I guess it’s about breaking rules and doing things that are maybe “Illegal” in synthwave. My music is probably frowned upon by lots of synthwave purists, but I think it’s more fun to make stuff that are a little different and weird these days.
Slickster: Recently, Vinnie Paul Abbot of the famous metal band Pantera died. He, and his late brother “Dimebag” Darrel Abbot, were legends in the heavy metal community. We noticed on your Instagram page, that you posted a a vintage photo of them from the early 80’s. Can you tell us your favorite Pantera album, and discuss their impact on your musical development?
MT: Pantera is easily one of my all time favourites that has a huge impact on me, and pretty much everyone into heavy music. Their heavy sense of groove and aggression is undeniably influential, but I have to give props to Exhorder for probably having an influence on their “Power Groove” sound as well. Just listen to “Slaughter In The Vatican” and “Vulgar Display Of Power” and you can hear what I meant, you can also spot Phil Anselmo wearing an Exhorder T-Shirt online.
Cowboys From Hell is my favourite because that was my first Pantera Album, I heard it just 2 weeks before Dimebag’s passing so it was pretty sad. My old band used to cover Cowboys a lot at gigs.
That being said, every Pantera album is great for me, like even on “I Am The Night” there are some very sick guitar riffing and you could tell Dime was born to shred. When I need some motivation to workout or just get out of the bed, I like listening to “Vulgar Display Of Power”. “Power Metal” is a great album when I’m in an 80s metal mood with Phil Anselmo doing some kickass high pitch screams and singing slightly cheesy lyrics, and lastly “Great Southern Trendkill/Far Beyond Driven/Reinventing The Steel” are for excellent for angry pissed off days.
Slickster: You are based out of Singapore. (Read Slickster writer Jon Lee’s account of Singapore) In general, not to highlight recent political summits of epic proportions that have been there … ahem, Sentosa Island, we’re looking at you… Singapore is a radically modern city. Do you think it could become like MEGA-city someday? For example, the first Capitol of the Earth?
MT: Singapore is radically modern indeed, we are also very tiny (697 sq km) so maybe not a MEGA-city. Despite being a tiny country, or as we like to call it a “red dot on the map”, it was surprising for me that the 2 leaders decided to meet here, so being a Capitol of the earth might not be impossible, who knows? Anyway, a lot people thought we’re in China so I hope they are better informed now .
Slickster: Despite Singapore being ultra modern, there is still the location known as Orchard Towers. Which is like a functioning brothel the size of a strip mall on each floor. Patrons can get hookers and blow, and probably a few ladyboys too. Be honest: Have you ever been there and is this all true or just urban legend?
MT: Hahaha, you guys are naughty and well-informed ! Sure I have been there once in 2007, not to have sex with ladyboys but my old horror metal band “Psycho” had a gig on Halloween in one of the clubs there. My drummer’s dad was the lighting guy there so we got a show that night out of all places. It was a funny night playing for sleazy dudes and I remember a guy giving us the middle finger throughout an entire song while we were playing a song about eating babies and infanticide. My vocalist was holding a bloody baby prop with its head ripped off while singing, so that probably offended the guy because he left after that lol. Tommy Lee was there too probably looking for a good time when Motley Crüe played here in 2008, so to answer your question – it’s true!
Slickster: Let’s talk about your music. You have a lot of collaborations with other musicians on Illegal Experiments. How did these develop? Do you trade files over the internet or actually meet in person in a studio somewhere?
MT: I’m big fans of these musicians so naturally the desire to collaborate with them developed while writing this album. Everything was done online via file trading, it was real easy and convenient.
Slickster: Which programs, drum machines, software, keyboards, etc…. do you use to create your sounds?
MT: Synth1 is my main soft synth, occasionally Tyrell N6 and Massive. My drum kit is made up of whatever drum samples or noise I could find that I tweak to my liking so it’s quite a Frankenstein monster-ish mess.
Slickster: Who would like to acknowledge in the synthwave, dark synth, Outrun community and give a huge shout out too?
MT: I give full credit to Perturbator and Protector 101 for showing me the path of light and salvation, I meant being my early influences because without their music I wouldn’t be doing this.
Big shout outs and eternal hails to the people I’ve worked with so far, Surgeryhead, Electric Dragon, Vulta, Neoslave, Gridscape, Gloom Influx, Irving Force, FaceXhugger, Neo LA and uNTIL Ben.
Slickster: Any live performances coming up soon for Microchip Terror?
MT: I’ll be playing my debut live show in July, Friday the 13th in Ventura, California organized by Neo LA and Club Fallout with Protector 101, COGEX, Glitbiter and FaceXhugger so if you guys are in the area do drop by it’s a free show !
Slickster: If you could go back in time and talk to your younger musical self, what would you tell your yourself?
MT: I would tell my younger self to pick up basic some piano lessons at least.
Slickster: Let’s run with this time travel questions… Where would you go?
MT: Probably back to the time just before my Braindead VHS tape got stucked in the player so I could stop watching it for the millionth time and keep it for good. Haha, ok maybe to 2150 just to see how the world would be like since we’ll never get to experience that era, maybe humans are no longer here and machines rule the world.
Slickster: That’s awesome! I would definitely go ahead to the year 2150 and see if we can have sex with robots yet. I’m not sure why I keep focusing on sex with robots today. Don’t judge me! But seriously, humans are probably about 30 years away from creating some seriously hardcore sex bots. When you accept that fact, the name of your musical outfit takes on a frightening new meaning. You know? Like what happens, if you were getting hot and heavy with a sex bot, and suddenly the microchips became infested with malware!? You know, like the vagina crushed your cock right in the middle of intercourse!? Thoughts on this?
MT: Haha! You’re giving me ideas about a sequel to Illegal Experiments (hint hint), thanks! But in all seriousness, that probably isn’t too far from the truth because people are very much attached to their machines these days more so than humans. Sex Bots are already high in demand and many things that were once fiction are now becoming reality, it’s a scary yet interesting world we live in now. I’ll just go with the flow and use these craziness as inspiration for my art.
Oh, by the way here’s an excellent music video from Neoslave to give you an idea about what could go wrong while having sex with a bot 😉
Slickster: Ok, that got a little weird… Any last thoughts you would like to share before we wrap this up?
MT: Weird is always good ! Thanks a lot for the interview, I had a lot of fun. Take care !