Interview Unicorn Kid

Unicorn Kid (Oliver Sabin) is een 17 jaar oude electro/chiptune producer uit Edinburgh, Scotland. Op 16 jarige leeftijd was hij de jongste persoon die ooit een live sessie heeft gespeeld op BBC Radio 1 en heeft sinds dien uitverkochte shows in Londen en getourd door heel UK. Oliver gebruikte eerst FL Studio om zijn muziek te maken, maar is nu over gestapt op Logic Pro. Hij gebruikt ook MicroKORG en LSDJ in zijn muziek. Wij kregen de kans om Oliver wat vragen te stellen:

What was the reason for naming yourself ‘Unicorn Kid’?
Sadly there’s no exciting story behind the name, I was just looking for something with a hook that went well with the fun nature of my music.

How do you describe your music to people?
When people ask I tend to just tell them to check it out for themselves in order to get a true idea of what I’m about. However I suppose you could describe it as fast paced pop music that’s based on the sounds I heard in video games throughout my childhood.

What instruments do you use to create your music?
Some of the drums and effects are created on the Nintendo Game Boy using software called ‘Little Sound DJ’, however the majority of the music is now composed on Logic Pro using virtual synths that emulate the sound chips of consoles such as the Atari ST and Commodore 64. I find it easier working with computers as it creates a really smooth workflow.

How and when did you start with Unicorn Kid and what was your musical background before all this?
I started Unicorn Kid almost exactly two years ago, just before my 16th birthday. I’d been playing keyboard and bass guitar since around 8 years old and had played in various punk and metal bands during my early school years. Electronic music had always been a guilty pleasure for me so eventually I gave in and totally embraced it!

What are your influences when making songs today?
There aren’t many direct influences that I take from, but I do listen to a lot of modern pop music, as well as a lot of different types of electronic music. I’ve gone through a bit of a phase of listening to American bands like Forever the Sickest Kids, Cash Cash and Breathe Carolina.

Are you on any record label, or are you a member of any music organizations?
Everything so far has been released on my manager’s record label ‘Euphonios’, but we have offers from some major labels in the UK and the US right now so I’m just looking at the options and deciding where to go from here!

Where have you performed, and what are your favorite and least favorite venues?
I have performed all over the UK and through a lot of America on the Owl City tour in September. My favourite venue was at a place called ‘The Rave’ in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the crowd was absolutely insane, as were most of the crowds on the Owl City tour. The backstage area was like a tent made out of colourful sheets, there were lava lamps and candles everywhere – amazing!
My least favourite was a place called ‘The Note’ in West Chester, Pennsylvania – it was a bar owned by Bam Margera. The crowd were fantastic but the venue itself was a bit of a dump and the staff were pretty mean!

How does it feel when you see the crowd getting all excited when you’re playing?
It’s amazing, I tend to get ‘in the zone’ and often forget where I am and how many people I am actually playing in front of. I remember looking up when I was in Michigan and just thinking to myself “There are one and a half thousand people here going crazy for MY music!”
It can be difficult to get a crowd excited that hasn’t have very much experience of electronic music, but it’s very rewarding when you eventually see that crowd jumping up and down with their hands in the air!

What’s the weirdest thing a fan ever did?
I get a lot of love from my fans and I love them back a lot for it! A girl in Michigan camped out from 6am outside a venue so she could be the first inside, which was actually pretty unnecessary considering she could have turned up 2 or 3 hours before and been first! I’ve had somebody make a lion hat for their rabbit, a couple of Unicorn Kid tattoos, and somebody just made a music video for one of my songs where they went into New York City dressed in animal costumes. I love it all!

Are there any artists that you can compare yourself with?
There are other artists in the UK doing 8 bit dance music but I would say that my stuff is very different from that in terms of production and composition style.

What’s your ultimate direction for unicorn kid, Are you seeking fame and fortune?
I am in the process of writing my first album which will be out Winter 2010. I think, like most artists, I would love to be successful in what I do, and I think I will be able to do well through this project whilst still retaining the style which defines ‘Unicorn Kid’ with the help of whatever label I eventually sign with. I am looking at incorporating vocals into new material, both my own and those of collaborators.
What advice do you have for people who want to start on their own like you?

How can fans-to-be gain access to your music, do you have a website with sample songs or a demo CD?
I am on just about every social network, Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, you name it! You can listen to some of my stuff at www.myspace.com/unicornkid and I’m also on iTunes!

A lot of people think CD’s are too expensive, or cant be bothered going down to the local cd-store. What do you think about illegal downloads? Do you feel it’s a threat towards the music industrie, or do you see it as usefull publicity?
I think artists deserve to be paid for their work and that music should not be free unless the artist decides that it should be. If the artist does not sell enough records then they, quite simply, will fail and be dropped from their record label. If a consumer likes an artist’s work then they should support their career by paying for it, therefore allowing them to continue creating. The myth that most musicians are extremely wealthy already is just nonsense.

What can we expect from you in 2010?
A new single at the start of the year, more work on the album and lots and lots of shows!

Do you have plans on visiting the Netherlands in the near future?
I would LOVE to visit the Netherlands and can say that I’m quite sure I will be playing there sometime in 2010!

Got anything left to say for our readers?
Check me out if you haven’t already and see you in 2010!

• Social

• 
• 
• 
•