Let's Get To Know Depthbuffer

Initially intending to create mostly 90s EDM and retrowave, Depthbuffer has decided to embrace his wide-ranging tastes, and branched out into an eclectic mix of instrumental and vocal tracks.

80s pop ballads, alternative/indie, trance, disco, and spoken word all make appearances at some point.

Where did you grow up?

Reading, England - a fairly normal town about 40-ish miles due west of London.

What is one of the first songs you remember liking as a kid? Kraftwerk's The Robots - not the original, but the version from their remix album, The Mix. I remember playing the cassette of that album to death, and not even realising until years later that all the tracks on it were reworkings of earlier pieces. What influenced you to get into music?

I've dabbled on & off in making electronic music for decades, mostly using descendants of the old Amiga soundtrackers, but never really taken it seriously. Then, during lockdown, I discovered two things: a DAW called Renoise, which blends the old grid-based UI and sample workflows of soundtrackers with robust MIDI and VST support; and Bandcamp, which I'd been vaguely aware of for years, but had never properly explored.

I had no idea how many talented amateurs were on there, making music of all genres. I discovered how much of the synthwave & retrowave scenes in particular consists of solo DIY-ers, sharing a community hand-in-hand with polished studio artists, many of whom were solo DIY-ers themselves not long ago. It's beautiful, and I felt like I had to be part of it. Plus, the tools to get started don't have to be cripplingly expensive. At what age did you start playing/singing?

I honestly don't remember! I've always had a musical streak. In primary schools in the UK, in the 80s and 90s, it was common to teach music using the recorder; but I was that precocious kid in the class who actually enjoyed playing and took additional music lessons outside school. I tried the violin briefly, and didn't get on well with it; then during my teens I played the oboe, which needs a fair bit of lung capacity - I was alright, but never going to be orchestra standard without far more work than I was, frankly, willing to put in.