Photo by Evelina Klimova
Give us a brief about your band. Who are you and what do you do?
I formed The Pixel Rain as a solo project in 2022, when I first started to write and record the self-titled debut EP. I’ve always been a fan of industrial rhythms, new wave synths and effected indie/post-punk guitars, so the basis of the overall musical style grew naturally from those influences. Although the project is based in Southeast London, most of the mixing and mastering is happening in Hungary where I’m originally from, with lots of great friends helping with the project. Occasionally I’ve been joined by live players in London as well, but the project has kept the solo writing and recording workflow throughout.
When did you first launch the project and how has it come along since?
As an animator and animation director, I originally started writing soundtracks and theme songs for my own films, which inevitably grew into full standalone songs and eventually, the debut EP. Although the writing process for songs is generally very different from soundtrack composition, the atmospheric, cinematic and visual references are still part of how I make music for The Pixel Rain. Later, I started work on a full-length album with a strong concept in my head, which eventually took shape this year, and is now almost ready to launch. We also released two standalone singles last year and a Depeche Mode cover. The singles were originally intended for the album, but I ended up wanting to share them during the interim instead. Fortunately, both ‘Ghost in a Cab’ and ‘Postmodern Soul’ got fantastic feedback and boosted the project towards this year’s upcoming releases.
What bands and artists influenced you the most and why?
My musical roots lead back to the iconic industrial rock and metal giants, so if I have to pick one main influence on my music and art generally, that would most definitely have to be Nine Inch Nails. There would also be little point trying to deny the massive influence of Rammstein and frontman Till Lindemann, ever since my teenage years, nor would I want to hide it. Since then, of course, my musical taste evolved in different directions: falling in love with new wave bands like Depeche Mode and New Order; indie bands like Radiohead, Arcade Fire, LCD Soundsystem; or post-punk bands like Joy Division or The Cure. All of these influences play an immense part in how The Pixel Rain ended up sounding, even if some are more obvious than the others.
If you could pick a single song from your discography to explain your music, which song would you pick and why?
Originally, I didn’t even plan to include the song on The Pixel Rain EP, but ‘Asymmetry’ is probably the one that describes our universe the best – the cold, clattering electronic bassline, heavy electronic drums and post-punk-influenced guitar. The song was one of the earliest pieces I’d ever finished, and initially I felt it was too simple to release, but I’m glad we did, because it became a fan favourite from the EP. The song is energetic and dark, but with a sentimental, atmospheric vibe to it, and I feel like the balance between colder electronics and effected guitars articulates what this project is all about.
What is your most recent release and what is it about?
Our latest track ‘Last’ is the lead single from our upcoming debut album, A Sense of Danger. In common with the album’s dominant themes, ‘Last’ expresses a post-apocalyptic feeling, both musically and lyrically, from a bitter, slightly sarcastic point of view towards a world on the brink of societal collapse. I think it’s one of the catchiest songs that we’ve ever released, with a melodic guitar lead and passionate chorus, as I was experimenting with a more guitar-driven sound on this one. That being said, the song still involves electronic beats and synths and cinematic soundscapes, so there is still that continuity from our earlier output.
Take us through your creative process. How do you compose a song from start to finish? Where do the ideas come from?
The process usually starts with me finding either an interesting chord progression on guitar or keyboard, or just a general sound that interests me enough to get things moving. Coming from narrative animation, I always had confidence creating atmospheres and telling stories, which is helpful in songwriting as well. I typically begin to develop the song’s structure and what musical story it wants to tell very early in the process. Building a structure and progression towards a climax helps to also build more and more layers, until the song ultimately finishes itself. Usually, vocal melodies grow naturally while I work on the instrumental parts, but I only start to properly work on the lyrics when everything else in the demo is finished. That sounds very straightforward written down, but of course I have struggles with songs like everyone does, and sometimes they end up completely different from what I originally imagined.
One part of my writing process that might be a bit different is when it comes to lyrics – most often I have the titles first, like ‘Unplugged God’, ‘Nero’s Children’ or ‘Postmodern Soul’, which just come to me while playing or demoing the songs, and then near the end of the process I start figuring out what each title means to me. And although I always end up with a meaning that’s clear and specific for me, I always try to write my lyrics to work universally, so that anyone can find their own messages in them.
What’s your current favorite song, band, or album within your scene? And vice versa, what do you enjoy the most that’s completely opposite of what you make?
The two latest underground bands that I’ve fallen in love with are Canadian darkwave outfit TR/ST and Swedish synth duo Kite. Both are masters of mixing dark disco and atmospheric, cinematic sounds together, being underground and brave about songwriting while often finding catchy, melodic stuff which is altogether an enormous influence on me. I’m also still a huge fan of the album format, so always happy if my biggest favourites come out with a new one. Recently I’ve been listening to the Nine Inch Noize collaboration album, and it will probably surprise no one to hear that I’ve been amazed by the weird industrial techno they’ve put together, highlighted in the track ‘Parasite’. What’s more unexpected for me is that I’ve been quite enjoying the latest Muse album with some trademark brilliant moments on it such as ‘Hexagons’ or ‘Nightshift Superstar’.
What is on the horizon for your project? Upcoming gigs, tours, merch, videos, etc. Name it, link it, show it off.
It’s an exciting time at the moment for The Pixel Rain, as we’ve just released ‘Last’, the lead single and video from our debut album A Sense of Danger, which comes out on the 30th of October. We are in the middle of the campaign, with more singles coming, while we finish the album in the studio. We are also rehearsing currently with Ollie Jude on guitar and Andras Melles on bass, and aiming to get back to the stage from September in London clubs. After a bit of a hiatus generally since last November, listeners can expect a lot more news from us during the summer and fall.
And you can follow us on Spotify and Instagram for all the latest releases and info.
