PYLOT - ENIGMA | An Interview
Today Forged is proud to publish a great interview by Pylot.
We've been a fan for quite some time and have been totally immersed in the stories he's created to draw listeners into his cyber neon world.
Hailing from the UK, Pylot conceptualises his alias and creates whole stories to bring his vision to life. It's an immersive adventure that unfurls entirely via Social Media using his vast array of talents but not without planting some seeded clues as to who this dark leather clad protagonist actually is.
The creative investment in this project is unparalleled and serves to set Pylot apart from all other Artists on the scene in my opinion. It certainly adds to the investment and intensity giving the listeners an alternate world to explore.
Forged leapt on the opportunity to interview Pylot from the shadows, take a look....
Your last release ‘Brawl’ was very well received and again accompanied by an enthralling narrative based on your character’s first introduction to us 13 entries ago in a desperate bid to find out who he is. I know of no other Artist doing what you have done to date, how did you come up with the concept? It’s quite brilliant!
Thank you! I’ve always been really interested In music that plays part in a broader narrative, with the creator serving as a character within that narrative. Daft Punk did a great job at this, as has Kavinsky, The Gorillaz and many other artists. Their brands always felt different to me, and offered not only a distinct audio style but a strong and unique visual brand to match. I wanted to create something similar, and spent time thinking about how I could create something immersive like that for my listeners. Writing an original story where my music serves as the soundtrack seemed like the natural path for me to take.
You’re on record as stating that you had honed your craft as a musician playing in prog rock bands, with the transition to Synthwave approx. 2015, what was the turning point for you in that sense? What inspired you to go the Synth route?
I’ve always loved genres like french electro, nu-disco and french house. After writing my-disco exclusively for 5 years prior, I decided to write music that pulled references from all of my influences at the time. My first release ‘After Dark’ was the result of that.
With the Project ‘Pylot’ emerging in 2015 until now how do you feel your sound has developed over time?
My production quality has improved a lot over the years, and I find it much harder these days to be happy with what I’m making. I’m too harsh on myself and I’m too pessimistic, anyone that watches my studio live streams knows this well! Saying this, I think I have found my own style finally, compared to my earlier stuff where it was obvious I was trying to find my sound.
Tell us a little about your creative processes, I’d imagine the story is central to everything you do as a musician in order to continue the path you’ve forged for your character?
At it’s core, all my music is written with the narrative in mind. I have all the major plot points and sub plots mapped out. This helps me come up with musical ideas based on the emotions and moods I’m trying to evoke. Most of the time the story is written first, then the music. However, there have been many times where I feel like writing something completely different to what you’d expect, given the narrative. At that point, if the music doesn’t serve the story in its current form then I will add additional parts to the story so that the music fits contextually.
Who where your musical influences growing up? I imagine they changed over time and have an innate cinematic influence perhaps?
Recently I’ve been really getting into Lofi hip hop and more ambient/textural sound-scape stuff. Growing up I listened to many types of music, grunge, prog rock/metal, punk rock, disco, french electro/house, nu-disco… the list goes on and on.
There are a couple of film / game soundtracks have played a big part in my sound; the Interstellar soundtrack by Hans Zimmer is extremely evocative, and the original Mirrors Edge soundtrack by Solar Fields is a brilliant example of ambience meets electronic.
What would you say has been the most cherished memory of your career to date?
That’s a hard one to answer, there have been lots of highs for me. I think the answer is going to be when I released The Return music video. Seeing the response to the track and the visuals was a great feeling as I had worked so hard on a rebrand and making sure visually PYLOT had a solid identity.
Can you tell us a little about any current and future projects in the pipeline?
I’m currently working on new original material, and often stream my writing process live from inside my studio via Twitch - I’m also currently writing the soundtrack for a short film series titled Atlas, as well as handling sound design.
Are you still inspired by Synthwave as a genre? How do you feel about its current state versus when you first started out?
I’m not inspired by it at all anymore. I think the scene is extremely oversaturated, with many artists sounding the same and looking the same. There are some amazing artists and legends within the scene that are actively always trying to push the envelope and the boundaries of the style which is great. However, most Synthwave I hear sounds too similar for me to get into or enjoy anymore.
What’s the one piece of advice you’ve been given in life that has always stuck with you?
Pursue what makes you happy, and don’t let anyone tell you differently.
Message for your fans? Thank you all for your support! It’s been a real shitty 18 months during this pandemic, but hopefully you’ve found a little solace in my music as I have in the music of others.
