A Chat with Monty Bvrgs (24.08.2020)
Brisbane-based electronic artist Monty Bvrgs is here is get you moving with his latest single ‘Tokyo Cyber Punk’. Drawing on a deep repertoire of dark, tech noir instrumentals, he creates a soundscape of creative escapism and nostalgia. We sat down with Monty Bvrgs to talk about his new single, creative process, music and much more!
OSR: If you were not a musician, what would you be doing right now?
Monty Bvrgs: I would be a travel writer. Or perhaps working my current day job in the optometry field.
OSR: What first drew you to your preferred genre?
Monty Bvrgs: I grew up in the 90s and my family were still stuck in the 70s – 80s era during that time as well. I love films like Blade Runner, E.T., Tron etc. and the music behind a lot of those films was always appealing to me. I got back into more modern synthwave in recent years and that has led me down this path.
OSR: Which famous musicians are you inspired by and why?
Monty Bvrgs: Too many to name. Current bands like The Midnight and Gunship because both bands cover a lot of styles within the synthwave genre. The Midnight a more poppy, easy listening style of music while Gunship, for example, deal with bleak dark synth. I am heavily inspired to experiment by bands like Explosions in the Sky or Daft Punk.
OSR: What was the inspiration for ‘Tokyo Cyber Punk’?
Monty Bvrgs: I love Japan and specifically Tokyo. I guess my most recent trip there earlier this year cemented that. When I came home I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the city, the people and the aesthetics. Japan is a drawcard for gamers the world over and staying within walking distance to Akihabara which is popular for “nerd culture” was another inspiration for the track. Walking the streets at night was a massive inspiration.
OSR: What was the creative process for this single?
Monty Bvrgs: Honestly the process for the single was pretty simple. It was literally playing around with different sounds, using synths and programmed drums. It took about 2 days to record and master it locked away in my home studio which is a spare room in my house.
OSR: How does ‘Tokyo Cyber Punk’ compare to your previous releases?
Monty Bvrgs: It’s synth-heavy compared to some others I have released. The album that it’s on is called Cassette 84 and all the tracks are very much leaning more towards synthwave than before. My previous releases were often mixed bags of electronic beats whereas with Cassette 84 and ‘Tokyo Cyber Punk’ it was a more concentrated effort on synthwave to make it flow.
OSR: If your music were a fruit, what would it be and why?
Monty Bvrgs: An Asian fruit known as Durian because it’s the king of fruit, however, it’s also an acquired taste.
OSR: If you could have people remember one thing about you, what would it be?
Monty Bvrgs: That I have become a better person, who makes tasty Durian inspired beats.
OSR: What is the most useless talent you have?
Monty Bvrgs: The most useless talent I have is the amount of useless information that’s stored in my brain that will never be used for the good of humanity.
OSR: What can we expect from you in the next 6 months?
Monty Bvrgs: I have a third full-length album called Anjea coming out in September that I have been sitting on for ages. It will feature more chillhop, hip hop, grime, and chillwave electronic beats as opposed to all synthwave. There is a video clip for one of the singles which will be coming out as well. I am giving serious thought to recording a Christmas synthwave EP for the festive period because let’s face it, we might need some cheer by then if COVID-19 keeps hanging around.
Thanks to Monty Bvrgs for chatting with us! You can find more about him on his website, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
