If you don’t already know the name Simon Curtis, you need to. Some of his younger fans may know him from his role on Nickelodeon’s Spectacular!, and a spot on a little known Disney show called Hannah Montana. But since earlier this year, the 24-year-old has focused his multi-talented efforts on his first album, titled 8Bit Heart. Released in March, the 13-track electronic collection contains tunes that range in topic from Simon’s Atari-playing days, to an Android love affair, effortlessly flowing from bass-driven pop, to sweet love songs. With the occasional voice-over track laid over chiptunes to serve as narration for the audio adventure, 8Bit Heart ultimately is a cohesively crafted piece of musical perfection. And did I mention the entire album is free off Simon’s official website? If there is any new singer/songwriter/performer to keep your eye on right now, it’s Simon Curtis.
I had a chance to interview the self proclaimed “Boy Robot” to talk about all things gaming, tech and of course, his upcoming album:
Jason Leavey: So Mr. Curtis. What’s it like being the original “Boy Robot?”
Simon Curtis: Haha, I must admit it’s a lot of responsibility. Lots of games to play, lots of gadgets to oogle over, electronic music to make, etc. It can be a lot to handle!
JL: What inspired the album’s [8Bit Heart] apparent technology influence?
SC: The entire project was inspired by my love for 8-Bit video games, science fiction, and 80’s fantasy movies (The Neverending Story, The Dark Crystal, etc.) We used old Commodore 64 sounds to create modern electronic pop tracks. Once I had the idea for the concept I was totally enamored.
JL: So I take it you would classify yourself as a techy?
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