If you think of Chiptune as rusty coins pressed into 80s arcade machines by tastelessly dressed, gum-chewing teenagers with roller skates, you're wrong. Jetdarc gives this genre something that has rarely been seen since the golden days of Arcade games: Epic grandeur.

His science fiction opera Astral Aurora can be described without exaggeration as the Lord of the Rings of Audiotool. So his interview is a bit more detailed than the others. But, as with his literary models, it is worthwhile to delve into the textual depths. Because he has a lot to say. Thanks Jetdarc

Interview:

About Julius Hill aka Jetdarc :

I was born in Pontiac, Michigan, where I spent most of my childhood. My musical upbringing also started here; I remember my dad would play Hip hop, R&b, and Jazz music every Friday and Saturday night, and I would either dance to it as a kid, or just sit back and really listen. I also remember when I first discovered that we had Super Smash Bros for the N64, and when I wasn't playing the game, I would go to the sound test menu and listen to the sound effects and music, which I would later do for Smash Bros Brawl, and Wii U. I think what really started my love for music though was when I played Kirby's Adventure on the Wii's Virtual Console. I would just get so absorbed into that entire soundtrack, and even went on the old Youtube to find the songs that I liked so much. Some other things I did were making mashups of songs with Audacity, and making songs on Sony's Super Duper Music Looper. I tried dipping my hand into other things such as: Drawing, Animating, Game Creation, and 3D Modeling, but I mostly stuck with music.

Fast forward to 2015, I discovered Soundtrap and began making music of all kinds. I started off with loops, and eventually made my way up to creating full original songs (About 50 in total),and I even collaborated with some cool people that I met there. I then went on to explore other DAWs such as Reaper, BeepBox, Fl Studio, and Audiotool. With Reaper, I discovered external plugins and soundfonts, and I would make parts of songs on it to include in my Soundtrap projects. For Beepbox, I've only ever made 2 songs, but I remember them being pretty fun to make. Fl Studio was what I stuck with for a while, and I made a few songs on it while still using Soundtrap, but I still felt unsatisfied by it, so I decided to search google for another free DAW to use, which is how I found Audiotool.

Now, let me tell you something. When I first started using Audiotool, I was instantly overwhelmed. The site was brimming with talented artists, and the studio was too complicated for my brain to handle at the time. I made a few drafts to mess around on the old flash studio, published one for feedback on Soundcloud, and went straight back to Soundtrap and Fl Studio for a while. I think I remember coming back when the Beta version of Audiotool Next was open, and only then did my transition to Audiotool truly begin. At first, I made parts of music in Audiotool to be included in Soundtrap projects and Vice Versa, but as I kept playing with the synths and making music on Audiotool, I grew more and more fond of it. Eventually, I decided to leave Soundtrap for good, and use Audiotool as my primary DAW. Fast forward all the way to now, and I have been with Audiotool for over 4 years. My favorite styles of music would change over time, but currently, they are: Video Game Music, Chiptune, EDM, Hip Hop/Trap, Trip hop, D&b, R&b, Jazz, Ambient, Funk, and Miscellaneous genres that I don't know the names for. Oh, and for my favorite style of pizza..... That would be Chicago Deep Dish 😎

Which artist has had the most influence on you (on and/or outside Audiotool)?

The 3 artists who've had the most influence on me in Audiotool are Shmoop, Kibbey, and Retro. When I first started, I found Shmoop and Kibbey's chiptune, and it really inspired me to create my own style of chiptune on the site, which I still use even now. I was a MEGA fan of both of them, and I have very fond memories of our collaborations, and my entries to their remix competitions. For the most part, the times where Retro influenced me the most was when I was getting into making different genres of music (Especially when I started making my critically acclaimed songs). It was like whenever Retro released a legendary song on the site, it would just get me extremely fired up and inspired, and I would try to make something amazing too.

Outside of Audiotool are another 3 artists who've influenced me the most: Jun Ishikawa, Hirokazu Ando, and Toby Fox. Jun Ishikawa and Hirokazu Ando are known for their work on nearly every Kirby game's soundtrack, and as a big fan of the games and the soundtracks, I greatly respect these two men. Their works have inspired me even before I began creating music at all, and they still have a big impact on my style of chiptune and other video game music. During my Soundtrap era, when I discovered the works of Toby Fox, it was like I was experiencing what truly made me want to start making music all over again. I knew he was on an entirely different dimension from me when I listened to the Undertale soundtrack. He was and still is my superior in a thousand ways, and I just HAD to try and try to get on a similar level as him. He is truly a massive gold mine of skill and talent, like Jun and Hirokazu, and he still continues to inspire my Video Game Music today.

There are several more artists who've inspired my other genres of music outside of audiotool such as: Flume, Inzo, Aivi & Surasshu, Defsharp, Nujabes, J Dilla, etc., but I decided to keep it to the top 6. I simply could not pick any fewer.

Who would you like to work /collaborate with on and outside Audiotool, and why?

The people who I'd love to work with on audiotool are Shmoop, and Kibbey again, because I feel that I have the most fun working with them. A lot of my other collaborations frequently go inactive due to various reasons, but I feel that I can truly keep a collaboration going with those two. Outside of audiotool, it would DEFINITELY be Toby Fox, Jun Ishikawa, and Hirokazu Ando. It'd be hard to pass up an opportunity to work with my idols, but it's still a bit intimidating because they all have much more experience than me, and I'm afraid that the way that I go about making music would be bizarre to them, but nevertheless, I would still do it.

Which film/game would you like to produce the score for or contribute a song to?

Besides my own game ideas, I would really like to help compose music for a Kirby game, Deltarune, Smash bros remixes, or generally any Adventure, Platformer, RPG, or Action game. I think that my style is very good for those types of video games, but I've also wanted to make a soundtrack composed of heavy electronic music that doesn't necessarily have to be for a video game. I'm curious as to what I could make for Movies, Anime, and Story-Driven Cartoons.

Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?

I have had writer’s (or art block) many times, and I can say that each time is due to different circumstances. Sometimes I work on music far too much. For others, it could be an outside stressor such as my job, and etc. As someone who enjoys creating music and striving to be at least a little productive in the creative field, it is never fun for me to have art block, especially when I'm in the middle of a project. I usually try several methods of regaining my creativity, some working, and some not. I will list some things that have helped me in the past. I hope it helps you too!

1) Take a break - For some people like me, it really hurts to have to spend time away from creating music, but it is often what is needed. You should take a step back and let your ideas flow back to you, no matter how long it takes. You can also take the time to listen to all kinds of music, which can give you ideas for your current or next project.

2) Try something new- Is everything sounding the same to you? Try doing something you've never done before. "What would happen if I...?" Try it. "I want to try doing what he does..." Do it. If you try and fail, it's okay. Just explore all of the opportunities available to you. Even if you don't think lack of variety is a problem, it can't hurt to try.

3) Don't start it if you can't finish it -I am guilty of this one the most. I often start a big project or collaboration only to give up on it later on due to a lack of motivation, and then feel disappointed in myself, which then leads to art block. A lot of my doubts currently come from outside interference (Mostly life troubles), and sometimes I worry about if i'll have enough time and patience to complete it all, but I have done so before, so it is definitely possible. You should think about your current situation and mentality before going into a big project if you don't want it to end prematurely. You can always make smaller projects in the meantime. If you do decide to go for it, GO FOR IT!! YOU CAN DO IT!! Go in with the resolve to create something great, something that you can do if you try. Don't give up, you are a capable artist!

What has helped you the most on Audiotool to improve and widen your musical horizon?

The limits of Audiotool have boosted my creativity the most whenever I felt that I was backed into a corner or needed to go to a different DAW. Thanks to this, I have learned to use the devices that Audiotool provides us in unconventional ways, which can be applied to various other external Plugins, allowing for my style to become even more interesting.

What do you like most about Audiotool? Is there anything you would like to suggest?

What I like the most about Audiotool is that it is free, accessible, and capable. This website is proof that if you're willing to try your best with what you have, you definitely can stand amongst the professionals. Audiotool is such an underrated DAW, and I hope that it never shuts down. If it suddenly gets popular, I hope that the magic of the site does not disappear either. My greatest suggestion to the site is to try and find more help if it's possible. A lot of the workload is forced on only a few developers with an ever demanding community of artists. I hate to see part of the community bashing the developers when they're trying their best to at least keep the website working while sometimes adding a feature every blue moon. I Wish that I could contribute in some way, but there's nothing that I can really do that would be effective.

Your message to the community:

Prioritize yourself. It feels damn great to make music that everyone else likes, and to receive a lot of positive feedback and popularity on, but don't ever feel scared to pursue what you truly want to do, even if it isn't as well received as something else that you're doing. For some, it can be hard, like how it is for me, but I promise you that nothing can beat that feeling of doing what you want regardless of what others think of you music-wise. If you're trying to make a living out of making music, then sometimes it's gonna be tough, and you're just going to have to do what you have to do to make ends meet, but you should never give up on your true passion.

Social/Musical Links:

Audiotool: Jetdarc

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/jetdarc

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2K7plqndcBxIVHJRWWEt4P

Bandcamp: https://jetdarc.bandcamp.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jetdarc

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jetdarc/

Album

Jetdarc also kindly provided us with his five Favorite Audiotool Tracks and topped it all with his own milestone. Take your time and enjoy

Track #1:

heissen x dove by dove and ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ heissen

This is my favorite song on audiotool. It is such a unique piece that I can’t seem to get over. It almost seems to give off an aura as I listen to it. I have tried and tried again to make a song like this, but to no avail. It ended up inspiring some of my trap music in the long run though.

[[EMBED:https://www.audiotool.com/track/m1vdjm8psj2o/]]

Track #2:

future doodle (little retro remix) by retro

I remember being absolutely amazed with this when Retro first released it. This song became pretty much part of my primary inspiration for Turquoi.

[[EMBED:https://www.audiotool.com/track/r3z5tavuiw/]]

Track #3:

BulletShark by Staticbreeze

A song that humbled me before I could even begin to make the mistake of becoming an arrogant composer. It's like a mountain of sheer skill that beckons me to practice and improve. Staticbreeze is a great composer.

[[EMBED:https://www.audiotool.com/track/bulletshark/]]

Track #4:

Big Dog In Your House Theme by shmoop

This was my introduction to Shmoop, and I definitely am glad that I got to hear it. It reminded me so much of undertale, and it still does to this day. A fun, underrated chiptune gem on the site.

[[EMBED:https://www.audiotool.com/track/2blkv5aali/]]

Track #5:

bitology by Kibbey

I don’t think Kibbey knows, but this song has subtly influenced some of my music. It became an earworm as soon as I heard it, and I hope it never goes away.

[[EMBED:https://www.audiotool.com/track/niwi62el/]]

Track #6:

Carnelian by Jetdarc

(Represents My Work): This is the song where I gave my all. The song where I actually began to TRY to make something perfect. The song that incorporates most of my style, most of my own mind into one. I couldn’t have ever expected that I’d be capable of something like this before I tried. Don’t ever doubt yourself.

[[EMBED:https://www.audiotool.com/track/v7bnygbo3cyn/]]

The album in it's full splendor

Edition Audiotool: Jetdarc

• a-records

41

about 3 years ago

1		solar plexus x dove dove solar plexus	dove solar plexus	10736
2		future doodle (little retro remix) retro	retro	2139
3		BulletShark Staticvoid	Staticvoid	220
4		Big Dog In Your House Theme shmoop	shmoop	1926
5		bitology Kibbey	Kibbey	899
6		Carnelian Jetdarc	Jetdarc	3814