Vector U Interview: EDM VGM
Vector U is one-of-a-kind. An electrical engineer with a music minor (and one patent), he creates high-energy EDM VGM covers. Recently, Vector U cracked 10k subs on YouTube, so, naturally, I wanted to know more about the man behind the music.
When did you first start making music?
I took piano lessons when I was seven, but I didn't really stick with it once high school started. I started playing drums when I was 10, and I've been hooked ever since! In high school, I made a few scrappy piano and drum covers under the alias The Prummer. The first time I officially made a song on the computer was during my freshman year of college. I randomly decided to download a trial of FL Studio and played around with it until a terrible song called “Schmeef” came to fruition. I took a few music theory and computer music classes at RPI, which helped me get my music minor, and eventually my first Super Mario World remix was born senior year.
What inspired you to start making video game covers?
Video games have been a part of my life ever since I was born. Apparently, my dad would play Super Mario World, and I would try to jump whenever Mario jumped! When I was much older, I remember popping in my OC Remix CD's and just loving every minute of it. I couldn't believe people put so much time into remaking video game music.
Fast forward to my junior year of college, and I remixed “This Love” by Maroon 5 for my computer music class. Of course, I got an A in the class ;D. Soon after I thought, “Wait, I love video game remixes; why don't I just try making one of those?” The following year during advanced computer music, I made my first video game remix and got credit for the project to boot. So, I really first started making remixes for school credit and eventually it became a passion project for me.
How would you describe your music?
I want my music to sound like modern day EDM that happens to be video game music. This way, it's a fresh reimagination of the old stuff that hopefully nerds and non-nerds alike can enjoy. Ideally, my stuff is played in all sorts of different settings, and people are like "Wait, this is a banger, but isn't this Zelda?” I also tend to add sound effects from the games to add extra nostalgia and story-telling in my songs.
Even though I gravitate towards EDM, I find myself shying away from the clickbait trap or overly aggresive dubstep remixes. I don’t really like when remixes replace the drop with something totally different. I prefer the whole song to be immersive and nostalgic. The weird thing is, I feel like every remix I make is a different genre, and that's what keeps things fun for me. I'm still learning everday, and I am still working on what my "style" is. I like a lot of different types of music so I may not find one that totally defines me, but I enjoy being consistently inconsistent!
What video games served as your inspiration?
I've always been a big Nintendo fan, ever since the SNES era. My favorite games are from the Zelda, Fire Emblem, Pokémon, and Paper Mario series. Earthbound and Chrono Trigger are definitely up there as well. Nintendo music is just so consistently good and memorable. Also, I would definitely say that RPG’s are my favorite flavor of video games.
What is your favorite cover that you've produced?
This is a tough one, as I always try to make the best remix I can every time. Even though all the Mario and Zelda remixes seem get the attention, I think my favorite cover from a musical standpoint would be my “Pikmin Forest of Hope” remix. It's mixed and mastered decently, and I think it retains the original feel with that hip future bass revamp. I also really liked how my “Luigi's Mansion Theme” turned out too. That piece was probably the closest to what I originally envisioned my remix to be, funky and spooky.
What are some of your favorite VGM cover artists?
Oh god, I really like a lot of them. In terms of electronic musicians, I find myself listening to Qumu, Ben Briggs, VGR, and DJ Cutman a lot. If I'm feeling more instrumental, I'll probably pop on some Insaneintherainmusic, The Consouls, or Super Soul Bros! There are plenty more I didn't mention, and I'm so glad the VGM community has grown so much! They're all incredibly talented in different ways, and I aspire to be like them one day.
Have you had much experience with the VGM community?
To be honest, not really. At this point, I’ve been to two MAGFests, and I’ve met some amazing people so far, but I wouldn’t say I’m really involved in the community yet. I worked with Tiny Waves on their Spyro Reignited album, and I also collaborated with Qumu /Noteblock on a Link’s Reawakening album. Both of those were great experiences, but it felt more like a collab rather than interacting with the community. I do aim to be more a part of the VGM community. I also think one day it would be cool to have a community of my own!
What are some of the most important lessons that you've learned from creating music?
The song will never be perfect.
Most of my successful projects come from happy accidents, so just keep trying things!
Sidechain.
Mix low first, master everything up in the end.
Having good speakers or headphones is key.
Sidechain.
Picking the right genre or tempo can make all the difference.
It’s not so much about the DAW as it is the samples/synths.
Sidechain.
Reaching 10k subscribers is no small feat. Did you ever think you'd reach this point?
It was definitely something I’ve been climbing towards for a while, and I am so appreciative of my fans for following and believing in me. When I made my first remix, it was just for kicks. I didn’t even know if I was gonna post it anywhere. My song (from Super Mario World) was randomly recommended on The8BitDrummer’s Twitch stream, and my channel’s just been snowballing since then. At that point (four years ago), I had maybe a few hundred subscribers, and I was already pretty happy with that, let alone 10 thousand!
It’s interesting to note that I actually submitted my first remix to OC Remix, my favorite source of music as a child, and it was rejected! Ever since then, I haven’t mustered the courage to submit anything to them again. I find it more enjoyable now to grow my channel on YouTube instead.
Do you have any musical goals for 2020?
My biggest goal is to be consistent with my music releases. I was close to getting a song out every month last year, and I’m gonna try to really stick to it this year. It’s hard to balance having a full-time engineering job, music, video games, and a social life, but I’ll try my best! I also really want to get my music on Spotify and iTunes. In terms of my YouTube, I’m gonna aim high for 20k subs next year, but I will cherish any amount of support I get regardless.
What are some non-musical hobbies that you have?
I pretty much just play video games and hang out with friends. I like watching some anime, playing ultimate frisbee, and dabbling in the culinary arts.
What's something that you want your listeners and fans to know?
I love my fiancée Deeds!
I’m a seasoned drummer possibly looking for a VGM cover band in the Boston area?
I have a masters in Electrical Engineering, a minor in music, and I have one patent!
My smash main is Palutena.
My fanbase will be called the Vector U-niversity. Love you all <3
Do you have any upcoming covers/plans that you can talk about?
First, my plan is to finish my Super Smash Bros. Melee Opening Theme by the end of January. Then, I’ll continue my Gamecube remix album probably with some Windwaker, my favorite Zelda game. We’ll see what happens after that ;)
Do you plan on releasing any more Metroid covers?
Anything for you GameGrooves ;P
Related Links
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Vector U and his fiancée.