Welcome to the EPK page for the new single – Forgotten. Here you will find a bio, answers to common interview questions, links to social media and images. If you require anything else, please email matt@bitetheboxer.com
About Forgotten
Carrying on from the writing process set out on previous EP ‘A Stream Becomes A River’, Forgotten was partly written and produced live on Twitch. It was also written, primarily, very shortly after that EP giving it a sound which is consistent with that release. It was however, as the name suggests, forgotten when it was accidentally saved in the wrong folder and then assumed lost until around 4 months later when it was found by chance and finished using a fresh set of ears and some new ideas. Inspiration for the tone of the song comes from dreampop and downtempo artists such as The XX, Bonobo, Royksopp, Aurora and The National.
Forgotten will be released on 1st April 2022 across all major digital platforms.
Available on the following streaming services:
Spotify
Tidal
Amazon Music
Deezer
Apple Music
Reference Points and Artists That Influenced This Song:
The XX
Portishead
Royksopp
The National
Artwork (click to enlarge)
Other Songs by Bite The Boxer
Short Bio
What started off as sketches for an indie-rock band in early 2020 has transformed into a multi-genre, single-person, DIY production project spanning dreampop, synthwave, cyberpunk, ambient, chillwave, lo-fi and a noticeable lack of the aforementioned indie-rock. Debut album The ’86 Sound was released in August 2020, followed by a glut of singles and, most recently, the A Stream Becomes A River EP which was released on 15th October 2021.
Discography
The ’86 Sound (album) – September 2020
The Throw Down (single) – December 2020
Battleship (single) – February 2021
Half Awake in the Half Light (EP) – April 2021
Human Atmosphere (single) – May 2021
Down in the Park (Single – Gary Numan cover) – July 2021
A Stream Becomes A River (EP) – October 2021
What inspired you to get into music?
I had a very good and eclectic musical upbringing as a kid, my mum loved T-Rex, David Bowie and the glam rock scene, and there was always a revolving door of 80s classics on the stereo from Phil Collins to Kate Bush and Dire Straits. I started playing guitar in bands when I was about 15. Between then and now I have been in various bands from punk, metal, indie and a short stint on the acoustic singer/songwriter scene. So, when lockdown came into force, I took the opportunity to teach myself electronic music production at home and it grew, very quickly, into this collection of songs that I labelled as ‘Bite The Boxer’.
How would you describe your music?
When I started making music as Bite The Boxer, I wanted it to be chilled but upbeat so I could listen to it whilst doing my day job, working from home. As I made more, I developed a style that is heavily influenced by the soundtrack to Tron Legacy (by Daft Punk), as well as the dark and gritty side of 80’s electronic music (such as Gary Numan).
I also like to change things up every so often. For example, The ’86 Sound had a classic synthwave/synth-pop vibe to it. The follow up singles, The Throw Down and Battleship were more edgy, and the latter bordered into EBM. The singles I released around April 2021 (which formed the Half Awake in the Half Light EP) were very much in the cinematic/ambient genre (influenced by Hans Zimmer and Ramin Djawadi).
The new EP A Stream Becomes A River still has elements from synthwave and cinematic ambient, but blended with a lo-fi and dream-pop twist.
What would you say is your recording and song writing style?
I love the blossoming synthwave genre that is so prevalent on YouTube and Instagram and I have learnt a lot from that scene. However, I am trying to approach it as a rock musician, so I try to imagine the dynamics and interaction between the instruments as if it was a band performing the songs. I am also in a new position that I have never been before where I am the sole writer and performer so if I am not 100% happy with a song, or a part, then I can easily mould and shape it to suit how I want the song to sound. This can also be a limitation because I don’t have anyone else to bounce ideas off of but for now, I am enjoying the challenge.
Where did the name Bite The Boxer come from?
The words themselves came, almost directly, from the lyrics of Under The Air Pt 2 (the final song on The ’86 Sound), which is about the consequences of allowing feelings and emotions to be bottled up, rather than talking about how you feel. It can all come back to bite you.
One of the things that drew me to using the name was that it didn’t sound like it was of any particular genre. When I started to put music out as Bite The Boxer it was on the pop side of synthwave but I didn’t want to use any of the usual synthwave norms (references to night time, neon etc). Having a name that didn’t sound like a particular genre allows me to blend and morph through different genres. I like lots of types of music so this will be a very varied project.
Where can music fans listen to your music?
It is available on all the major platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube etc as well as posting regularly on Facebook and Instagram.