words kevin mao, john lok

Pixels may be those tiny dots geeks love to toy with, but for one local band pixel play has meant a whole new kind of music…

bc caught up with Candy Wu and Ho Shan of PixelToy in what they call their recording studio near LKF. Hardly a studio, it is more a retro living area cum homebrew recording space. As we settled ourselves down on the couch, one thing we couldn’t fail to notice were the eccentric hairstyles and appearance; one has shoulder-length hair dyed bright red, and the other… well you can judge from the photos. Don’t be fooled by that though – their attitude towards music is definitely serious.

‘PixelToy’ is a very unusual name. How did you decide on it?
We were entering a music competition and had to come up with a name. We both loved the sound and the structure of the word ‘pixel’. We couldn’t just name ourselves Pixel because it didn’t sound complete. Just before we handed in the application form, we put in the word ‘Toy’. Thus the name PixelToy.

How did PixelToy come to be?
Candy: We were students at the same university; by chance on one occasion, we were talking to each other and discovered that we both liked music. Ho Shan wanted to start a band, so we decided to form one, with me as the main vocalist and lyricist, and Ho as the musical mastermind.

Is music your full-time occupation?
Candy: I work as a graphics designer.
I’m also a tutor at a local middle school which offers programmes in the arts apart from the normal school curriculum. It’s important to explore and find what you like at an early age.
Ho Shan: Basically it’s a full-time music occupation for me.

What inspires your music?
Candy: Our songs tend to be a sketch of life. We like to dig deep into things people tend to miss or take for granted. One of our songs called Mom Doesn’t Like Jazz Music originated when my mom said the jazz I was playing was too loud. Purely spontaneous, yet a part of life.

What’s different between life before and after being signed to a label?
Before being signed, the main thing on our minds was to make music rather than to garner riches or fame. The idea that our music could be a job was something new to us. We would’ve been satisfied just to play our music to a small audience. We didn’t think we’d eventually record tracks and release a CD. Looking back, it was an amazing experience. Now that our music has become a part of our lives and careers we have to finish what we started and do our jobs, be it recording tracks for CDs or participating in musical productions. Everything becomes very serious, especially with the technical goodies that People Mountain People Sea offers. Best of all, we get free hairdos!

What would you say about the local music scene, about Cantopop?
We don’t mind that Cantopop songs are popular but more and more people are making their own music nowadays and they’re gaining popularity too. It is easy to see how music has progressed with time and the different eras of Hong Kong music. Right now, a lot of picky listeners demand to hear different styles of music, thus sparking artists to pioneer music of different styles.

What type of music do you listen to?
Candy: I’m currently listening to punk music, including bands such as The Gossip and Klaxons.
Ho Shan: I haven’t listened to too much music lately as I’ve been too busy with the production of our new album. A few years ago I was listening to Britpop and that was what prompted and motivated me to form a band.

Do you enjoy playing live shows?
We love live shows. Other bands can meet up once a week to practise and jam, but it’s a little harder for us since we’re only a two-man band (rather, a man-woman band – one of the few in Hong Kong). Live shows give us an opportunity to talk and make some music, so we’d like to plan some more live shows. We’d like to go to weird and wacky places to perform. We’d also like to visit the Mainland, as there are already lots of good-quality bands playing there.

Any memorable moments?
At one gig, the stage we performed on was between the second and third floors and people were watching us from above and below in an art centre. To the people above it seemed like they were looking at zoo animals! Another time, when we were playing at the Agnès b. CINEMA!, the audience was so close, they took close-ups of Candy singing with their camera-phones.

What else would PixelToy like to tell bc’s readers?
Buy our album. Buy tickets to our live show [laughs].

PixelToy will perform on October 12 as part of the Friday Live series at the Kubrick in Yau Ma Tei. Showtime is 10pm. Tickets are $150 at the door and PixelToy’s new O...Oh album also will be available for sale at the venue for $98.