Could you tell me a little bit about your musical background and how Voltage Reign came to be?
I grew up in a family where music was everywhere. My dad, my uncles, and my cousins all played guitar, so the instrument was a part of daily life. My cousin Mark Reece shaped my early path more than anyone. He taught me guitar with a lot of patience and made it feel natural instead of intimidating. He passed away, but his influence is still in everything I create.
Over time I moved through different styles and tools. Tracker software like Famitracker and MilkyTracker taught me to think about music in a hands‑on and structural way. I studied game design for a while, and that pushed me to approach sound like worldbuilding instead of just writing songs.
Voltage Reign started during my time in college. The project slowly grew into a blend of darkwave, industrial, metal, and cinematic storytelling. It became a place I could escape to without relying on real world drama. It turned into a universe instead of just a band name. Every track is a learning project that fits into a larger world, and I plan to develop both the band side and the soundtrack as I continue building on the story I wrote for it in college.
Your music is really abstract and intriguing. Do you find that style comes naturally to you or is it something you have to consciously achieve?
The abstract side of my music comes naturally, but I try to shape it with intention. I have always been drawn to creating my own instruments and sounds, and I like how that gives each track its own structure. When I start a piece I am not trying to be experimental just to stand out. I am following a scene or a setting in my head and working it into something that fits that image.
Similar to games and anime, I like to blur the line between a song and a scene from a story. I think in terms of atmosphere, environment, and character more than traditional songwriting rules. So the abstract quality is natural, but the way I frame it is very deliberate. It is my way of building a world instead of just making a track.
What are some artists or things in general that inspire you?
I pull inspiration from a mix of music, games, and animation. I grew up on metal and industrial music, but I also enjoyed classical and dark electronic music, so that energy is always in the background. I took a lot from game soundtracks, anime, because they treated music like part of a world instead of something sitting in the background. I like when sound feels tied to a place, a character, or an experience.
I would say Randy Rhoads, Dimebag Darrell, and Brendon Small are among my favorite guitarists. I have also been inspired by Nine Inch Nails, Rezz, Perturbator, KMFDM, Timecop1983, and even Glenn Gould. I like pulling from very different corners of music and letting those influences blend into something that fits what I'm doing.
You also work in video animation. Could you tell us a bit about how you got into that field and how it ties into your music?
I actually got started with animation in college, but back then I was working with 3D programs. When I lost access to that setup I shifted into pixel art and began learning the shader program I use now. I already had characters drawn on paper, so I rebuilt them in Pixel Studio and kept expanding from there.
I approach it the same way I imagine retro games were made. I create resources that can be reused across multiple layers, very inspired by the way Sega handled their environments and effects. Over time that process (or at least what I think it is) became a natural extension of my music. The visuals and the sound share the same world, so building them together feels right.
The characters also come from personal places. V0X and Magus are based on different aspects of myself at different points in time, and the main female protagonist reflects the type of woman I prefer to date. The Murph E character became a tribute to a friend who passed away. I included ideas he thought would be cool for the character, along with several items he built in real life before he passed.
Does your environment affect your music? What kind of place do you currently live in?
My environment affects my music in a practical way. I live in a small town, in an apartment, and I have to keep things quiet because of my neighbor, so I work with a very controlled setup. I use FL Studio Mobile, the iRig 2, Sonic Cake pedal, a gaming headset, and my phone or tablet for everything. That limitation shapes the sound. It forces me to focus on learning, environment, and atmosphere. I am still working on getting my vocals right since they were never part of the tracker programs I started with.
I live in Star, North Carolina, near the Starworks glass company. They do live music sometimes, and even though it is a small town, it has it's near a lot. Most of the time it is quiet here, which gives me space to work without distractions.
Do you have any grand ambitions for your artistic projects? Or anything in the pipeline?
I do have long term plans for my work, and one of the biggest goals is to create a more structured split within my music. I want one path that focuses on the band side of Voltage Reign, where I play seven string guitar, bass, the FL Studio Mobile drum kit, and my vocals. Another path will focus on the world of Voltage Reign itself, which is more atmospheric, cinematic, and tied to the story and characters. The third path is a space for experimental ideas that do not fit neatly into either category.
I am still doing a lot of work converting what started as a video game story with objectives into something closer to an anime structure. There is a lot more I want to build. In the long run I would love to see the project become a playable game, but for now it is a place to learn and develop the skills I need for both my solo band work and the other genres I explore, while also giving me a place to focus on my visual art.
Right now I am working on a metal album that is designed in a level up style. The early tracks lean into heavy synth tones on the guitars with easier riffs, almost like a horror game influence. As the album progresses the synth fades out and the riffs get more complex and heavy. I am also releasing singles in different genres and plan to keep doing that. The idea is to create periodic compilation albums that form a complete story. The first one will be called Prequel Chapters. I am always open to working with others as the project grows.
Is there anything you would like to ask us?
I would like to ask whether you think an artist should ever be restricted to one genre or sound in music?
Absolutely not!
How do you feel an artist should maintain or prove originality in the world as it changes today?