KRL and 888
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KRL AND 888
Who are behind those mysterious names: KRL and 888. We asked 15 questions to the creators of Brave Mouse Cartographer i nominated for the A MAZE. Awards 2020. Enjoy!
A MAZE.: How would you describe yourself?
KRL: human person
888: reluctantly
A MAZE.: Are you a wild heart? If yes, what makes you think you’re a wild heart?
KRL: I guess so, because i just like the sound of that phrase. It sounds like the title of a western, and I’m obsessed with cowboys.
888: This is not a phrase it would probably ever occur to me on my own to describe anyone as.
A MAZE.: Why did you start making games or playful media works?
KRL: I think making music has always been a playful act for me. It’s been something i do for fun ever since i got my first casiotone keyboard as a little kid.
888: I realized it was an option.
A MAZE.: Who (or what) is your biggest inspiration? Think beyond games too - musicians, writers, filmmakers, artists, scientists, …
KRL: Laurie Anderson
888: A different long list in different contexts. Jorge Borges, Louise Nevelson, Eiichiro Oda, et al
A MAZE.: Where can we find this in your work?
KRL: I’m sure it’s in there somewhere.
888: Probably.
A MAZE.: What message(s) are you sending out with your works?
KRL: I don’t think i’m trying to send an explicit message as much as i’m trying to convey-- or even just suggest-- a feeling or an emotion? My work is largely in non-verbal media and increasingly improvised. There’s a thorough, studied practice behind what i make, but there’s not, like, a mission statement or anything.
888: If an idea could be expressed succinctly and effectively in words using a different medium to try to communicate it would be unnecessary.
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A MAZE.: Is there a repeating pattern in all of your works the players may experience?
KRL: There’s a throughline of some sort, probably, yeah.
888: I think there probably are a few although i am not necessarily conscious of it happening.
A MAZE.: What influences your work more: Past (history), present (contemporary) or future (scifi) and what are your sources?
KRL: Definitely the past. I am very much drawn to the aesthetics of older music and older technology.
888: Probably all of these to shifting extents, i do not think it would be wise to draw any boxes so specific around an entire body of work
A MAZE.: What does responsibility towards your players mean to you as an artist?
KRL: I think just to put in the best effort that i can to make something good and honest?
888: Every human has something different that would most satisfy them in a game, the idea that “my players” are not “the market” but “the people who enjoy my game” makes responsibility kind of a non-issue because of course the people who enjoy the game will enjoy it
A MAZE.: What impact is the current pandemic having on you and your work?
KRL: Refocusing a performance practice around streaming is... weird.
888: It is harder to stay focused and productive these days than it used to be i think.
A MAZE.: If there is something wrong in the field of games / playful media, what would you fix first?
KRL: Exploitative industry practices.
888: Funding models.
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A MAZE.: What are the three games someone who never played a game before should play? Why those?
KRL: ...
888: Different people get satisfaction from very different modes of interaction so this is not something I feel confident giving an all-encompassing answer to.
A MAZE.: How do you relax and find balance?
KRL: Playing guitar is great to get lost in and find some peace. i also really like watching old episodes of “the computer chronicles” on youtube, especially the ones with gary kildall- he’s a relaxing presence.
888: By making conscious effort to.
A MAZE.: What are the main challenges for artists in your country to sustain themselves?
KRL: money
888: money
A MAZE.: How do you see interactive arts in 10 years from now? In 2030! Tell us your vision.
KRL: I honestly don’t see it being all that much different. There will always be people making stuff with the newest, most monetarily and computationally expensive tools available and there will always be [way more] people working with less. I suspect a growing number of us will be more preoccupied with the environmental impact of computing power, too.
888: In my ideal future not all that much “progress” would be made and people could focus more on consciously elaborating established ideas than racing to come up with the next big new one.