The Monthly talks to David Baxter from Boom Clap Play – Part 1 – Becoming an audio artist

Do you have any early memories of being interested in the arts generally or music specifically?

I didn’t really know what art was when I was very young, but music was always something I loved. My mum gave me old records and a turntable, and later, my older brother handed me a CD player and lent me albums.

I was also really into using computers to play around with imagery—things like early digital cameras and Photoshop. I think I was always drawn to the technical side of creativity. Even now, I feel like I’m still figuring out what art is and what it can be.

How did you develop your musical skills?

My dad showed me a few songs on the guitar when I was little, but honestly, video games were way more interesting to me back then, so I didn’t stick with it.

That all changed when I was 15. One of my brothers brought home a cracked copy of Propellerhead Rebirth, this virtual instrument based on old Roland drum machines and the TB303 bass synth. I didn’t have a clue what it was, but I was completely hooked on all the dials and buttons.

I started making tracks, recording whatever I could with cheap mics and keyboards, and editing it all in Sound Forge. Then I’d bounce it to MiniDisc to listen to on my Walkman.

That whole DIY process got me into playing instruments and learning music theory properly. Later, mentors like, Barry Lynn (Boxcutter), and Kaidi Tatham, really opened things up for me. Barry helped me dive deep into music theory, breakbeats, and sound design, while Kaidi’s piano lessons completely changed how I thought about voicing and composing.

What attracted you to electronic music?

In my teens, I got obsessed with artists like Aphex Twin, Daft Punk, and Squarepusher. What really drew me in was how broad the sonic palette was and how the moods could shift so drastically compared to other types of music. Aphex Twin, in particular, was fascinating because his albums felt like they spanned countless genres, all filtered through his unique style.

At the time, electronic music still had this reputation for being cold and robotic, but artists like him proved it could be anything but. It could be calm and introspective or high-energy and ecstatic. What’s more, the way electronic music uses machines and computers opens up possibilities you just can’t achieve with live performance. When it’s done well, it can completely redefine how we think about melody, harmony, and rhythm.

What led you to become an audio artist?

For me, sound design was just a natural next step from making music. So much of what I was doing in production—editing, processing signals, generating sounds—overlapped with sound design. I got particularly interested in video game audio because it combined the creative side with the technical challenge of designing systems and making them work in real-time.

I’d already been playing around with tools like Reaktor, Pure Data, and Max, which let me customise sound devices, so there was this clear crossover. And, of course, I’ve always been a gamer, so the idea of working in that space felt like the perfect blend of my interests.