When dealing with a group of musicians who all contribute to the production of their records, it’s guaranteed that each of them will have an impressive breadth of music knowledge. Such is the case with Pixel Grip’s vocalist Rita Lukea, drummer Tyler Ommen, and synth master Jonathon Freund, a.k.a. Jon Jon—each of whom lend their production know-how to their shared project. Established in 2019, the Chicago trio touts their musical knowledge as a selling point, summing up their project by boasting “mechanical beats, eccentric vocals, and slick production” on their Bandcamp page.
We got a far deeper look into what inspires Pixel Grip’s intense darkwave-meets-synth-pop music by coaxing each of the three Grippers into disclosing what songs have most affected them, or to which they’ve found themselves most attached, in recent years. We did so just in time for the band’s self-release of their third studio album, Percepticide: The Death of Reality. Just as the no-holds-barred, emotional album vacillates from anger to sadness to recovery, so does each band member’s taste in music run the gamut in the truest sense of the phrase. Here’s the proof.
RITA LUKEA
The Chemical Brothers, “Do It Again”
We have an inside joke in the band that there’s a genre of music called “confidence-core.” It’s when artists do something that’s so beyond over-the-top or wacky, but they execute with unlimited self-belief and confidence, and they make it work. This song is total confidence-core, as are a lot of moments in Percepticide: The Death of Reality.
Boards of Canada, “ROYGBIV”
The bass line of this song sets a foundation in my creative palace like a steel beam or a bone. The warmth of the bass tone and every note played is just perfection. No lyrics, but you can feel the hesitant determination emanating from the composition. Like, you might falter, and you have, but you’re gonna keep going.
Lady Gaga, “Government Hooker”
What is essentially a darkwave bass line with bubblegum-pop vocals over it, “Government Hooker” broke my perception of what pop music can be. Gaga uses absolutely airtight songwriting and Seuss-like lyrics like, “I can be good if you just wanna be bad / I can be sex unless you want to hold hands.” Sometimes genius is restraint, repetition, and the low-hanging fruit. Just make it feel good and put the low end to work. There’s nuance in the un-subtlety.
The White Stripes, “The Nurse”
I used to listen to The White Stripes in middle school and hadn’t listened to them in years when, a couple years ago, I was taking a long drive to the suburbs and decided to listen to Get Behind Me Satan front to back. I was listening really intently, soaking up every word, when I realized that Jack White’s writing is genius. His songs always have a punchline, and every bar helps to set up the joke. I went home deeply inspired and wrote “Split.” I even tried to emulate White’s southern drawl.
Air, “Napalm Love”
Air is one of my favorite bands, and this song is one of my favorites of all time. The lyrics are just absolutely devastating, and the composition is wind under the lyrics’ sails: “I’m falling in love / I’m falling down / Down on the ground” while the chords descend. The production and sound design are just flawless. It’s the kind of song that can hit like a gut punch if you relate to the lyrics.
TYLER OMMEN
Junk DNA, “Aimless Flight Taker”
This track is pure magic—it’s like a portal to another universe that feels very comfortable. It feels like home.
Beau Wanzer, “Warm Waterboarding”
There’s something incredibly satisfying about watching someone solve a really complicated math problem with a permanent writing utensil. That same spine-tingling feeling happens when I listen to this song.
DeFeKT, “Cyber Control”
Joo-Joo Ashworth spun this track during a DJ set at Footsies in LA. DeFeKT has been a new favorite ever since.
Kali Malone, “Does Spring Hide Its Joy v1.3”
Kali came to Chicago and performed inside the Bohemian National Cemetery chapel. I didn’t quite know what to expect, but that show completely changed me. Very religious, baptismal experience.
Lily Haz, “JTDK”
I’m currently obsessed with the drums on this track. This drum machine just has so much character and personality. The kick drums and toms feel so gunked ’n’ greased up. The 808 cowbell is really showin’ off here, too.
JON JON
Of Montreal, “Paranoic Intervals / Body Dysmorphia”
Lately I’ve been exploring the more current-era Of Montreal. This band was the template for my identity back in the 2000s, because they were queer, musically zany, and unmatchably clever. I saw them at the Metro in Chicago back in 2006, and it really changed my life—it was the performance that caused me to pursue being a musician. It felt possible. I love this song for its two-part structure—unafraid to make twists and turns, unafraid to be bizarre. It still remains catchy through and through.
Marie Davidson, “Demolition”
“I do what I do, and I do it well” has become the mantra for my life since this song came out back in the winter. Sometimes I try to be so many things, I try to be everything at once, which is impossible and leads to more distress than I realized. This song helps me think about what I’m good at, where I can be useful, where my talents can shine. On top of all this, I’m the biggest Marie Davidson fan. Her performance a few weeks ago in Chicago was completely riveting from start to finish.
Little Dragon, “Nabuma Rubberband”
When I think of essential Pixel Grip bands, Little Dragon is always the first that comes to mind. Early on, Little Dragon were a force that united the three of us musically—if we could sound even remotely like them, we would be on the right path. This is making me remember that one time Rita and I went to see them perform in Chicago, and afterward they were DJing an afterparty at Chicago’s [now-defunct] Berlin. I brought a memory card with our first album on it, and Rita gave it to Håkan Wirenstrand, the keyboardist. I’m pretty sure he was wasted and dancing around the club with no shoes on. Needless to say, they never contacted us.
Factory Floor, “Between You”
Another band that created the template for how I wanted to sound one day. I wasn’t expecting them to reunite this year, but this most recent single felt like a great surprise. I think that every time I DJ, I’m inevitably going to play at least one song of theirs.
Miss Kitten & the Hacker, “Leather Forever”
Speaking of songs I always DJ, I’m pretty sure this is my #1-played track. It’s just a classic, and I love the deranged lyrics floating on top of the happy new-wave synths and 808 beats. The song really gets people hooked in, like there’s an energy shift when I play it. Some songs just always hit, and this is a nice one to have in the bag.
