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Please Insert Coin: ‘Games’ by The Octopus Division

‘Games’ by The Octopus Division If you love the 80s and don't know Matt Muncie (aka The Octopus Division), you've definitely missed something. But as it's never too late for good music, you can catch up on what you've missed anytime and almost anywhere.  The Octopus Division's latest work is called ‘Games’ and once again represents the decade of neon lights perfectly. The major sequences are classically chosen, and you'll be hooked from the start. Back in the world of arcade games, the song becomes an intense journey of self-discovery, describing personal growth. Timelessness and shared experiences emphasize the importance of interpersonal bonds. ‘Games’ creates a dreamy atmosphere that allows you to immerse yourself in another world and makes you think about the future - all because you pressed the start button.  The entire production clearly bears Matt's signature, with classic drums, synth arrangements, and above all, the usual concise vocal part, which...
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Indie
Pop
New Wave
Synth Pop
Electronic
NenesButler

About loss and grief: "Meet me on the lake” by Emma Miller

Emma Miller

Emma Miller

Since moving to London in 2014 and gaining a 1st class honours degree in Songwriting, the Scottish-born songstress has so far garnered support from the likes of BBC 6 Music, BBC Radio Scotland, features in Wonderland, Clash and the 405 as well as successfully selling out her previous headline shows as a solo act. 
In 2022 the independent artist embarked on a new adventure, dropping her very first Music NFT. The limited run of 10 Music NFTs dropped on August 26th and sold out in under 48 hours, catapulting Miller to no.11 in the Music NFT charts where she surpassed Snoop Dogg. Seemingly one of the only artists in Scotland to be releasing music on the blockchain, the NFT was given its radio premiere by the Roddy Hart show following the drop.



Emma Miller is ...?

...a Scottish woman who lives in Edinburgh with her rather cute dog, Gracie. She spends quite a lot of time out on walks and greatly enojys making heartfelt, harmony-drenched music and sharing it in the form of Music NFTs and releases on traditional streaming platforms.


How did you get into music, what were your first steps?

A music teacher in Secondary school taught the class how to improvise around the nursery rhyme ‘3 Blind Mice’. I was pretty good at it and at 11 years old somehow made the jump into songwriting from there. 
I moved to London in 2014 and did a degree in Songwriting which is how I ended up taking this whole music thing pretty seriously.


What's the story behind your fantastic release "Meet me on the lake”?

Emma Miller, Scotland
Well, thank you for that compliment! I don’t like to give too much background on songs as I find it can spoil other people’s experience of it if they’ve been imagining something totally different. For your readers, I can tell you that it’s a song about loss and grief, inspired by a stranger I’ve never met.


As a songwriter, what would you say is the hardest part to finish a song?

The production! I can write songs quite quickly and love spending time arranging endless harmonies, but having to settle on a final version and then the finality of collaborating on production and setting it in stone is usually an intense and laborious process for me and my poor producer, Lucas Mendes. 
‘Meet Me on the Lake’ is my first self-produced song to be released - something I would have found pretty daunting and exposing to do a few years ago!


What, in your opinion, is one of the most underrated songs?

I’m a huge fan of Josh Vine and his song ‘A Thousand Skies’ and would encourage everyone to have a listen before he blows up!


What was/is in your opinion the last "Turning point" in music history?

Emma Miller, singer & songwriter
Today is a huge turning point in music history. We live in a time where the evolution of the internet is already taking place as we move towards web 3. I’ve never been this excited about the possibilities for music before and what this means for independent artists. 
For some context, I released my first Music NFT on August 26th and the 10 collectors who bought it don't just own a pretty cool limited digital collectable, but the NFT itself acts like a key for some extra things like free entry to certain shows and priority access to future releases. 
The mindset of people in the web 3 space is utterly inspiring, they truly value music, the artists and creatives in the space. The most passionate music fans in existence are on the blockchain.


Your first ever self-written song was about …?

I honestly have no idea! I think it was called ‘Wind Chimes’ and it was so full of metaphors and ambiguous phrases that I have no clue what I was trying to say. Like most songwriters, I started out writing longwinded piano ballads and it took me a few years before I found my style.


Scotland's indie music scene is …?

Pretty great if you’re an indie band or traditional folk musician. Glasgow has a very famous music scene with a stream of indie bands that head over there to perform. 
Personally, touring Scotland as a solo artist is still on my bucket list. I’d love to make it up to the islands like Orkney and Shetland and perform in venues up there. Scotland's culture has always had music at the heart of it.


What’s next for you?

I’m building up to the release of my next 5 track EP which will first drop as a music NFT before the end of the year. Since becoming part of the web 3/blockchain music scene it feels like anything could be possible. 
Touring the states, making an album, performing around Europe look like they could all be on the agenda over the next couple of years…


Photographer: Daria Bilyk

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