A Chat with Adam RenZ (11.06.25)
Rising electronic-pop artist Adam RenZ launches into a bold new era with the release of ‘Ready Player One’, blending cyberpunk soundscapes with noughties nostalgia, the electrifying first single from his highly anticipated four-track EP, GAMEBOY. Adam RenZ took the time to speak to us about this new era of his music and more below.
OSR: ‘Ready Player One’ is a bold introduction to your new era. What does this song represent for you, personally and artistically?
RenZ: ‘RP1’ is about reclaiming my narrative and carving the path I want to take without influence or persuasion from other people’s agendas. Personally, I needed to take some time away to discover myself rather than who I was through the lens of others. We can find ourselves playing a character just to fit in. I didn’t want that for myself; I needed to prioritise my own story, even if that meant losing people I was close to.
Artistically, I wanted to lean into a familiar space, which for me has always been noughties dance and electro, but at the same time, I knew I needed to challenge those sounds and bring them into a more modern era. I knew the theme would always revolve around video games, control, and characters, so I wanted to honour that in the sound too.
OSR: You mentioned the original title was ‘Main Character Syndrome’. How did that evolve into the world of ‘RP1’?
RenZ: Yeah, the initial concept for the track came from a moment of being surrounded by people who all felt like the main character or centre of attention in that room. It feels like you’re serving their narrative, and I wondered how I got into a situation where I felt like a supporting character in their life. When you feel like you’re losing your identity, the behaviour of others becomes really clear. So I sat down and wrote a chorus which initially focused on a pandemic of Main Character Syndrome. I really quickly realised that those three words were pretty difficult to weave into a song, so I flipped it on its head and thought about how I’d write a track if I were in control of the narrative, rather than speaking of those in control. Lyrics and melody were finished in 15 minutes, and we went straight into the studio to work on a rough track.
OSR: There’s a lot of visual and thematic storytelling in your work. Do you see yourself more as a musician or a world-builder?
RenZ: I believe that any decent songwriter should be able to craft a clear storyline in any track. Building a world takes more than just one track. Creating an album or EP allows you the freedom to tell your story over multiple tracks. ‘Ready Player One’ opens the doors to a cyberpunk universe where there are no rules. Your world is under construction, and entirely up to you how you want it to look. This felt very close to the gaming world, like The Sims, Minecraft, etc, where it’s essentially a blank canvas until you begin to create. This is what making music is like for me. I tell my story through the sounds I create.
OSR: You’ve crafted your vocals to sound more digital and ‘playable’. What inspired that choice, and how did you technically achieve it?
RenZ: Every part of the production across this EP was intentional. I studied video games all the way from the 80s to modern day. When technology wasn’t as advanced as it is today, sound engineers needed to find clever tricks to create the right sounds, from vocoders to pitch bends and layering. This was the inspiration for me. I created multiple layers of vocals and harmonies, and each layer was moulded into something unique. We worked with all kinds of effects from filters to autotune and ultimately landed with something that still sounds like me but is also the character that we’ve created.
OSR: Retro gaming and cyberpunk aesthetics are clear influences. What games or cultural references helped shape the GAMEBOY EP?
RenZ: I’ve always been fascinated with how immersive video games can be. Even the classics. I was really interested in 8-bit sounds and how they shaped the entire 80s neon aesthetic, from how Soft Cell recreated ‘Tainted Love’, which was originally very different, into something so electronic that it holds up today. SEGA, Nintendo and PlayStation were all huge inspirations for understanding how games have evolved. The visuals, the sounds, and the depth of control all play a factor in how we perceive this world. I wanted GAMEBOY to have the same feelings, so wherever you discover the tracks, you’ll be immersed in this narrative.
OSR: There’s a recurring theme of reclaiming control and rewriting your own narrative. Was there a specific moment that triggered this shift for you?
RenZ: Yeah, absolutely, this was how the initial title of ‘Main Character Syndrome’ came to be. I have been really lucky to be in the same room as some high-profile individuals whom I’ve learned a lot from. But if the student never has the opportunity to become the teacher, you’ll forever just be a supporting cast in someone else’s life. I could feel this happening slowly over time, but there was a specific moment where I felt like I wasn’t heard or that my voice was insignificant because I didn’t carry the profile of everyone else in that room. That feeling was dehumanising and can cause you to shut down. I really felt like in that moment, I knew I needed to reclaim my story. Life is too short to lose yourself in someone else.
OSR: The production on ‘RP1’ is incredibly layered. What was your favourite part of building the track sonically?
RenZ: I went down an absolute rabbit hole creating this track. We originally had a very different sound that focused on an elastic bass pluck. It just didn’t feel like it was driving the story. I wanted the production to feel like an F1 engine was firing up, and you’re about to go somewhere. I remember being obsessed with a synth used in a track called ‘Yeah Yeah’ by Bodyrox. The thing is, there was no DAW that had anything remotely similar in its library. So I watched several YouTube videos on how they were able to create their sound by layering synths. I used the same techniques from that YouTube tutorial with newer, more modern synths to create a similar style within that mainline synth that carries through. It was honestly months of perfecting this sound until we got to where it is today. A lot of sweat went into making this track.
OSR: How do you balance emotional storytelling with such high-concept, futuristic sound design?
RenZ: I think the music and vocals need to allow space for each other to tell their own story. In the lyrics and vocals, you need to get your message across. The melodies will push a feeling out to the audience to connect with what I’m saying. But this shouldn’t overpower the track and the elements of the instrumentals, which ultimately create the world you’re in. As a songwriter, if I can say what I want in fewer words and allow the production to shine, then I’ve created enough room for the story to be complemented by each element.
OSR: Do you think Gen Z and digital-native listeners will connect more deeply with these themes of identity and control in a gamified world?
RenZ: I think we live in a world now where everyone is looking for an escape and healing from something. With how easy it is to allow yourself to drift into another world in whatever medium, film, music, games, or books, I think this EP will resonate with people who feel like they’ve lost their voice or power. I hope that the gamers out there find fun in the nuances of how I’ve created this music and connect in a way that allows them to shape their own narrative.
OSR: If ‘Ready Player One’ were a level in a video game, what would the challenge be, and what’s the reward for beating it?
RenZ: I love this question! ‘Ready Player One’ would definitely be the final level, leaving the player on a cliffhanger waiting for the sequel! The challenge would be to escape a utopian cyberpunk city to what would ultimately be the promised land. Giving the player a sense of leaving behind one world and stepping into another, ready for the next adventure or in this case, ready for the next track on the EP.
Many thanks to Adam RenZ for speaking with us! Find out more about Adam RenZ on his Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Spotify.
