IU alumnus performs video game music at the Chesh

He calls himself “Spiral Cheese Horizon,” and as of now, he’s an up-and-coming artist of a unique sort.

Thursday night’s gig at the Cheshire Cafe in Collins Living-Learning Center happened to be his first performance under the stage name, but with a calling card like that, IU alumnus Ryder Timberlake might not be unknown for long.

In a culture focused on popular music genres, most struggle to define Timberlake’s style.

“Loosely, it’s video games meets electronic,” Timberlake said, explaining his style. “More specifically, I have a wide range of inspirations.”

Some of these include Motoi Sakuraba , the musical composer of several games such as the Mario sports games, but Timberlake’s personal favorite is the soundtrack to “Tales of Phantasia,” a game for Super Nintendo. More mainstream influences include artists such as Philip Glass and Cypress Hill.

His influences emerge in his music, which features hip-hop beats similar to those of Cypress Hill, Glass’ repetitive style and the subtle electronic noise of classic video games.

In most of his songs, Timberlake lays down a short, simple keyboard line. With a click of the mouse, he repeats the keyboard riff, and he lays another on top of it in an endlessly melodic, electronic and at times sinister sound.

“He pulls a lot together on stage, and it’s actually very impressive considering how little equipment he has,” said Gavin King, a fan of Timberlake’s music. “The computer he uses was nearly imploding, and yet he keeps moving along so quickly.”

A unique talent might emerge on recorded tracks, but friend Flora Reid said his personality can also be seen in his performance.

“He’s always been somewhat of a quirky person, and you can definitely see some of those electronic aspects coming through in his personality,” Reid said. “He’ll probably be in that category with someone like Imogen Heap. But I like it, and I think it’s got potential.”

With his unique style, Timberlake’s music can be strange for those not familiar with the genre.

“It’s all about what attitude you approach it with, and it’s obviously not for everyone,” King said. “But it’s done with an air of humor, honestly, and if you approach it that way, you’ll enjoy it.”

But Timberlake’s other talents are more mainstream. He has a lucrative background in hip hop, having served as an emcee for years.

“I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to compose music,” Timberlake said.
With such an elaborate background, music is certainly an area where he can excel, but he said he does it for the love of the music.

“Nowadays I just really want to do music, not necessarily make a fame name out of it,” Timberlake said. “But if I can pay the rent and afford the health insurance, that would be great.”

James Estes, a member of the Collins Community Council, said Collins is a good place for performers to start their careers.

“Collins is open to programming by students and for students,” Estes said. “If you want that specialty thing and are willing to put forth the effort, you can do it.”