Jasz Pike

What did you do before joining dBs?

‍I was living in Devon producing electronic music and DJing. I originally studied media studies and graphic design at college. I also did a year of joinery before starting and running a small takeaway restaurant with my family.

Why did you first get into sound design and game art?

‍I’m always looking to expand my skill set and knowledge in areas that interest me. I have always enjoyed playing games and had been experimenting with sound design through electronic music production for years, so the combination of these two things led to study for a Masters degree in Sound for Games & Apps. 

‍I took a year out after this, and after some time away, the teaching position at dBs opened up and now I'm running the Sound Design course.‍

‍I’ve always had a keen interest in deep narrative and aesthetically stunning games, such as Death Stranding. This led me into the 3D creative realm, and now in addition to my experience with game engines, I also focus on animation and environment design. 

Any special areas of interest?

‍I take quite a philosophical approach to sound design. I like creating meaningful, interactive experiences. This could be a game, installation, or anything else along those lines that provokes thought and makes people feel something. So, for example, there are people using sound to simulate what it’s like to be in the womb. I find that level of interdisciplinary research really exciting.

What do you love most about what you do?

‍Nurturing creative expression. A lot of our students have amazing ideas, and I really enjoy trying to put them on the right path with regards to using audio and interactive experiences so that they can bring them to life.

Tell us about your proudest career moment.

‍When I first took this job and got to shake the hands of my third-year students at their graduation. That was a really special moment. 

What do you get up to outside of teaching?

‍I still produce music for fun (mostly breakbeat-driven) and have a mix on the 1s and 2s when I can. I also like digging around with game engines, exploring 3D modelling and looking into what other sorts of interactive experiences are being developed. It’s my hope to one day develop my own small indie game. 

Tell us something our students may not know about you.

‍I was born in Australia in a small town called Katumba just outside of the Blue Mountains.