My Favourite Game Denis Karimani

The artist known as Remute on making music with Sega Mega Drives and the enduring appeal of retro games

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Von Denis ‘Remute’ Karimani’s career since his debut EP Hypnoconsole in 2002. Two years ago his album Limited was released on 3.5-inch floppy disk – and his latest project, Technoptimistic, comes on a Mega Drive cartridge. Here, he discusses his love of Sega’s 16bit system, and why niche formats make for more rewarding listening.

What are your very earliest memories of playing videogames?

I got a Commodore 64 when I was five years old – that was my first entry into the gaming world. Right after that I got a Nintendo Entertainment System, and when I was eight I got a Mega Drive. That was the most powerful gaming experience of my childhood because of the graphics, and of course the music. I actually had the feeling that I was in the minority with a Sega console in Germany – I was the cool kid with the Mega Drive and every kid wanted to come over and play.

Was it the Mega Drive that first sparked your interest in music?