Watch Out For Snakes is 8-bit chipwave from Atlanta geek Matt Baum. Layering NES and Game Boy chip sounds, Watch Out For Snakes creates darkly energetic tracks that pay homage to old video games and 80s films without taking things too seriously.
Since the early 2000s, Baum has been experimenting with minimal synth and throwing down with a keytar in various Florida and Atlanta outfits, but it wasn’t until 2012 that Watch Out For Snakes was born. Unable to choose between playing music or playing video games, Baum split the difference, synthesizing samples from the old NES and Game Boy systems of his youth to build a unique sound – part synthwave, part chiptune, all retro.
As WOFS, Baum crafts original material that draws influence from artists such as Depeche Mode, Sparks, College, and SURVIVE but also takes time out to cover NES soundtracks from games like Ninja Gaiden and Mike Tyson’s Punchout!!
He also tours extensively with past appearances that include synth/vgm fests like MAGFest, BitGen GamerFest, Neon Rose, Outrun the Sun, and Echosynthetic Fest performing alongside artists like Dan Terminus, Street Cleaner, The Megas, and Master Sword. Baum also organizes Terminus Retrowave, a monthly live electronic music event in Atlanta.